The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 133

Thursday, February 18, 1988 Part VIII 35 Guidebooks for Taking a Trip Through the Wonderful World of Pizza No Matter How You Slice It, It's the Pie That Everybody Loves and looks like choose but Is made without cholesterol and lactose, Roll 'O' Pizza, made by Food Roll Sales, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, combines an egg-roll crust with a pizza filling, This micro-waveablo product Is sold In 16.5-ounce bags In supermarkets In the Northeast. Traditional pizza Is made with yeast dough similar to white bread, Frozen pizza dough is available in supermarkets and Italian delis, If you are a regular customer, the local pizzeria may be persuaded to sell you a few pounds of dough ready for baking, Cheesesi mozzarella, Cheddar, Parmesan, Fontina, goat, Brie, Swiss. Combine at least two cheesesthe more cheese, the more complex the flavor. The cheeses can be mixed together or sprinkled in separate areas, Use one to two cups shredded cheese per pizza, Meati Sliced pepperoni is the classic meat topping, but sauteed sausage, chopped proscuitto, salami, poached chicken or turkey can also be used. Fish: Canned anchovies, canned tuna, shrimp, clams and mussels.

Vegetables: Brush pizza crust lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with cheese. A light covering of tomato sauce is optional. Add cooked spinach, escarole, sauteed mushrooms, green pepper, sun dried tomatoes, stir fried broccoli, zucchini, artichoke hearts, fresh basil, black olives or capers. Make sure the vegetables are well drained. By MARIE BIANCO, Nmwluy Just what Is pizza? Translated from Italian, pizza means the term pitat pie is redundant.

But as with any pic, there are Infinite varieties, Federal regulations governing pizza are a bit confusing. If pizza has a meat or a meat-and-cheese topping, it is regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which defines pizza as a dough -based meat-food product with tomato sauce, cheese and meat topping. According to Judith Quick, chief of the Standards Branch of the USDA's Safety and Inspection Service, part of the topping must be real cheese and not imitation cheese and a minimum of 12 cooked sausage, 10 pepperoni or 15 raw beef must be present. If a' frozen pizza is labeled cheese pizza, it falls under the U.S.

Food and Drug Administration. Although the FDA does not have a regulatory standard for pizza, the topping must contain 100 real cheese imitation and substitute cheeses cannot be used unless the package is so labeled. Any kind of real cheese qualifies mozzarella, Gorgonzola, goat or Cheddar and no minimum amount is required. Many frozen pizzas use cheese substitutes and imitation cheeses, but it's not always easy to discover that. Look for the fine print, which will show an ingredient list that includes vegetable fats and chemical stabilizers.

These rules largely govern frozen and chilled pizza and not pizza In the street. Her history Is filled with anecdotes of her 15-year quest for the ultimate pizza recipe. "Pizza," she said, "is such a simple food, a comforting food) it tastes amazing, is cheap and is good for you," The first pizzeria opened in Naples around 1830, and workmen, students, artists and writers would gather in these small shops to talk and to eat. "As competition increased," she said, "owners would stand in their welcoming doors and sing out in melodious tones the merits of their waresi pizza, 'the yeast of the 'talisman of the 'soothing unguent for the weak of Italian pizza changes with the countryside. "Pizza is different throughout Italy," Romer said, "taking on the personality of the area." In Umbria, for instance, it is topped with porcini mushrooms; in Naples, it would be bv.ja.la mozzarella.

At first glance, Romer's recipes can be slightly confusing. General ingredients are listed in bold type on the left and the right page margins, so that one flipping through the book can choose a recipe that matches staples on hand. The precise amounts of ingredients are printed in a run-on fashion in italics, which makes them difficult to read. The instructions, although written in a friendly fash ion, contain things like "as soon as the grill is vibrant." The book includes recipes for focaccia and savory pics and Is illustrated with Romer's colorful drawings, During 1987, there were more than 70 different kinds of frozen and dairy-case pizza products introduced in the marketplace, according to Lynn Dornblaster of New Products News. After an informal taste-tasting, the best thing that can be said about many of the now commercial pizzas is that they are convenient, readily available and inexpensive.

Manufacturers of food on a large scale are also entering the pizza field. In several parts of the country Kraft Foods is test -marketing its new Delisso Pizza Kit containing pizza dough, pizza sauce, spices, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. It's meant to put a 12-inch pizza on the table in 20 minutes. Some new products are from smaller companies like Mother's Food Products based in Newark, N.J., which is packaging frozen kosher pizza made in Israel; a 21-ounce poly bag containing six (5-ounce) pizzas retails for $3.29. Also headed this way is Pastroli, made by and of Harrisburg, a new 79 cent pizza-like pastry filled with tomato sauce, cheese, pepperoni and Italian sausage.

