Comments on: Top my homemade pizza

Question: Top my homemade pizza

nitsuj — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:19:56 -0800

What are some good, unique pizza toppings? I make homemade pizza about once a week. I've got the dough/crust down, but I'm getting bored with the standard selection of toppings. What are some interesting, del.icio.us combinations I can experiment with?

By: Stewriffic

Stewriffic — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:22:14 -0800

I'm a big fan of mozz, garlic slices, capers, raisins and toasted pinenuts. God that just made me hungry.

By: amyms

amyms — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:23:37 -0800

I recently had pizza topped with shrimp and assorted Chinese veggies. It was heavenly!

By: zeph

zeph — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:23:59 -0800

Well, what would you consider the standard selection of toppings? Personally I love toasted pine nuts on my pizza but I'm not sure how common that is these days? Artichoke, sheep's-milk feta, fresh garlic, and some nice kalamata olives are pretty good, too ...

By: princelyfox

princelyfox — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:24:22 -0800

I love topping my pizza with frozen peas.

By: Stewriffic

Stewriffic — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:24:24 -0800

Actually, if I were to make that pizza right now, I'd toss a couple of big handfuls of arugula/rocket in too. Spicy, bitter arugula, with the sweet, nutty, salty and garlicky. Ahhhhhhh.

By: Tomorrowful

Tomorrowful — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:25:25 -0800

A semilocal pizza chain (Peace a Pizza) sells a thing called a Mediterranian pizza. It's basically an entire greek salad on a pizza. A friend who tried it approved heartily.

By: acoutu

acoutu — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:25:35 -0800

Broccoli, figs, kalamata olives, caramelized onions, sliced garlic...(not all together -- just as toppings).

By: jeffamaphone

jeffamaphone — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:26:40 -0800

I have been doing salami and spinach recently.

Popcorn is good too, oddly enough.

Chicken Tikka and Jalapenos with curry is good too.

By: nimsey lou

nimsey lou — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:27:31 -0800

corn. mmmmm..... I love corn on my pizza

By: musicfriend

musicfriend — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:31:56 -0800

This might be selling out, but California Pizza Kitchen has a lot of good pizzas. My favorite is the Jamaican Jerk with grilled chicken, bacon, green onions, bell peppers, and jerk sauce (instead of tomato sauce). Tasty!

I'm fond of trying different types of chiles -- jalapeno, habanero, etc.

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:32:03 -0800

Corn, pineapple, golden raisins, Caesar dressing.
Laugh.
But you'll thank me later.

By: scody

scody — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:32:29 -0800

Shrimp, asparagus, and goat cheese is my pizza of choice when I make it.

By: PercussivePaul

PercussivePaul — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:32:40 -0800

Other sauces (barbecue, teriyaki, etc) instead of ordinary tomato sauce.

In fact those are still not that adventurous... I wonder if you could make a pizza with mayonnaise? A BLT pizza perhaps?

By: gaspode

gaspode — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:32:47 -0800

hrm. I have been known to use satay sauce instead of marinara sauce, then a little cheese, some shredded chicken and some red and green peppers.

Is it still a pizza then?

By: nebulawindphone

nebulawindphone — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:33:17 -0800

Small cloves of fresh garlic. They roast all nice and sweet and golden while it's cooking.

By: padraigin

padraigin — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:33:44 -0800

Diced eggplant, tomatoes, feta cheese and kalamata olives.

Chopped breakfast bacon (pre-fried is best) and onions

Did one the other day that was all veg--artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, red onion.

Playing with different sauces is fun too--pesto (standard or a variant, I really like roasted red pepper pesto), cream sauces, no sauce at all. Even just adding variety to your standard tomato sauce is fun--try it spicy, or sweeter than usual, depending on the other toppings.

Leftover BBQ chicken, cheddar cheese, and green onions

We make homemade pizza at least once a week so I'm learning to mix it up, too.

By: Stewriffic

Stewriffic — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:33:54 -0800

Ok, sorry, can't stop. Also I've made a really tasty smoked mozz and caramelized onion pizza with andouille sausage.

