Here's to pizza!

Pizza. A savory Italian dish of a round flattened base of leavened dough. In Italy, a formal restaurant setting, a pizza would be eaten with a knife and fork. In a causal setting, it is cut into wedges and eaten by hand, which is the way most of us usually eat it. A favorite food among many people around the world. It enjoys a wide variety of crust and toppings depending on regions. October is National Pizza Month. Started by Gerry Durnell, publisher of Pizza Today magazine in 1984, October has become a month to celebrate this delicious food from its humble origins to the crazy debates about which region has the better pizza and even what toppings are acceptable.

There have been foods like the pizza found throughout the Ancient World. In the 6^th century BCE, Persian soldiers of the Achaemenid Empire, during the rule of King Darius I, baked flatbreads with cheese and dates on top of their shields. Ancient Greeks would use oil, herbs and cheese on their flatbreads. The term, pizza, was first recorded in a 10^th century in a Latin manuscript from southern Italy. According to legend, the modern pizza was invented in Naples in the 18^th to early 19^th century. The popular story goes, in 1889, the Royal Palace of Capodimonte commissioned the Neapolitan pizzaiolo (pizza maker) Raffaele Esposito to create a pizza in honor of the visiting Queen Margherita (1851-1926). He created three pizzas and the queen preferred the pizza which represented the Italian flag: red (tomatoes), green (basil) and white (mozzarella) which became the pizza Margherita. Pizza was brought to the US by Italian immigrants in the late 19^th century. The first US pizzeria, Lombardi’s, was opened in New York City in 1905 and it is still open today. The demand for pizza would skyrocket after World War II when servicemen were returning home from the Italian front and asked for this dish.

There are many variations of pizza. In Italy, the pizza napolitana remains a popular style which contains San Marzano and mozzarella di bufala.  Pizza is extremely popular in the United States in which 13% of American eat pizza on any given day. There are regional pizzas which developed in the US. Everyone is familiar with the New York style which is a hand tossed crust with a light layer of tomato sauce with mozzarella cheese and toppings such as pepperoni. New York pizzas usually measure between 18-24 inches in diameter and cut into eight large pieces. You may also be familiar with the popular Chicago style deep dish pizza. However, were you familiar with the other regional styles. First, the California style which is a thin crust and topping which unusual toppings such as chicken and goat cheese. This style was popularized by California chefs, Wolfgang Puck and Ed LaDou. Second, the Detroit style is a rectangular pizza with a thick crisp crust topped with sauce, cheese, pepperoni and mushrooms. Lastly, the St Louis pizza, which is a very thin, cracker like crust commonly topped with Provel cheese, which is made with cheddar, Swiss, and provolone cheeses, and cut into squares instead of wedges.

The world record for the largest pizza was in Rome in December 2012 which measured 1,261 square meters (approximately 13,570 square feet)! And the world record for the longest pizza was in Fontana, California in 2017 which measured 1,930.39 meters (approximately 6,333.3 feet)! That’s almost a mile and a quarter long! Of course, with the popularity of pizza, there are many debates which occur. New York will always claim their pizza is better than other regions. While style of pizza is dependent on region and personal taste, one topic sparks a large and louder debate: toppings. More specific: is pineapple an acceptable pizza topping? Most people will state that pineapple does not belong on a pizza because it is not an Italian ingredient. However, this argument is week as many different styles use toppings which are not Italian. I personally love a pizza with pineapple and Canadian bacon. However, that is the only combination I will use with pineapple. Pineapple does not belong on a pizza with pepperoni or other toppings. According to Debate.org, 59% of respondents said yes, pineapple is an acceptable topping while 41% said no. And the debate goes on.

In conclusion, pizza is as simple or as complex as consumers wants. Regardless how you enjoy your pizza, it is a food which has had a long and successful history. From early forms in the Ancient world to the legendary beginnings in Italy, pizza will continue to be favorite around the US and around the world. So next time you enjoy your favorite pizza, remember its humble beginnings to its worldwide success. May even try a type of pizza you have never had before. You never know, you may find a new favorite. Here’s to pizza!

Star Wars and Star Trek: there is a difference

Actually, Penny*, there is a difference and as a fan of the Star Wars franchise and a casual watcher of the Star Trek franchise, I say there’s a world of difference. I grew up watching Star Trek. My father is a big fan of the original Star Trek (1966-1969) while my brother is a fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994). Even my best friend loves Star Trek especially The Next Generation and Voyager (1995-2001). While I’m drawn more to Star Wars as is my husband. While I am not writing to argue which franchise is better because both have their merits, I am writing to distinguish the differences between the two.

