Although difficult to date the first pizza, it is safe to say that it has evolved over thousands of years.  It seems that every generation and nationality has had flat rounds of bread that was spread with some mixture of herbs and oil before or after baking.

But pizza as we now know it came from the poorer Neapolitans who started toppings humble rounds of dough with tomatoes.   The first pizzeria in America was opened on Spring Street in Manhattan in 1905, but pizza never caught on in this country until after World War II. GI’s returning from Naples refused to leave the tasty pizza pie in Italy.  In the 1970’s and 80’s, Americans developed their own pizza styles, like New England, Chicago, Tex-Mex and California Pizzas.

Combinations of pizza toppings are endless and go way past pepperoni and cheese…for instance, my brother likes, sausage, onions and green olives.  Below are some ideas for traditional and less traditional pizza pie combinations.

• Small yellow plum tomatoes, red onions, hot sausage, Parmesan
• Goat cheese, fresh basil, pine nuts
• Grilled eggplant, fresh tomato, garlic, Boursin cheese
• Cilantro, fresh salsa, fresh roasted chiles, Monterey Jack
• Sautéed wild mushrooms, olive oil, garlic, parsley
• Fresh tomatoes, smoked mozzarella, fresh basil
• Shrimp, pesto, fresh tomatoes
• Gorgonzola, spinach, prosciutto
• Eggplant, roasted pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, fresh herbs
• Mozzarella, Fontina, tomatoes, basil, prosciutto, red onion, green pepper
• Smoked salmon, goat cheese, sour cream, golden caviar
• Red, yellow and green peppers, roasted garlic pesto, feta cheese, fresh herbs
• Shrimp, leeks, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, garlic, fresh herbs

For the more traditional…

• Neopolitan: tomatoes, garlic, oregano or basil
• Sardinian: red onions, anchovies, black olives, capers, marjoram
• Sicilian: anchovies, provolone and mozzarella, tomato sauce, artichoke hearts, prosciutto, oregano
• Romana Bianca: pancetta, onions, rosemary, mozzarella, black pepper
• Ligurian: sweet onions, anchovies, black olives
• Palermo:  mozzarella, fresh herbs, black pepper anchovies, olives
• Provencal: tomatoes, onions, anchovies, nicoise olives, fennel, herbs
• Pissaladiere: onions, anchovies, olives black pepper
• Tape4nade: tapenade, mozzarella, tomatoes, sweet onions, oregano
• Ratatouille: ratatouille, mozzarella, parmesan
• Fruits de Mer: Shrimp, squid, mussles, Nicoise olives, tomato coulis, garlic
• Greek: tomatoes, green and hot peppers, spinach, feta cheese, Kalamata olives, oregano, dill, hard cooked eggs
• Middle Eastern: ground lamb, raisins, pine nuts, tomatoes, ohnions, nutmeg
• Spanish: sweet onions, red pepper, ham, uncooked eggs
• Mexican: green pepper, Monterey Jack, garlic, plum tomatoes, hot chiles, hot Italian sausage, oregano, cilantro
• American Purist (the Al Jurkonis special): tomato sauce,  sweet Italian sausage, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning.
• Amercican Purist -- Pepperoni:  same as above, but replace sausage with pepperoni (try frying it first!)

Other thoughts on toppings:

• Meats that top pizza are almost always cured, such as salamis, hard sausages and ham…or are raw, but sautéed first to remove excess fat and moisture.  Also, thin slices of smoked fish or fresh shellfish can be used
• Most toppings can go directly on the pizza without any precooking if they cook in the same amount of time as the crust.  Most vegetables need to be precooked since they won’t cook through in time or will swim in their own juices.
• Consider grilling, sautéing or blanching as methods to precook vegetables.  Use olive oil when grilling or sautéing for added flavor. Peppers and chiles are better roasted and peeled.