Feta, spinach/swiss chard/beetgreens, chickpeas, grilled eggplant, oregano.

Fennel, italian sausage, green onions.

Bratwust, red cabbage and caraway seeds.

Jerked chicken, pineapple, red bell peppers and red onions.

By: pompomtom

pompomtom — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:36:30 -0800

Crack an egg on it.

By: nebulawindphone

nebulawindphone — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:36:49 -0800

(Also: mashed potato, bacon and ranch dressing on a tomato-free pizza was pretty common in Pittsburgh while I lived there. PercussivePaul's BLT pizza might not be as much of a long shot as it sounds.)

By: thomas144

thomas144 — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:40:34 -0800

Our favorite homemade pizza combination is Tuna, Walnuts, & Broccoli.

By: bottlebrushtree

bottlebrushtree — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:41:26 -0800

I make my homemade pizza with hot Salsa instead of tomato sauce.
No extra toppings just cheese.

I find the more "commercial" salsa work better than the more natural ones.

The commercial ones are drier and cook better.

Try it, you will love it!

By: lekvar

lekvar — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:41:48 -0800

Salmon with an alfredo sauce, or other cheese/cream-based sauce.

By: tatiana wishbone

tatiana wishbone — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:42:48 -0800

Breaded fried eggplant...mmmm....

By: hydrophonic

hydrophonic — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:45:58 -0800

Cherries and blue cheese
Zucchini and leeks
Thin eggplant wheels, garlic, and asparagus in a spoke pattern
Cilantro, corn, tomatoes and onions, maybe avocado or jalapeño

These come from Bubamara Pizza in Chicago, which disappeared mysteriously last year. I miss it terribly, but at least the web site is still up so I can go and revisit his list of toppings any time I'm feeling wistful.

By: Snoogylips

Snoogylips — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:50:04 -0800

Taco Pizza-use taco sauce instead of tomato sauce. Top with ground hamburger or turkey meat, onions, and cheddar cheese. When its done baking top with shredded lettuce, black olives and tomatoes.

I also like BLT. It requires no sauce, layer bacon and cheese. When the pizza is done add shredded lettuce tomatoes and drizzle ranch on top.

Pineapple Cheese Pizza
zucchinis, squash, and spinach

By: latch24

latch24 — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:51:09 -0800

Roast pumpkin (Kent / Butternut) with crumbled fetta, spinach, red onion, no sauce.

Marinated artichokes, salami, olives, fresh tomato paste, capsicum and lots of cheese.

BBQ sauce, BBQ chicken, bacon, mayo and cheese... yum

Roast potato slices, garlic, rosemary, cheese, no sauce.

Aussie fav - ham, pineapple, cheese and some eggs cracked on top, tomato base.

I could go on and on... this is fun!

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:52:48 -0800

Vegemite, with pineapple & fetta.

By: Becko

Becko — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:05:20 -0800

My favorite pizza to make is BBQ chicken pizza. Just BBQ sauce, grilled chicken and mozzarella cheese.

I also make a Thai chicken pizza. Peanut sauce, scallions, grilled chicken, carrots and crushed peanuts. No cheese.

By: necessitas

necessitas — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:06:47 -0800

This Japanese pizza site might give you some unique ideas.

By: necessitas

necessitas — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:10:12 -0800

Oh, also, looking up the foreign sites for the standard US pizza chains (pizza hut, dominos, etc), will reveal very unusual and tasty-looking toping menus.

By: phoenixy

phoenixy — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:10:28 -0800

Sauceless goat cheese and potato pizza--the whole pizza is slathered with the cheese, then thin potato slices are laid on top. Mmm. (From now-defunct Cambridge pizza place Campo de Fiori).

By: Tube

Tube — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:12:21 -0800

Cashew bits.

