I shared with my husband, “Every success and every failure led me to you.” Our story began with a setback that ultimately brought us closer. Shortly after our wedding, I narrowly missed out on a job opportunity to create content for the premium pizza oven brand Ooni. I had been thrilled at the idea of writing about oven-baked delights all day. Growing up in southern Connecticut, I was immersed in the pizza scenes of both New York and New Haven. Evaluating and enjoying pizza has been a beloved pastime of mine since childhood.
Despite missing out on the job, my husband, Tyson, sensed my disappointment and decided to surprise me. He purchased a charcoal-fired pizza oven from Walmart for just $99, a fraction of the cost of an Ooni oven. We wasted no time in mixing our first batch of dough. Drawing on his experience working in pizzerias after high school, Tyson expertly shaped the dough into perfectly round balls and skillfully tossed them into 16-inch pizzas.
Tyson has a knack for taking on kitchen projects. From baking layer cakes with unique flavors to mastering the art of making Thai mango sticky rice, he enjoys experimenting with different recipes. While I usually contribute ideas and taste-testing, making pizza became a joint venture for us.
Crafting pizza with our budget-friendly oven presented some challenges. Our initial attempts resulted in unevenly cooked pizzas – burnt on top and undercooked on the bottom. After seeking advice from Andy Brown, a pizza expert, we made adjustments to our technique. Following his guidance, we refined our process by focusing on quality ingredients and precise preparation.
With Andy’s tips, our pizzas began to transform. We simplified our toppings and improved our sauce and cheese choices. As we perfected our pizza-making skills, our bond as a couple also grew stronger. Just as making pizza requires patience and teamwork, our relationship thrived with mutual understanding and collaboration.
Before embarking on our delayed honeymoon, Tyson surprised me with the Ooni oven we had been dreaming of. This upgrade elevated our pizza-making to a new level, producing high-quality pies with perfectly cooked crusts. Our shared passion for creating delicious pizzas has deepened our love for each other and our culinary adventures.
In our journey together, we continue to learn, grow, and savor the joy of making pizza as a team.
Continuously striving to innovate with unfamiliar techniques, such as applying a layer of ghee on our pizza crusts to achieve those desired tiny air pockets. Leftover ingredients frequently end up in our toppings, with Tyson’s preferred pepperoni being swapped out for Indo-Chinese chicken 65, a topping combination that has become one of our all-time favorite pizzas.
When it comes to both pizza and our marriage, we are committed for the long run. This commitment entails upholding established traditions while also being open to incorporating a dash of novelty. Regardless of the outcome, be it a triumph or a setback, one thing remains constant – our love for pizza and for each other. Dive deeper into the original piece on SIMPLYRECIPES.
