We Have A Big Cheesy Ton Of Pizza Stories!

Food Republic has a giant section devoted entirely to the great institution of pizza. Peruse a diverse selection of recipes, techniques, anecdotes and pro tips that will take your homemade pizza game from "pretty good" to "how did you do that!?" Heat up your pizza stone to 500 degrees and beyond, and discover a whole world of pizza stories beyond our 40 favorite kinds. That's right, we have 40 favorite kinds.

Here are a few of our recent favorite pizza tales:

While pizza-making can be a little labor-intensive (time-intensive, too, when you factor in proofing), using a sourdough starter changes up the game even more. How so? Well, starters can be unpredictable. Like us, they're living things, and therefore, highly susceptible and sensitive to their environment. But once you get the hang of your starter — since they're all unique, they all behave differently — it becomes something, not unlike a child or pet, that you nurture and "feed." With diligence, it can last for years.

At his Greenwich Village newcomer Loring Place, chef-owner Dan Kluger continues to flaunt his mastery of vegetables. Each section of the tantalizing menu features seasonal variations on dishes, from veggie fries that range from asparagus and zucchini to colorful salads to wood-fired pizzas that showcase the Northeast's bounty. Before the summer greens came out of the ground, we caught up with Kluger in the Loring Place kitchen, where he offered up a quick, simple demo of one of the greatest hits from his winter and spring menu, Brussels sprout pizza. And while he insists that you can conjure up a pizza like this at home, be forewarned: Kluger is the kind of chef who makes things look a lot easier than they are.

It's something in the water...or at least that's what they'll have you believe. One of the oldest theories about New York City pizza is that the city's tap water is responsible for its superior taste. Many Americans might not know that here in the Big Apple, we're almost as proud of our water as we are of our pizza, and that the city has been adding fluoride to the water for more than 50 years. But do fluoride and the other dissolved solids and minerals really make a difference when pizza dough is being torched at such high temperatures?

The parody quintet is known for spoofing Velvet Underground songs like"I'm Waiting for the Man" ("I'm Waiting for Delivery Man"),"Walk on the Wild Side" ("Take a Bite of the Wild Slice"),"Sunday Morning" ("Pizza Morning") and many others.

New York is the greatest pizza city on earth, but Detroit deserves to take Chicago's place in that ridiculous New York or Chicago pizza debate. The only reason it hasn't already is that if you're from outside of Southeast Michigan, you probably haven't heard of it. Or at least you hadn't until recently.