By: pearl228

pearl228 — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:14:54 -0800

Standards we're partial to (using homemade semolina dough):

- arugula, prosciutto, and a tiny bit of mozzarelle and parmesan

- roasted garlic, goat cheese, and sundried tomatoes

- pesto, roasted red peppers, and smoked gouda

- roma tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarelle

- mascarpone, gorgonzola, and pine nuts

By: zerobyproxy

zerobyproxy — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:22:19 -0800

Potatoes sliced in quarter inch pieces that are pre-baked, brushed with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkled with fresh rosemary and sea salt.

By: unknowncommand

unknowncommand — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:23:47 -0800

Jalapenos (pickled) and pineapple, and then maybe mushrooms (if you're into that).

By: genmonster

genmonster — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:29:41 -0800

antonio's pizza in massachusetts makes pizza using refried beans as 'sauce' with feta cheese, avocado and peppers. it totally rocks. they also make buffalo chicken with bleu cheese dressing pizza.

By: wanderingmind

wanderingmind — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:38:00 -0800

Banana slices. Just the sauce, mozzarella cheese, and sliced bananas. I'm completely serious about this; it's more sweet than savory, but somehow it all works together. I was introduced to this when I worked a temp stint at a print shop in Berkeley and I've never forgotten it since.

By: numinous

numinous — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:39:09 -0800

CASHEWS! Cashews cashews cashews cashews. Something happens to them when they go into the oven atop a pizza...they emerge buttery and soft. I just suggested this recently, so I'll just cut+paste:

Also, our local pizzeria makes a veggie pizza to die for. They use pesto instead of marinara, and top it with mozzarella, artichoke hearts, garlic, tomatoes, red onions, and cashews. It's really the last ingredient that makes it so magical. If you eat this drizzled with our not-so-secret-sauce (Tapatio* + ranch dressing), you will be in flavor heaven.

I cannot stress how delicious this is. It is SO. GOOD.

By: peachfuzz

peachfuzz — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:42:09 -0800

arugula, frisee, or even watercress or escarole. Basically, any bitter/spicy green that tastes good slightly wilted - I tend to think arugula works best, because it will wilt almost completely. Toss a big handful with just a few drops of oil and good vinegar (you'll want to chop the sturdier greens into smaller pieces first), and then scatter across your pizza the moment it comes out of the oven.

Excellent on almost any cheesed pizza - the greens cut the richness and add a lot of depth - but especially good with fennel-heavy sausage and spicy tomato sauce. OMG sausage and arugula pizza...I know what we're eating for dinner tomorrow.

By: fogster

fogster — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:42:38 -0800

Where I used to work, we'd periodically make "Leftover Pizza" and sell it as a special. Except we'd just call it "Today's Special" and note what was in it, and charge a premium for it. And it usually sold.

My point isn't that my boss was sneaky and manipulative, it's that, rather than thinking of a handful of things that might be good, you ought to think of a pizza as a blank canvas, and chuck whatever has been sitting in your fridge for a while on it. Worst case, you waste some leftovers.

By: mumkin

mumkin — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:44:15 -0800

Oh, man. There's a delicious little place in town here that does a corn, smoked mozzarella and caramelized onion pie. It's on an extra-crispy cornmeal crust. Not just a little corn, either... you want to see more corn than not-corn on top. Mouth-breakingly onolicious, it is.

I have enjoyed scrambled egg pizzas when traveling in antique lands, but haven't tried making it at home. They're particularly good with catsup.

Fried calamari, liberally peppered, is also an excellent topping.

By: GPF

GPF — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:49:36 -0800

A layer of thinly sliced salami between the sauce and cheese gives a great fatty texture, mild spice, and good contrast for other sweet toppings. I fell for it when I decided I liked pepperoni, but not the concomitant heartburn.

By: Mael Oui

Mael Oui — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:03:37 -0800

FIGS!

I can't eat tomato sauce, so I've had to search hard for restaurants that have interesting pizzas that don't have that (and various other ingredients that don't agree with me, like garlic - it's not easy to find that!). Anyway,the best one I found is smoked mozzarella, roasted sweet onions, and fennel sausage. Really delicious!

