
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 13, 1994                   TAG: 9407150057
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

THE PIZZABILITIES ARE ENDLESS

There's hardly a person who will dispute pizza as one of America's favorite foods. Hot and steaming from the oven, bursting with any number of flavorful cheeses, or tasty "designer" options like artichoke hearts and smoked chicken, pizza appeals to all ages. It's a party natural!

Serving a crowd at an open-house party with home-made pizza won't be daunting either when everyone has a say in the ingredients. Simply spread the word and invite party goers to bring a wedge of their favorite cheese to use as a pizza topping.

If making a home-made pizza crust isn't an option, just head for your nearest supermarket and choose from the wide selection of prepared crusts. Ready-to-bake, refrigerated or frozen, they're all easy to use. Simply take one home, follow the instructions, top with your favorite cheese and other ingredients, and pop in the oven to bake. Prepared-pizza crust options include French bread slices, English muffins or individual serving size pizzas, frozen pizza or bread dough and pita bread pockets.

Wisconsin has long been noted for its cheese making prowess, with over 250 varieties of cheeses to its credit. For a free booklet of additional pizza ideas, write to the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Dept. OH, 8418 Excelsior Drive, Madison, Wis. 53717.

If you love pizza but fear its fat content, pick up a copy of David Ricketts' and Susan McQuillan's "Simply Healthful Pizzas & Calzones" ($9.95, Chapters Publishing Ltd., Shelburne, Vt.). In it you'll find 40 tasty, light versions of thick- and thin-crust pizzas, calzones and crostini (mostly vegetarian) made from yeast doughs that don't necessarily have to rise before baking. Good thing, too, because Steven Mark Needham's enticing photographs make it hard to wait till the pies are done.

Surprisingly, there is not a huge difference between the no-rise crust and the crust with risings. The latter is slightly more puffy with a breadier texture, but the no-rise version can easily pass for the risen. The secret is the initial prebaking of the crust at a high heat, which causes even the no-rise version to "explode" and puff into a crisp base.

The authors worked with the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board to compile a list of cheeses that deliver the most flavor with the least amount of fat. There's also a utensils guide.

So go ahead and grate zesty Parmesan and Asiago; shred creamy, mild Mozzarella; slice mellow Havarti and Jack; and crumble tangy Feta or rich Blue. No matter which variety, type and style of cheese tops your pizza, it's guaranteed that your party guests will come back for second servings and declare this open-house party the best ever.

Recipes for:

TEXAS BORDER BREAKFAST PIZZA

OLIVETO PIZZA

CONFETTI'S BARBEQUE CHICKEN PIZZA

BASIC PIZZA DOUGH

RATATOUILLE PIZZA

MEXICAN PIZZA WITH CORN AND CHILIES

by CNB