h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello there,

We plan to give updates a front page promo (as well as the obvious appearance in the margin), but in a separate section from the Edited Entries (directly beneath).

The title of this Entry doesn't work currently as it makes you ask 'Why in 'the US and Beyond', when the obvious starting point for pizza would be Italy?'

This problem is removed when you remove 'and beyond' from the title...but then that (as you say) overlooks the fact there is info on the pizza of other nations in the Entry. But it's still rather too US-centric to stand as an Entry entitled something like 'Pizza Around the World.'

If more info was added to balance it in this way, then it would function best as an update of the current Entry.

h2g2 Editors

I would really like for this to be *the* pizza entry. I can tinker with the geography a bit, but in all honesty all I can find about pizza in different parts of the world is the kinds of toppings that are more popular.

A few people have mentioned that they might have information to share in the interests of making this more international... I'm happy to hear any suggestions anyone cares to make.

Please note, to this point I haven't made any changes to the structure of the entry, but I have some ideas I'm still working on.

This is pretty much ready. Although it's come through Peer Review, with a few tiny tweaks this will be the perfect replacement to the existing entry, which was written in 1999 and so could be classed as 'Mostly harmless'.

First thing I'd recommend is a tiny rejig of the introduction, like this:


"A round, flaky, crispy crust, sweet tomato sauce, pepperoni slices, black olives, cheese and red onions. Although it's thought of as an Italian meal, more pizzas are consumed in the USA than in any other country on Earth; it's the dinner of choice at least one night a month in nearly every American household, while worldwide it is a $30 billion-dollar-per-year industry and growing every year."

This is just to make it less US-centric, while still leaving a good excuse to focus on America later.

Other than that, just a few little changes:

"Key Events in the Evolution of Pizza" - make this a header.

Under "How to Get Your Pizza Fix", change "When craving a pizza, most Americans" to "most people" as this isn't uniquely American.

"Of the pizza franchises strewn across the US more than 80% offer delivery or take away" - add here that the same goes for pizza establishments in the UK.

If you can manage that, I think we'll be able to process this as an update.

I'll make some tweaks this weekend, Jims. Thanks for the encouragement

Okay, I didn't take your words verbatim, but I've made some adjustments. I removed a few extra American references and made them more general, added a tidbit about Mexican pizza and a word about the World Pizza Championship and Sicilian pizza. And I have a sneaking suspicion that the first comma in my second footnote should be a semicolon.

Have a look.

Meant to add this, too...
Entry: Pizza in America and Beyond - A14660525

USA - 300 million people - 60,000 pizzerias
UK - 60 million people - 10,000 pizzerias
So the US doesn't have that many more pizzerias is you adjust for population, though the number of acres they eat is quite astonishing - a link to A13785014 perhaps

Let us know how this is going - once you're happy with this we can make this a proper update and schedule a promo for the Front Page

Should an all-in entry on pizza mention the classic Italian toppings? Quattro Stagioni and Quattro Formaggi seem to be pretty universal and standard wherever you go. And of course there's the Veneziana, of which a percentage of the the price you pay goes to the fund to help save Venice from sinking.

Also, there's what I think is called the 'nouvelle pizza' movement. At least, that's what I remember it as. I read about it in a 'Rough Guide' to Rome that I'd borrowed when I went there last November.

Sadly, I googled for it and drew a blank. Anyway, the idea is someone developed a way of making pizza bases that are lighter and more airy, so you don't get full of bread. I spent ages hunting round Rome trying to find the restaurant they recommended that was in a street that didn't seem to be on the map, but it was well worth it when I found it.

Hey Six! Thanks for the nudge.

In the Crowning Glory segment I've added toppings for classic Italian pizzas including Marinara, Quattro Formaggi and Quattro Stagioni.

In the Pizza Fun segment I've added a brief paragraph about Pizza Express and the Veneziana Pizza.

I've left off the 'nouvelle' because, like you, I couldn't find anything about it.

Unless anyone spots any other glaring omissions, I'm happy with this as it stands. I think it gives a *fairly* balanced picture of modern pizza, and any further discussions of some of the finer points can be continued in the threads on the Edited entry.

And now, Six, I'll return the favour - shouldn't you be off Sub-Editing a certain Uni project? *nudge*

Do I need to change the title? Or will it be changed when it's updated?

I'll go ahead and change it anyway, since the content and focus have changed a bit from the beginning. Then when they update, the Eds can title it however they want.

This is a good entry and I found it interesting. It doesn't seem too American-centred, so I guess you changed all that (but the population vs pizzaria comment US/UK as mentioned above does read a little strange).

Thank you for linking to my Italian Cooking entry

I never understood what stopped people from phoning up and ordering hundreds of pizzas to somebody else's house, and why it doesn't happen all the time!

>> I never understood what stopped people from phoning up and ordering hundreds of pizzas to somebody else's house, and why it doesn't happen all the time

Well, for a start, you could only do it once, because your phone number would be blacked after that and they would never take an order from your number again.

OK - I reckon this is ready...I'm going to move the Entry in-house now, and move this thread to the bottom of the Entry. (I don't think it needs another week in the Update forum).

Great work. And the title's perfect.

You could just give them fake numbers, if your phone number doesn't come up. (Don't a lot of people have "private" numbers now? We do.) And even only once with each pizza company would be a lot of times! Maybe I'll try it.

The phone number automatically appear on the screen when you call. It's not the standard caller ID that's available to normal residential subscribers. There has to be a valid phone number to process an order and, at least when I worked for one, they don't accept delivery orders from cell phones.

Oh! - and thanks to the Eds for picking this up, and to everyone else for your invaluable input and assistance.

Congrats!

Damn! Shame they have special-caller-ID.

Well done!

Yes, congratulations!