By: HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal

HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:08:06 -0800

It looks like nobody has mentioned the pear/asparagus c ombination. I had it at the Pizza Research Institute (link mentions further toppings)in Eugene, OR. Absolutely delicious.

Also, there's the Argentine tradition of fainá, a thin, crispy chickpea-based 'crepe' that you eat on top of whatever pizza you make.

By: lekvar

lekvar — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:16:40 -0800

Since we're recommending our favorite stores...
If you can forgive them their name, Extreme Pizza has some interesting pizzas. My favorites are "Peace in the Middle East," hummus, tomatoes, olives, onions, feta, fresh basil, pepperoncinis and mozzarella; and "California Cactus" Frijoles negras (black beans) y salsa, grilled chicken or green chilies, black olives, red onions, tomatoes, jalapenos, cilantro and cheddar. Check out their other selections for inspiration.

By: pieoverdone

pieoverdone — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:23:38 -0800

Golden Delicious apple and onions. Together. I've only seen apple as a topping in one pizza place. Apple n onion pizza is great.

By: mcarthey

mcarthey — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:35:38 -0800

I've always enjoyed pepperoncini and green olives.

By: griffey

griffey — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:47:45 -0800

My very favorite pie, made at my house with fresh dough:

Artichoke hearts, bacon or other salty ham product, roasted garlic, ricotta cheese, all on an olive oil base with some thin sliced parmesan reggiano.

The ricotta totally blends the saltiness of the bacon and parm, the roasted garlic is sweet....mmmmm. Very tasty.

By: kdar

kdar — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:54:50 -0800

My favorite pizza ever is a standard tomato sauce pizza with roasted chicken and pesto on top. MMM.

By: padraigin

padraigin — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:04:15 -0800

Oooh, and there's a place in Tucson that does a cheddar and jalapeno pizza. To die for! Must remember to try this one at home soon.

By: swbarrett

swbarrett — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:08:21 -0800

Bagel Bites!

By: emelenjr

emelenjr — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:27:14 -0800

Favorite from one local pizza join: Crabmeat, Old Bay and onions.
Favorite from another: Grilled chicken, broccoli, onions, Swiss, Fontina, Gorgonzola, Mozzarella and fresh sage

By: bink

bink — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:38:28 -0800

Stuffed grape leaves, the kind filled with rice and in a nice lemony sauce. Slice them into 1/4 inch coins and put on pizza with olives. So good.

By: tomwheeler

tomwheeler — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:47:00 -0800

What you consider "standard selections" depends on where you live. I once got an annual report from Tricon (the corporation that owns Pizza Hut). It had an interesting sidebar about what the most popular toppings were in different countries. Unfortunately, I could not find that exact list on the Web, but here's a list of favorite pizza toppings in 10 countries from another site. Maybe it has some things you'll like.

By: barc0001

barc0001 — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:48:40 -0800

I worked at a pizza place in White Rock when I was in high school, and we had a taco pizza there, which was a pizza shell with salsa instead of tomato sauce, add ground beef and a mozza/cheddar blend and cook. Once it comes out of the oven, cover it with fresh lettuce and tomoato slices. Chop and eat!

Also, the owners of said pizza place would on occasion make other odd concoctions for personal/staff consumption only, not for sale to the general public. I recall one time for thanksgiving they made turkey pizzas with turkey sliced off a fresh cooked bird, cranberry sauce instead of tomato sauce, and mashed potatoes and stuffing on top in place of cheese. The mashed potatoes were a little crispy at the top after it went through the oven (one of them forced-air dealies) but it was awesome. It was like a really good turkey pot pie.

By: tomwheeler

tomwheeler — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:55:51 -0800

Domino's international pizza page also lists popular toppings by country.

