a peek inside the fishbowl

Awhile back I posted a General Life Update in which I revealed a few big things coming down the pipeline for my family and I. In that post I wrote about my departure as managing editor of Kitchissippi Times but what I didn’t mention was how thrilled I was with my final issue. The theme was one I’d been planning for some time and thanks to a lot of people including Paula Roy – a regular contributor to KT who happens to be one of the most fabulous foodies I know in Ottawa – we made it happen.

The July issue of KT was all about pizza. You can read the digital edition of it right here. We had a lot of fun with this one and I am grateful to everyone who indulged me, contributed photos and articles, and helped pull it together. :)

I like pizza just as much as the next person (or maybe a tiny bit more) but I also think pizza reflects the great diversity of our community. It’s a humble and economical food – a slice can be had for only a few bucks – but it can also be very fancypants with gourmet toppings prepared by top-tier restaurants.

So how can someone take a universal food like pizza and turn it into a major focal point of a very local community newspaper? Good question.

• Paula wrote a fabulous introduction to the topic and shared her own tips and tricks as well as some of her personal history with pizza. (It’s not what you’d expect for a foodie!)
• Paula also shared her tried-and-true recipe for pizza dough. I use one that’s close to this, but I’m definitely going to give hers a try. Also useful: her suggestions on where to source local ingredients if you’re making your own. There are some great ideas here!
• I REALLY liked this collection of beverages to pair with pizza and I’ve made note of these great wine, beer, and cider recommendations straight from the pros. Have a look right here.
• Paula and I collaborated on a PIZZA MAP. Honestly, when we started putting this together we had no idea there were THIS MANY places to grab a slice in our area. If you live on this side of Ottawa you will definitely want to check it out. Maybe it will inspire you to try a new place?
• I interviewed a Kitchissippi resident who installed a permanent pizza oven in his backyard. Unfortunately for me, our chat occurred very close to dinner and my stomach made weird noises the entire time. I was inspired by his story and I’m secretly hoping Mark builds one for us in our yard too. You can read that article right here.
• Dave Allston, our local historian, wrote a fantastic column about the history of pizza in Ottawa and Kitchissippi. I learned so much, and there are parts that made me laugh out loud too. He shared some great old ads and photos, which were posted on the web version of the story.

I found myself thinking about the pizza edition of KT while we were away in Thailand. The youngest and I found ourselves craving pizza during our short stay in the Phi Phi Islands. We ordered a medium Hawaiian pizza from a place that billed itself as “Phuket’s #1 pizza!” The very idea of ordering Hawaiian pizza in Thailand cracked me up to no end. It should be noted there was also seafood variety available as well as pepperoni or plain cheese.

We ate our pizza on a bench overlooking the ocean, half a world away from home. It was hot and delicious. They gave it to us with packets of ketchup (??) and little packages of oregano and a fine chili powder that we sprinkled on top. I’m a convert! The chili powder really gave the pizza a real boost.

To enjoy a favourite food in a gorgeous setting with a sprinkle of something new was really special. I hope the pizza edition of KT has the same kind of effect on readers – and takes something familiar and makes it fresh and new again.