Is pizzatherapy.com, Super Bad?
Read my reply...

I was reading a post in a Pizza Forum by a couple of pizza purists, about pizzatherapy.com., recently. One critic in the headline called pizzatherapy.com, "Super Bad." Now, I can handle bad and I can even deal with terrible, dreadful, appalling and ghastly. But Super Bad? Holy Toledo!

It is a sad day in Pizzaland, boys and girls.

I mean do they think pizzatherapy.com is the Anti-Pizza web-site?

Here is what the pizza purist said: "I was just on this site (http://pizzatherapy.com). What a JOKE! The recipes are aweful. Morton's table salt, sugar, oil, baker, 2 packs of bakers yeast to 4 cups of flour, roll out with a pin, dust with corn meal, yada, yada. I wanted to scream. If you are clueless, why start a whole website? This is like me starting a site about dancing. The list of top places (at least in my area- Atlanta) is a joke too. The NY places are missing a lot of the top 10 also. Stay away from this site."

Here is another pizza purist's opinion: "I agree. Would DaVinci buy a paint-by-number kit? Hardly. This is for people who think "Italian" means (A Chain Italian Restaurant) and "cooking" means opening a can of green beans. Theirs is PizzaTherapy. This is PizzaHeaven. Note the difference."

I certainly don't mind being a joke. Actually, I am kind of honored. I do try to be funny. So if you are recognizing my sense of humor, I am grateful.

What does disturb me is being bashed for a simple dough recipe given to me by my mother. Now, I have to tell you she is: Italian. Her mom and dad came off the boat from Italy.
(All four of my grandparents were immigrant peasants of Italian descent).

This is how my mom learned to make a very simple pizza. She taught me. I am happy to share what I have learned. My intentions are not to dilute the tradition. I am showing you what was taught to me.

See, you need to remember pizza is peasant food. Many of the food purists for years and years in the United States and even Italy, refused to eat pizza, because it was peasant food. Even Queen Margherita, (The Margherita Pizza) shocked her peers by eating pizza.
 

Pizza is peasant food, my pizza purists. Pizza is made by peasants, eaten by peasants, enjoyed by peasants. Pizza is peasant food.

Many of the food purists at the time of Queen Margherita, would never think about eating pizza. Think about it pizza purists. "Note the difference."

No, my mom was not a famous pizzaiolo. She was a simple Italian woman, daughter of Immigrants, who learned to make simple home-made pizza: nothing more-nothing less.

(You can read the entire story here: An Immigrant's Tale...)

I have never pretended to have the best pizza recipe. I never pretended to be an expert. I am not an elitist or a purist. I will gladly share my recipe with whoever asks. There are many roads to pizza enlightenment. I am following a simple path.

Pizza purists, I say to you, let's walk down the same road together. Let's learn from each other. Let us share in the joy of all things pizza.

Why are you so negative about a website that celebrates pizza?

All I want, is for everyone to share in the magic of pizza. Celebrate the passion of pizza. Because making pizza is a celebration. And you know what? Even you pizza purists, are welcome to come to my table. You can have a slice of pizza, maybe two.

No, I do not exclude anyone who does things differently from me. I celebrate them. I honor them. I would never do things any other way.

 So you kind of missed the point of pizzatherapy.com.

pizzatherapy.com, welcomes everyone, of all abilities, all races, all nationalities, all creeds, all religions. This includes people who use regular table salt, and sugar in their pizza recipe. People who don't know how to spell, can also come. Even you, pizza purists, are welcome.

Please: "Note the difference..".

You see to me, perfect pizza, is more than throwing perfect ingredients together. It's not about having the perfect recipe. It's not about excluding someone who has a different, simpler, recipe than you.
It really is about putting your heart and soul into your pizza.

I do put my heart and soul into each pizza I make, pizza purists.

OK, let's put our pizzas together to see which one is better. I will concede you make much better pizza than I do. Your pizzas shine and glisten. Your pizzas look better and they taste better. You are in Pizza Heaven! Does that make you happy? If you're happy, I'm happy. "Note the difference..".

But because your pizzas are so good, does that make my pizza Super Bad?

Peter Reinhart also said to me in Legends of Pizza: "There are only two types of pizza. Good pizza and great pizza."

I say, the best pizza in the world is what tastes good to you. Chris Bianco (Pizzeria Bianco) in Legends of Pizza said essentially the same thing.

I have only tried to be true to myself and honest to all the visitors of pizzatherapy.com
Please feel free to visit anytime. But remain in your Pizza Heaven, if you must.

So thanks for listening. I appreciate being able to explain myself. I appreciate your consideration. I know someday, you will soften your opinion and upgrade pizzatherapy.com from Super Bad, to just plain Bad.

I do want to welcome you back to pizzatherapy.com. Anytime.

I will gladly feature your pizza recipe and secrets in the ezine:
Albert Grande's Pizza News. Let me know...

Remember: "Pizza on Earth...Good Will to All!"

As the penguins said in "Madagascar":

"Smile and wave, boys, smile and wave."

I'm smiling. I'm waving.

 

"Pizza on Earth...Good Will to All"

 

Albert Grande

"Super Bad", pizzatherapy.com

P.S. What really kind of stings the most is this: when this website (where the above comments were posted) was a mere pixel on the Internet, the webmaster emailed me and asked if I would put a link from "Super Bad", pizzatherapy.com, to his website. I told him of course. My link is still up to his site. His link is still up to "Super Bad", pizzatherapy.com.
Why, would he allow his forum to bash one of his supporters? How soon they forget...

One of Albert's Pizzas

To contact me:
Albert Grande
Email: webmaster@pizzatherapy.com

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