By: ninazer0

ninazer0 — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:57:01 -0800

These are a few of my favourite things:

Blue cheese (gorgonzola is good), fresh figs, prosciutto or bacon. Mushroom, garlic, parsley and mozarella. Figs, rosemary, ricotta and honey (for desert, serve with cream). Kangaroo (or venison), aragula, goat-cheese and garlic. Tomato, garlic, thyme, fresh basil, feta and ground beef. Tomato or BBQ sauce, diced bacon, shredded mozzarella, fresh eggs. Add vegemite to that for "the Aussie". Olive-oil and garlic, no cheese. Garlic, chilli, parsley and cheese with tomato base ( a "Flu Killer"). Prawns, calamari or baby occy, parsley, basil, tomatoes, provalone, garlic and oregano with plenty of sea salt.

Mmmmm.

By: andraste

andraste — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 22:25:10 -0800

Spiced minced lamb, mozarella, spinach, onion, yoghurt and jalapeno.

Tandoori chicken, mozarella, red onion, spinach & yoghurt.

One of the best pizzas I ever had consisted of cheese, spinach, goat's cheese, potato and pine nuts. And lots of garlic.

By: kathryn

kathryn — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 22:44:12 -0800

Kimchee (learned this from a friend who studied in Japan for a year and had access to great kimchee)
Jalapenos or any other hot pepper, as mentioned earlier
Lardo, rosemary, and olive oil (via Otto, thanks Mario Batali)
Egg, guanciale, radicchio & bagna cauda (like Pizzeria Mozza in LA)
Little neck clams with olive oil, garlic, oregano, grated parmesan (New Haven, CT style)
Prosciutto, truffle pate and basil (the "Martha Stewart" pie at Luzzo's in NYC)
Fresh Parmigiana Reggiano and baby artichokes (like Di Fara in Brooklyn)
Multiple cheeses, freshly cut basil, and a drizzle of olive oil (if you want to get even more Di Fara-like)
Pear, bresaola and gorgonzola
Bacon, sweet onions, and cream (like a tarte flambe)
Similarly, fennel sausage, heavy cream & red onion (Pizzeria Mozza)
Cauliflower and grueye (from Grandaisy in NYC, they also do a nice celery root pizza)
black winter truffles, fontina, ricotta, buffalo mozzarella if you have the cash (the "Tartufo" pie from Fornino in Brooklyn)

By: atomly

atomly — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 22:46:04 -0800

Prosciutto, Arugula and Parmeggiano-Reggiano is a delicious combination. Not uncommon in Italy, I guess, but definitely in the US.

Also, a very unusual one: grated horse meat. Sounds weird, but it's delicious.

Tuna, Spinach and Egg is also a great combo (you can throw ham and mushroom in there if you want, too)

By: dws

dws — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 22:47:17 -0800

Skip the standard pizza herbs, and try just fresh oregano and some good black olives.

By: Lemurrhea

Lemurrhea — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:05:32 -0800

A local place here does what they call the Super Ukranian: Pierogies, onions, bacon, kielbasa, on a creamy garlic sauce with sour cream on top.

Sounds weird, but holy cthulhu is it good!

By: The Light Fantastic

The Light Fantastic — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:30:14 -0800

Feta, pineapple and pepperoncini!!

By: zengargoyle

zengargoyle — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:01:21 -0800

Wow, eating pizza for the next week or so. :) Me, simple... cheapo cheese pizza from store, covered with pork or chicken BBQ, onions, corn, pineapple and more cheese... Parmesean, garlic butter or ranch, OM NOM NOM.

By: Nattie

Nattie — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 01:55:06 -0800

Generally speaking, any sort of specialty cheese is a good place to start. Just taste one and you'll get ideas for ingredients that might go with it. You can also combine several kinds of cheese for even more options.

Fruits are another good starting point for originality. I don't know if anyone has mentioned apple yet, but I saw an arugula and apple pizza the other day. You could also try browsing the produce section of a specialty grocery store for unusual vegetables or herbs. Consider spicy peppers.

Another thing is you don't have to use tomato sauce. Pesto sauce is great. You can also use olive oil, barbecue sauce, most pasta sauces as long as they're not too thin, etc.

When it comes to meat, you can find special kinds of bacon and sausage that don't taste like what you're used to.