In Petaluma, Old Chicago Whole Wheat Pizza is made with soya kaas, a soy product that tastes with the Ingredients, and how large a slice one considers to be a serving. According to the USDA, 1 ounce of cheese pizza is 67 calories, Only a few years ago, a reliable pizza recipe was hard to find. Today almost every Italian cookbook and bread-baking book carries at least one recipe for pizza, and there are entire books devoted solely to pizza-making, In her book, "The Joy of Pizza" (Random Housei $5.95, soft cover), Berkeley, baker Pamella Asquith shares many of her secrets learned from professional pizza makers. Ceil Dyer couldn't find a pizza cookbook she liked, so she wrote her own "Pizza Cookery" (McGraw-Hilli $6.95, soft cover). And since she believes that there is more to pizza than the classic Neapolitan style, Evelyne Slo-mon's "The Pizza Book, Everything There Is to Know about the World's Greatest Pie" (Times Booksi $14.95) gives variations from many countries.

One of the lastest books on the subject has been written by Elizabeth Romer, who begins her story of pizza with the beginnings of bread. "Italian Pizza and Hearth Breads" (Clarkson N. Potteri $15.95) follows the journey of flat breads baked on hot stones to modern pizza, which Romer calls the emblem of the Neapolitan man purchased at local pizzerias, which come under the Jurisdiction of local authorities. In these instances, if the menu reads pepperoni pizza, it must contain pepperoni, and if it reads cheese pizza, it must be real cheese, but no minimum amounts are required, Pizza is a complete food and fits into a well balanced diet, but according to a dietitian and frequent pizza eater, it may not be the ultimate family food. "Pizza is a fun food and it is nutritious, but it should not be given to children seven days a week," said Bettye Nowlin, a Los Angeles registered dietitian.

"Children's stomachs are smaller, and they fill up quickly. Pizza is a filling food, and it prevents children from eating other foods. Kids need more of a variety," she said. Pizza hits the basic four food groups: The crust (bread-cereal), cheese (dairy), tomato sauce, green peppers, mushrooms and other vegetables (fruit and vegetable and pepperoni et al, meat Since most of the calories are fat calories watch out for the cheese and meat Nowlin suggested making pizza at home, where you can control the toppings. Instead of sausage and extra cheese, use more vegetables and bits of cooked shrimp, chicken and turkey.

"You can make it as nutritious as you want," she said. The calorie count for pizza varies CHOOSE YOUR is jwwet Iondon AUSTRALIA LjENGLAND OFFICIAL GREAT NEW TASTE! I SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY 1 0J, MANUFACTURER'S COUPON EXPIRES 3288 I LEGUMES Continued from Pace 34 BAKED LENTIL BAO 12 cups cooked, shredded pork I cup cooked yellow lentils I clove garlic, crushed teaspoon minced ginger root 1 (5 12-ounce) jar sweet and sour sauce Salt, pepper 2 loaves frozen bread dough, thawed Combine shredded pork, lentils, garlic, ginger and sweet and sour sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut each loaf of dough into 6 portions. Flatten each portion slightly and place about 1 tablespoon pork mixture in center.

Pull sides of dough around filling, sealing well. Place dough balls, seam side down about 3 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Let rise in warm place until doubled. Bake at 375 degrees 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 12 bao.

HUNGARIAN-STYLE RED LENTIL SOUP 3 pounds oxtails 2 onions, finely chopped 2 green peppers, each cut into 8 wedges 3 cloves garlic, minced 12 cup oil 1(1 pound, 12-ounce) can tomatoes 14 cup Hungarian paprika 14 teaspoon finely chopped Serrano chile Salt I cup red lentils 6 cups chicken broth, about 1 potato, peeled and cubed 12 cup red wine Saute oxtails, onions, green peppers and garlic lightly in oil. Add tomatoes, breaking up with spoon. Stir in paprika, chile, salt to taste, lentils and 6 cups chicken broth. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 to 1 12 hours or until lentils and oxtails are tender, adding additional chicken broth as necessary during cooking.

Remove oxtails and cut meat from bones. Return to soup along with potato and wine. Continue simmering until potatoes are tender but still retain shape and texture. Makes 8 servings. Call for Times Home Delivery Call the number for your area.

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