Food fetishists talk of authenticity but rarely mention where ‘authentic’ Italian food actually comes from. Tomatoes – South America. Pasta – Asia. Pizza – the Levant!
“It’s not Italian, so some chefs have shunned it. Across the United States, artisanal pizza joints are opening faster than Natalie Portman movies. But inside those imported ovens, pepperoni – by far America’s most popular pizza topping – is as rare as a black swan. In these rarefied, wood-fired precincts, pizzas are draped with hot soppressata and salami piccante, and spicy pizza alla diavola is popular. At Boot and Shoe Service in Oakland, Calif., there is local-leek-and-potato pizza. At Paulie Gee’s in Brooklyn, dried cherry and orange blossom honey pizza. At Motorino in the East Village, brussels sprouts and pancetta. But pepperoni pizza? Geddoutahere!”