Bears vs Jets: Cooking at Home Menu for Week 3

Bobby Flay’s Deep Dish Pizza posted on Cooking Channel

Since we are playing New York, this game makes this week’s menu focus on pizza a no brainer. Please keep in mind, I am not suggesting one pizza style is superior to another, but I do want to give fans a chance to select from a variety of pizza styles to create the grandest pizza buffet or a simple pizza dinner to enjoy the game.

Before I get to the recipes, I want to acknowledge the debate between New York and Chicago style pizzas. Yes, there is a difference that includes thick vs thin, but are you aware of the debate that exists even among the thin pizza types? There is New York Thin, which has a slightly bready, yet thin enough that a slice, cut into a triangle, can be folded into a pizza sandwich: think John Travolta in the opening scene of Saturday Night Fever.

Then, there is Chicago thin, which is more of a thin, cracker crust, usually loaded with a ton of toppings, frequently cut into squares. Don’t forget, there’s deep dish that is stuffed with toppings that are buried under cheese and sauce. Check out the 25 Best Pizzas in Chicago as rated by Chicago Magazine; keep in mind this article is from 2010. I also came across this more current list of 25 Most Iconic Pizzerias in Chicago in case you are simply not in the mood to cook.

Options for pizza are as endless as the toppings for which one may wish to eat. Here are three takes on the above mentioned pizza styles. Top them any way you want…no judgment. Hey, even submit your pics in a comment below. Let’s see how many different styles of pizza we all can come up with to cheer our Bears on!

Emeril Lagasse’s New York Style Pizza posted on Food Network

Option #1: New York Style

Emeril Lagasse calls for vegetable shortening, yep, as in Crisco, in his pizza dough recipe, which I found to be rather odd. I found out that the shortening makes the crust come out darker in color and provides a richer crust; the crust is still thin and tender, perfect for New York style.