Homemade matzo pizza
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Matzah pizza (sometimes spelled matzoh pizza)[1] is a type of pizza made by baking a piece of matzo that has been topped with sauce and cheese. Because Jewish law prohibits the consumption of leavened bread during Passover, some people use matzo as a substitute for traditional pizza crusts during the holiday.

Background

During Passover, Jewish law prohibits the consumption of food items that are made with yeast or leavening agents.[2] Given these restrictions, some individuals will make pizza by substituting matzo for traditional pizza crust.[3] However, some food manufacturers now supply traditional pizza crusts that are made with kosher-for-Passover ingredients,[4] and some recipes suggest substituting chopped matzo for yeast dough.[5] During Passover, some restaurants will also feature matzo pizza on their menus to substitute for traditional pizza.[6][7][8][9]

Preparation

Matzah pizza is prepared by covering a piece of matzo with sauce and melted cheese.[3] It can be eaten as is or baked first. In the latter case, the matzo is first softened in water; alternately, the sauce ingredients are used to soften the matzo.[10] Other traditional pizza toppings may be used in addition to cheese.[11][12][13] For example, chef Spike Mendelsohn suggests topping matzah pizza with figs and asparagus, peppers and feta cheese, or cherry tomatoes, olives, and rosemary,[14] while Martha Stewart recommends placing a fried egg on top of a matzah pizza.[15] Other recipes suggest using crushed tomatoes instead of tomato sauce,[16] and some recipes suggest substituting hummus for the sauce.[17] Some recipes recommend baking the matzo and toppings on a baking sheet, either in a conventional oven[18][19] or in a microwave oven,[20] while other recipes recommend baking matzah pizza in a casserole pan so that the dish resembles a layered lasagna.[21] Vegan recipes suggest utilizing vegan cheese or omitting the cheese entirely.[22][17]

Other uses

Because it has large Italian and Jewish communities, the term is also occasionally used to refer to the town of Massapequa, New York.[1][23]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Schmidt, Catherine (August 3, 1986). "If You're Thinking of Living In; Massapequa". The New York Times. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  2. ^ Atkinson, Kenneth (2009). Judaism. Infobase Publishing. p. 93. ISBN 978-1438106441.
  3. ^ a b Deutsch, Jonathan; Saks, Rachel D. (2008). Jewish American Food Culture. ABC-CLIO. p. 98. ISBN 978-0313343209.
  4. ^ Greenberg, Sidney; Roth, Pamela (1998). In Every Generation: A Treasury of Inspiration for Passover and the Seder. Jason Aronson. p. 271. ISBN 0765760312.
  5. ^ Lesem, Jeanne (April 11, 1984). "Pizza, egg rolls can be kosher as Passover food, author says". Eugene Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  6. ^ Dwass, Emily (April 9, 2012). "Passover Pizza: Matzah Pizza from Fresh Brothers". L.A. Weekly. Los Angeles, California. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  7. ^ Rodman, Elan (April 12, 2012). "The pharaohs of pizza: Manhattan Beach restaurant takes on matzah pizza". Jewish Journal. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  8. ^ Leavitt, Irv (April 2, 2016). "Max and Benny's celebrates 30th anniversary". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  9. ^ La Guardia, Anton (2003). War Without End: Israelis, Palestinians, and the Struggle for a Promised Land. Macmillan. p. 41. ISBN 031231633X.
  10. ^ Morris, Stacey (20 April 2005). "Making the most of matzoh at Passover". Albany Times Union. pp. B1–B2. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  11. ^ Hulin, Belinda (2007). The Everything Pizza Cookbook: 300 Crowd-Pleasing Slices of Heaven. Everything Books. p. 187. ISBN 978-1605502588.[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ Frum, Danielle Crittenden (April 10, 2015). "Eight Delicious Ways & Days with Matzah: Spring Pizza with Asparagus, Potatoes and Goat Cheese". The Huffington Post. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  13. ^ Groner, Judyth; Wikler, Madeline (2014). All About Passover. Open Road Media. p. 32. ISBN 978-1480475892.
  14. ^ Mendelsohn, Spike (March 31, 2009). "Matzah Pizza". Oprah.com. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  15. ^ Stewart, Martha (April 2011). "Matzo Pizza". MarthaStewart.com. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  16. ^ Homolka, Gina (March 27, 2012). "Skinny Passover Matzo Pizza". Skinnytaste.com. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  17. ^ a b "Vegan recipe: Aubergine, hummus and avocado Matzo pizza". Rakusens.co.uk. November 6, 2015. Archived from the original on May 8, 2016. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  18. ^ Winer, Rose (April 18, 2016). "5 quick, tasty and kosher ways to use leftover matzo". The Jewish Journal. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  19. ^ Hirsch, J.M. (March 20, 2002). "Matzo key to vegetarian Passover". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  20. ^ Ganster, Kathleen (April 1, 2004). "Young chef enjoys entertaining at home". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  21. ^ "Rachael Ray's Matzo-Pizza Lasagna". ABC Good Morning America Recipes. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  22. ^ "Vegan recipe: Kale and artichoke Matzo pizza". Rakusens.co.uk. November 11, 2015. Archived from the original on May 8, 2016. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  23. ^ Harbrecht, Douglas (September 1, 1991). "But Will It Play in Matzo Pizza". Bloomberg. Retrieved April 6, 2016.

External links

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