Thanks for the great article, PJ, and I have really enjoyed reading all the comments. Wow, bringing back so many memories! My mom made the Chef Boy-Ar-Dee pizza from the box when I was little, growing up in Atlanta and knowing nothing of "real" pizza. It was a real treat for us three kids, because my father was a stickler for the full "meat and potatoes" meal that had to be on the table every night - but he worked swing shifts, and when he was working 3-11, my mom would fix something quick and easy for us that he wouldn't have liked. Like pizza from a box, and Swanson's TV dinners. I remember that she made the dough and put a plate on top of the bowl for it to rise. It was a real treat! To this day I feel mischievous when I eat frozen dinners, there is such a positive association for me. We also ate a lot of Stouffers' French Bread pizzas when I was a teenager in the 70's. Always burned the roof of my mouth! When I was 12, we moved up to Mansfield, MA, and discovered the House of Pizza that was in every little town, run by Greek families. I was forever spoiled for pizza after that. On Friday nights, after work my mother would stop by the House of Pizza and get 5 pies - one for each of us. What a luxury that was!
Now, I make real pizza crust with KAF, and recently tried the sourdough pizza crust recipe, which was phenomenal. We're all "authentic" now! I haven't had a boxed pizza for decades; but I think the smell of that sauce will always make me smile.
February 18, 2014 at 9:40am