First, Star Wars is a dramatic epic rooted in legends like Beowulf and King Arthur, mythologies, world religions and ancient and medieval history to tell a story of a galactic society in conflict. The importance is not on believability of the science but on the characters and the moral choices they make while Star Trek has “ham-fisted dialogue and Gong Show-caliber acting. But the fictional science has always been brilliant” (Herzthe, 1998). Star Trek is rooted in a greater existential dilemma in which an idealistic, utopian prospect of the future human society is explored and debated. Star Wars focuses on the ethics of good vs evil and against totalitarian government systems. Star Trek features the morals of exploration and interference, how to properly confront and ethically resolve situations. Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, is said to have been inspired by morality tales like Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift.

Second, Star Wars, essentially, focuses on the individual’s power to do good. It is the struggle with feelings of powerlessness and how an individual responds to that feeling. There is a strong connection to faith, mythology, or the Force within the individual and trusting yourself and others. It is about individuals breaking free from governmental oppression (Bedinger, 2015). The Original Trilogy avoided explicit political messages while being anti-authoritarian, the prequel trilogy is clearly a commentary on imperialism and warmongering. Star Trek focuses on a commentary on social structure, defining a society’s obligation to humanity, the world and the galaxy. Star Trek operates within a stable government, The United Federation of Planets, and spreading enlightened values throughout the galaxy (Bedinger, 2015). Each of the Star Trek television series focused on a central worry. For example, in the original show, the central worry was Captain Kirk (played by William Shatner) losing his command and the fight against anything undermined his command. In the Next Generation, Captain Picard (played by Patrick Stewart) was focused on choosing the wise path and being a responsible leader (Anders, 2016).

Third, the debate between the fan bases can be polarizing that it’s hard to image someone being a fan of both. Some fans believe that you cannot be a fan of one, if you are a fan of the other. This sentiment is also reflected in the statements made by the actors in each franchise. William Shatner argues that Star Trek is superior to Star Wars because “Star Trek had relationships and conflict among the relationships and stories that involved humanity and philosophical questions” (Emami, 2015). Tim Russ, who played Tuvok in Star Trek: Voyager claims that Star Trek is better than the two because it is set in "our" galaxy and therefore people can relate better to it, whereas Star Wars takes place in another galaxy (Forbeck, 2011). He acknowledged that he could be biased (yeah, you think! LOL). Jeremy Bulloch, who played Boba Fett in the original Star Wars trilogy. He is a fan of Star Trek: The Original Series. He argued that while both franchises are popular, Star Wars comes out as the superior, for its soundtracks and special effects (Forbeck, 2011).

Why does Star Wars seem greater in popularity than Star Trek? And yes, it does. Star Wars has a franchise revenue of $42 billion (as of 2015) while Star Trek has a franchise revenue of $10 billion (as of 2016). While both have large fan bases with fiercely loyal fans, Star Wars seems to speak to the American identity as the rebels, the revolutionaries fighting against an evil empire while Star Trek speaks more to the American political superpower we’ve become with unparalleled military and economic might (although there is some debate if this is even still true). Star Wars plays into the national fantasy as the righteous underdogs and Star Trek portrays our national reality and the moral question as to how to use that power. In a UK program for the Star Wars 20^th anniversary, Patrick Stewart said “A belief in one’s own powers; especially one’s own powers to do good because the underlying morality of Star Wars is a very, very positive one.”

In conclusion, while the two franchises are similar in that they depict societies of multiple planets and species, they promote different messages. A philosophical message verses a political message. The story and its characters verses the reality of the science. The individual and his or her role in the galaxy while verses society as a whole. I prefer Star Wars because the characters are relatable and the action adventure is entertaining. I often find the dialogue in Star Trek to be difficult to follow at times. Is one better than the other? It’s simply a matter of choice and nothing else. Both have had a great impact on pop culture that cannot be ignored.

References

• Anders, Charlie Jane. The Essential Difference between Star Wars and Star Trek https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-essential-difference-between-star-wars-and-star-tre-1754297235. January 21, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
• Bedinger, Melissa. What are the main differences between Star Trek and Star Wars? www.quora.com/What-are-the-main-differences-between-Star-Trek-and-Star-Wars. December 21, 2015. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
• Emami, Gazelle. William Shatner On Star Trek Vs. Star Wars: ‘Star Wars Is Derivative of Star Trek’ www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/15/william-shatner-star-trek-star-wars_n_964530.html. September 15, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
• Forbeck, Matt (2011). Star Wars vs. Star Trek: Could the Empire kick the Federation's ass? And other galaxy-shaking enigmas. F&W Media.
• Herzthe, J.C. Star Wars' World with a Sense of Humor. The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/29/technology/game-theory-star-wars-world-with-a-sense-of-humor.html. October 29, 1998. Retrieved December 5, 2017.

*The Big Bang Theory “The Weekend Vortex” Season 5 Episode 19 originally aired March 8, 2012.