Finally, you might want to look through all the glass jars of cured items like relish at the grocery store, or a speciality store for even more. Sun-dried tomato, giardiniera, etc.

You can take pretty much any ingredient and find common accompanying ingredients in non-pizza recipes online for ideas. So, for example, you could look up "arugula" and find more things to put on the pizza I mentioned above. I found fennel and mandarin oranges in one recipe.

By: sveskemus

sveskemus — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 02:34:35 -0800

Bake the pizza with just tomatoes and cheese. When it's done add thinly sliced smoked salmon and fresh rocket.

By: zardoz

zardoz — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 02:36:08 -0800

Japanese pizza toppings can be pretty weird. Corn is popular, as is potato, tarako (small, pink fish eggs), and nori (dry seaweed) flakes. The first two are ok, the latter I can do without.
HOWEVER, the Pizza Hut here in Tokyo recently had a bulgogi, or Korean BBQ pizza I tried which was heavenly.

By: brautigan

brautigan — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 03:02:11 -0800

Black Pudding, Goats cheese and Thyme

2-3 slices streaky bacon, diced and cooked
2-3 slices of Stornoway Black Pudding, cooked and crumbled
50 gm goats cheese, cut into small pieces
A few sprigs of thyme

Arrange on pizza and cook, possibly cracking a small free range egg in the center a you do.

By: zardoz

zardoz — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 03:09:53 -0800

Oh, and my dream pizza: olives, mushrooms, pineapple, capers, garlic.

By: kmennie

kmennie — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:22:29 -0800

Check the Pizza'za menu (in French, though) for some inspiration.

Raspberries, especially with brie.

Various seeds and nuts -- sunflower, sesame, pine, etc. I used to keep a little container in the fridge of chopped fresh herbs and nuts, whatever was on hand, to fling on pizza.

Tortilla chips.

Potato + sour cream + cheddar + green onions.

By: romakimmy

romakimmy — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:39:54 -0800

You don't mention how thick you like your crust, but I'll go out on a limb and suggest no topping at all: Pizza Bianca. Ok, it's not really "no topping" considering it's brushed with olive oil, salt & rosemary, but it's simply divine either by itself, cut in half & used as sandwich bread (mortadella or prosciutto & mozerella), or slathered with Nutella.

Other favorites in addition to those listed in Wikipedia (mainly "White" Pizzas - i.e. no tomato sauce. * denotes raw topping placed on already cooked base):

thickly shredded boiled potatoes & sausage, mozzerella. onion optional. or sub zucchini for the pototes

broccoli & sausage, mozzarella

bresola, rocket & thin chips of Parmesan*

Cherry tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, & basil leaves (can be white or red, cooked or raw)

fiori di zucca- mozzarella, zucchini blossoms, & anchovies

porchini mushrooms & mozzarella.add sausage if you'd like

radicchio & Gorgonzola or provolone

chicken salad*

eggplant, zucchini, peppers, mushrooms, mozzarella (can be white or red)

By: slimepuppy

slimepuppy — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:44:52 -0800

Nachos. Had that here in Spain and it was actually really nice and added a unique texture and flavour to the pizza. Was combined with jalapeños and meat.

By: mikepop

mikepop — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 06:00:20 -0800

carmelized onions + ricotta (along with mozzarella, sauce)

By: sero_venientibus_ossa

sero_venientibus_ossa — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 06:11:45 -0800

Walnuts. After the pizza is done put on cold tomatoes and avocado. The best...

By: leapfrog

leapfrog — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 06:13:37 -0800

I like to put hunks of cream cheese on the pizza (before baking). I'm just weird like that, I guess.

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 06:47:26 -0800

Upon reflection, is there ANYTHING that is a BAD topping?

By: pocketfluff

pocketfluff — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 07:01:37 -0800

I like haggis and baked bean pizza. Delicious, and people usually don't try to steal a slice - they don't know what they're missing. I first had it at Mamma's Pizza restaurant in Edinburgh, they have some other interesting toppings too, you can see the menu here (scroll down). They have apple, as some people have suggested, I'm intrigued!
We used to get a chocolate and marshmallow pizza for dessert; had to make sure to request no cheese and tomato though :S

By: pocketfluff

pocketfluff — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 07:02:10 -0800

Mackerel also sounds like it would be good.

