Matzah pizza

File:Matzo pizza.jpg

Matzah pizza (sometimes spelled matzoh pizza){{cite news |last=Schmidt |first=Catherine |date=August 3, 1986 |title=If You're Thinking of Living In; Massapequa |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/03/realestate/if-you-re-thinking-of-living-in-massapequa.html?pagewanted=all |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=April 6, 2016 }} 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.{{cite book |last=Atkinson |first=Kenneth |date=2009 |title=Judaism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zk4cbyfcX5IC&pg=PA93 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |page=93 |isbn=978-1438106441}} Given these restrictions, some individuals will make pizza by substituting matzo for traditional pizza crust.{{cite book |last1=Deutsch |first1=Jonathan |last2=Saks |first2=Rachel D. |date=2008 |title=Jewish American Food Culture |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9QXqCpmvcRcC&pg=PA98 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |page=98 |isbn=978-0313343209}} However, some food manufacturers now supply traditional pizza crusts that are made with kosher-for-Passover ingredients,{{cite book |last1=Greenberg |first1=Sidney |last2=Roth |first2=Pamela |date=1998 |title=In Every Generation: A Treasury of Inspiration for Passover and the Seder |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BnYBdfaCDSkC&pg=PA271 |publisher=Jason Aronson |page=271 |isbn=0765760312}} and some recipes suggest substituting chopped matzo for yeast dough.{{cite news |last=Lesem |first=Jeanne |date=April 11, 1984 |title=Pizza, egg rolls can be kosher as Passover food, author says |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19840411&id=D-ZVAAAAIBAJ&pg=6745,2521336&hl=en |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Eugene, Oregon |access-date=April 18, 2016 }} During Passover, some restaurants will also feature matzo pizza on their menus to substitute for traditional pizza.{{cite news |last=Dwass |first=Emily |date=April 9, 2012 |title=Passover Pizza: Matzah Pizza from Fresh Brothers |url=http://www.laweekly.com/restaurants/passover-pizza-matzah-pizza-from-fresh-brothers-2381518 |newspaper=L.A. Weekly |location=Los Angeles, California |access-date=April 6, 2016 }}{{cite news |last=Rodman |first=Elan |date=April 12, 2012 |title=The pharaohs of pizza: Manhattan Beach restaurant takes on matzah pizza |url=http://www.jewishjournal.com/bloggish/item/the_pharaohs_of_pizza_restaurant_takes_on_matzah_pizza_20120412 |newspaper=Jewish Journal |access-date=April 6, 2016 }}{{cite news |last=Leavitt |first=Irv |date=April 2, 2016 |title=Max and Benny's celebrates 30th anniversary |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/northbrook/news/ct-nbs-max-and-bennys-tl-0331-20160402-story.html |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |access-date=April 6, 2016 }}{{cite book |last=La Guardia |first=Anton |date=2003 |title=War Without End: Israelis, Palestinians, and the Struggle for a Promised Land |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EEDYWgq6WCMC&pg=PA41 |publisher=Macmillan |page=41 |isbn=031231633X}}

