Paul, there IS fennel in the sausage seasonings. 5th ingredient on the list for sausage. I agree, absolutely essential for any Italian sausage. As for the "Garbage Bin Pizza", read the blog. PJ put in what SHE likes in her pizza, and tells you to add what YOU like. I generally only have spinach and sausage in mine, or sometimes just cheese, but it's whatever you like, just make sure to avoid too much moisture in the added toppings/fillings. No Pizza Police, remember? As for authenticity, first, see the intro to the blog. And second, check out http://www.giordanos.com/stuffedpizza.html, which is the menu for Giordano's, probably the most well known stuffed pizza in Chicago. Some of their pizzas have way more "junk" than PJ's. The main point of the recipe (correct me if you meant otherwise PJ) is to provide the building blocks for making the pizza you want - this is a good crust, sauce and sausag, and you decide the rest. Absolutely right, Jess - I thought I was being pretty clear that 1) This wasn't meant to be absolutely authentic Chicago stuffed pizza, but rather a homemade version inspired by the original, and 2) "no pizza police" - i.e., everyone should feel free to use their own favorite fillings. Though, as you say, make sure they're good and dry to prevent sogginess. I've always admired Julia Child's spirit - she'd delight in anything that was tasty, tradition be darned. She loved McDonald's french fries as much as she loved a perfect pain au chocolat. Also, she moderated a recipe writers' forum I attended once, where some of the participants started fussing about who was printing whose recipes without attribution - Julia said, "For heavens' sake, if you don't want to share your recipe, don't write it down!" That made me smile, and she's right: what does it matter "whose" recipe it is, so long as we all enjoy ourselves? Thanks, Jess - getting down off my soapbox now... :) PJH

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