By: ohio

ohio — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 07:22:37 -0800

spicy greens, strong cheese and an egg cracked on top. salt + pepper. no tomato sauce.

By: 1f2frfbf

1f2frfbf — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 07:36:06 -0800

Seconding shredded zucchini, mix it with shredded mozzarella and chopped or whole leaf basil, to make an excellent (and quick) white pizza. I actually like anchovies on it too, but I'll keep quiet on that debate.

By: Thorzdad

Thorzdad — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 07:40:18 -0800

Pesto, feta, black olives, and sun-dried tomatoes

By: charlesv

charlesv — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 07:44:08 -0800

In Tel Aviv I had goose on my pizza. It was very good.

By: magicbus

magicbus — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 07:45:11 -0800

Some good ones I've had recently:
* Tuna (the standard cooked/canned stuff), hard-boiled egg slices, red onion, and capers
* Shredded lamb, roasted pumpkin chunks, and caramelized onion
* Venison pepperoni, spinach, wild mushrooms, and fresh red currants

By: Brian James

Brian James — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 07:49:50 -0800

My family favorite is linguica, a garlicky Portuguese sausage marinated in red wine. Kind of a hard sausage to find, but worth the search if you like meaty toppings.

By: attercoppe

attercoppe — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 08:04:12 -0800

Lots of exotic stuff here! For something plainer, but still different than the usual, try a cheeseburger pizza. Use ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, mayo, and/or Big Mac sauce (Thousand Island dressing plus relish), and place slices of American cheese directly on top of the sauce. Add browned hamburger, pickles, onions, tomato, etc. Cover with "pizza cheese" (a mozz blend or whatever) - be sure to cover all the American slices, as they are likely to burn if exposed. Sprinkle sesame seeds on the outer crust if desired. When it comes out, add lettuce.

With taco pizza use salsa or refried beans as sauce (as previously mentioned) or use sour cream - or some combination.

Another one with a sour cream sauce - baked potato pizza. Sour cream, thawed frozen hasbrowns, cheddar, chives, bacon bits, salt and pepper to taste (after cooking).

By: Penelope

Penelope — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 08:08:28 -0800

Peanut butter instead of tomato sauce. I believe Mollie Katzen/Moosewood has a recipe.

By: felix grundy

felix grundy — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 08:47:19 -0800

The best pizza I ever made was from Deborah Madison's Greens cookbook, and was roasted new potatoes and red bell peppers, smoked gouda, and olives. We also grilled it instead of baking it. Amazing.

Alsopotato and shiitake with truffle oil.

And sage, sweet potato, and goat cheese.

The last two are from Didi Emmon's Vegetarian Planet.

By: kathryn

kathryn — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:49:21 -0800

Seconding the Pizza Bianca.

Also, I neglected to add that some of my recommendations (Lardo, rosemary, and olive oil) skip the tomato sauce completely. And the ones that use cream don't use tomato sauce. And a bit of quality salt always helps bring ingredients together.

I would draw inspiration from some of the high quality/artisanal pizzerias around the nation, some of which I mentioned earlier:

Una Pizza Napoletana (exercises in minimalism and high quality ingredients)
Luzzo's
Pizza Bianco
Pizzeria Mozza
Otto

By: metacort

metacort — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:03:19 -0800

If you're a canadian bacon and pineapple person, adding mandarin oranges to the mix makes it even better.

By: dizziest

dizziest — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:47:11 -0800

I recently had pizza with grapes, caramelized onions, brie and tarragon (and just mentioned it in the strange food combinations thread, too), which was awesome.

By: monospace

monospace — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:27:12 -0800

A true Italian classic: Tonno e Cipolle. Tuna and onion.
My American friends usually gasp at the concept, but each and everyone has had to admit it was pretty damn awesome when they tried it.