A Slice of Perfection

It should come as no surprise that pizza is the #1 take-out food in America. While take-out offers maximum convenience, homemade pizza is usually a better value, boasting superior ingredients for better health benefits. My Mom was a natural when it came to making homemade pizza. I loved the smell of freshly baked pizzas that wafted through our home on Friday nights and the rich blend of cheesy flavors that accompanied every mouthful. It was a slice of perfection that brought our family together at the end of each week.

In the past few months, I've decided to try my hand at the art of pizza making. This mostly came about as a way to make a healthier option for my family than the frozen fare from the grocery store. While I'm not quite the natural my Mom was, I have made some progress along the way. From dough that won't stretch to dough that won't blend, I've learned to trouble-shoot my way through each unscripted scenario, thanks to in part to YouTube.

With each attempt, there are steps I get right and steps that still need improving. I jot the lesson I've learned along the edges of my pizza dough recipe. They act as a guide for future attempts, each note getting me closer to the mark. The notes from last nights pizza will remind me to extend the baking time an extra minute or two and to add olive oil to the crust after it cools a bit.

In the meantime, my family happily benefits from the learning curve that comes with this territory. Their support, from one attempt to the next, is a boost to my morale. After all, I have some big shoes to fill. One day soon, I hope to carry on my Mom's tradition of filling our home with the aroma of freshly baked pizza as our family gathers together at the end of each week.

The finished product.