Where It All Started..

Roger’s Pizza Kitchen

I’ve been meaning to explain the story behind this page. Every now and then, I get a notification that someone has stumbled upon it, and I can’t help but think they’re wondering, “What’s this all about?” So, let me clear that up.

It all started a few years ago when I decided to make homemade pizzas. The “restaurant” itself is just our kitchen, and the hours? Well, they mostly depend on when friends or family are around—if I remember to turn the pizza light on! The idea for it came from a TV commercial I saw.

Back in June 2010, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor, had surgery to remove it, and spent a lot of time recovering at home, which led to a lot of TV watching. I remember a Visa commercial featuring a chef at a fancy pizza restaurant tossing dough in the air—he was doing flips, spins, the whole show. The idea was simple: you go for pizza and end up with a performance. I thought, "I’m bored, why not try this?"

So, I researched pizza dough, watched videos of people tossing dough around, and thought, “I can do that.” I found a recipe for pizza crust, got to work, and prepared to be a pizza-tossing master.

Well, the first crust I tossed hit the ceiling, and when it fell, I accidentally ripped it. The second crust made it to the floor, but not before I put my fingers through it again. After a couple of hours of failure, I gave up on the tossing and decided to just roll it out with a pin. So much for a dinner-and-a-show!

But now, I had a new problem—dinner! The family was about to be home, and I promised them pizza. So, I finished making my first pizza, which we lovingly named "The Original." It was a mash-up of different recipes, but it worked. And the family loved it.

Since then, whenever we try something new at home, the rule is simple: you have to try it. You don’t have to like it, just be honest. And if it’s a pizza night, well, that’s always a backup plan. We still make “The Original” today, and it’s always a hit.

Here is the recipe.

And then enjoy.

Though it all started out of boredom, I find making pizzas from scratch to be very rewarding. It also proved to be a great gathering time for the family as on many occasions they would hang out to watch me make the pizzas. Now even the kids are making some of these recipes.

I figure that this site is a great place to share my recipes and any other pizza recipes that get shared with me. So that is my plan. Tell some stories, share some recipes, and talk about the Za.

Thanks for stopping by...
Roger