I have the history and origin of pizza according to my beer distributor. His name is Skinny Sammy, and he loves pizza. He tells me a lot of people think it first came about in the sunny side of Naples, Italy. Well, some think Florida, but it really was Italy. Actually, according to my three hundred pound slim friend, the origin originates on the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius. That is about two pizzas and six pack of beer hike from Naples.

It had a very sober beginning. It seems a baker's assistant, name Tony Pizzarello, worked in Pompeii. One of his jobs was getting daily tomatoes to sell with the bread and rolls they made. The tomatoes were picked at the slopes of the volcano. That being Mt. Vesuvius. For some reason they grew well there, despite it being always warm.

Anyway, as he returned to the store he noticed a young miss buying bread for supper. Their eyes caught and the girl won the age old eye contact battle. Tony, the klutz, Pizzarello tripped spilling some of the tomatoes on some dough being made ready for baking. Before his boss could turn around Tony shoved the dough and pizza in the oven. His boss hated messes, and Tony wanted to talk to the young beauty.

So the three of them stood around chit chatting while this wonderful smell filled the bakery. It turned out the blending of the tomatoes, dough, and oven heat created a new instant dish. The owner was at first mad, but then people in the streets outside started to come in. What is that smell? Can we buy it? What is it called?

Tony's boss, lacking any other words, gave it the last name of his assistant. He called it a "Pizzarello." Soon the word spread of the new easy to make food dish. Somewhere around 4:00 PM or was it the year 1600, Skinny Sammy didn't explain; the name got changed to pizza.

He did mention that a diary guy named Mozzarella eventually added cheese. But that is not what I wanted to tell you. Remember I mentioned Mt. Vesuvius? It seems that many Pompeiities, or whatever they were called, liked to frolic in the fields around the volcano. I think frolic means horse around, but I didn't interupt Skinny. He was giving me free beers.

Anyway, when they got hungry they could make this new found pizza over the boiling lava that dripped out of the mountain peaks. That worked until the mountain blew it's top.

That ended the making of field pizza over lava. Despite that after all these years we still have the word pizza. It was because of the way it was made in the fields that we hear people still say "I lava pizza." At least that is the way they say it in my neighborhood.

So you see Chef Mike I can't answer all your quiz questions, but I do know some things. Well, me and Skinny Sammy do.

Suds