Preparation

Matzah pizza is prepared by covering a piece of matzo with sauce and melted cheese. 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.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1915&dat=20050420&id=nBEiAAAAIBAJ&pg=1356,4461177&hl=en|title=Making the most of matzoh at Passover|first=Stacey|last=Morris|newspaper=Albany Times Union|date=20 April 2005|access-date=19 April 2016|pages=B1–B2}} Other traditional pizza toppings may be used in addition to cheese.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pZAv_kYu-9UC&q=matzo+pizza&pg=PA187|title=The Everything Pizza Cookbook: 300 Crowd-Pleasing Slices of Heaven|first=Belinda|last=Hulin|year=2007|publisher=Everything Books|isbn=978-1605502588|page=187}}{{Dead link|date=March 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite news |last=Frum |first=Danielle Crittenden |date=April 10, 2015 |title=Eight Delicious Ways & Days with Matzah: Spring Pizza with Asparagus, Potatoes and Goat Cheese |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/danielle-crittenden/eight-delicious-ways-days_4_b_7039786.html |newspaper=The Huffington Post |access-date=April 6, 2016 }}{{cite book |last1=Groner |first1=Judyth |last2=Wikler |first2=Madeline |date=2014 |title=All About Passover |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X9PaAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT32 |publisher=Open Road Media |page=32 |isbn=978-1480475892}} For example, chef Spike Mendelsohn suggests topping matzah pizza with figs and asparagus, peppers and feta cheese, or cherry tomatoes, olives, and rosemary,{{cite web |url=http://www.oprah.com/food/Matzah-Pizza |title=Matzah Pizza |last1=Mendelsohn |first1=Spike |date=March 31, 2009 |publisher=Oprah.com|access-date=April 6, 2016}} while Martha Stewart recommends placing a fried egg on top of a matzah pizza.{{cite web |url=http://www.marthastewart.com/344600/matzo-pizza |title=Matzo Pizza |last1=Stewart |first1=Martha |date=April 2011 |website=MarthaStewart.com |access-date=April 6, 2016 }} Other recipes suggest using crushed tomatoes instead of tomato sauce,{{cite web |url=http://www.skinnytaste.com/skinny-passover-matzo-pizza/ |title=Skinny Passover Matzo Pizza |last1=Homolka |first1=Gina |date=March 27, 2012 |website=Skinnytaste.com |access-date=April 9, 2016 }} and some recipes suggest substituting hummus for the sauce.{{cite web |url=http://rakusens.co.uk/2015/11/06/vegan-recipe-ubergine-hummus-and-avocado-matzo-pizza/ |title=Vegan recipe: Aubergine, hummus and avocado Matzo pizza |author= |date=November 6, 2015 |website=Rakusens.co.uk |access-date=April 9, 2016 |archive-date=May 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508230043/http://rakusens.co.uk/2015/11/06/vegan-recipe-ubergine-hummus-and-avocado-matzo-pizza/ |url-status=dead }} Some recipes recommend baking the matzo and toppings on a baking sheet, either in a conventional oven{{cite news |last=Winer |first=Rose |date=April 18, 2016 |title=5 quick, tasty and kosher ways to use leftover matzo|url=http://www.jewishjournal.com/passover_food/article/5_quick_tasty_and_kosher_ways_to_use_leftover_matzo |newspaper=The Jewish Journal |access-date=April 18, 2016 }}{{cite news |last=Hirsch |first=J.M. |date=March 20, 2002 |title=Matzo key to vegetarian Passover |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2457&dat=20020320&id=dAFgAAAAIBAJ&pg=6349,1388976&hl=en |newspaper=Bangor Daily News |access-date=April 18, 2016 }} or in a microwave oven,{{cite news |last=Ganster |first=Kathleen |date=April 1, 2004 |title=Young chef enjoys entertaining at home |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=20040401&id=zAgOAAAAIBAJ&pg=1517,231872&hl=en |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |access-date=April 18, 2016 }} while other recipes recommend baking matzah pizza in a casserole pan so that the dish resembles a layered lasagna.{{cite news |author= |title=Rachael Ray's Matzo-Pizza Lasagna |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe/rachael-rays-matzo-pizza-lasagna-14536631 |newspaper=ABC Good Morning America Recipes |access-date=April 6, 2016 }} Vegan recipes suggest utilizing vegan cheese or omitting the cheese entirely.{{cite web |url=http://rakusens.co.uk/2015/11/11/vegan-recipe-kale-and-artichoke-matzo-pizza/ |title=Vegan recipe: Kale and artichoke Matzo pizza |author= |date=November 11, 2015 |website=Rakusens.co.uk |access-date=April 9, 2016 |archive-date=May 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508181438/http://rakusens.co.uk/2015/11/11/vegan-recipe-kale-and-artichoke-matzo-pizza/ |url-status=dead }}

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.{{cite news |last=Harbrecht |first=Douglas |date=September 1, 1991 |title=But Will It Play in Matzo Pizza |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/1991-09-01/but-will-it-play-in-matzo-pizza |newspaper=Bloomberg |access-date=April 6, 2016 }}