Pizza etiquette

[firstofallimadelight]

In-laws bought a pizza oven last year so almost every visit now involves pizza. I do like pizza but only really margarita. Ils put thick chunks of veg on their pizzas that don’t cook and shield the dough underneath so you end up with soggy pizza. They also dont ask what toppings people want. This time I said could one pizza be plain and they looked at me like I had two heads!! They did make it but then made a deal of handing me my ‘special’ pizza (I’m willing to bet I’m not the only one who would have preferred it!)
I think pizza is like sandwiches people should get a say in what they want.
Dh thinks it’s weird to request a pizza topping (and clearly so do mil and fil)

am I unreasonable to ask for a specific topping?

It’s a bit like my [lovely] PiL who bought a slow cooker a few years back. Now when we visit we have a slow cooked casserole. Exactly the same recipe/ingredients every time. Every day. For as long as we stay.

DH and I now insist we treat them to a takeaway and take them out for a meal one night because, as nice as a slow cooked chicken casserole can be, we are soooo over them.

You are not weird! We have a pizza oven, which we love but we also have various different palates to please. We are only 4 of us, so me DH and two teenage DS's. We do a margharita first, meat feast for the kiddos, usually two and then a salmon one or goats cheese and walnuts for me and DH. My DH doesn't eat meat.

Our one is quite small so wouldn't want to entertain more than our family only using the pizza oven, too much hard work

I would be raving on about how delicious your “special pizza” was last time and could you have that again please.

Do they force their preferences on your kids too? I wouldn't put up with it

I have a pizza oven. I always make a wide selection of toppings available. We do put each pizza on the table to share, but I always ask people what they'd like on the next one, so everyone gets a say. Your PILs are a bit weird and not very hospitable. You do sound like a fussy eater though, if you literally only like a plain cheese and tomato pizza, regardless of any other topping available. I'd have thought they'd be used to your limited eating preferences by now.

I know it’s not the point of the thread but I really want a pizza oven now. I’m off to google them….

I’d get a burger 🍔 on the way there and refuse the pizza 🍕 😝

Then you have a DH problem.

Tell him what you want/don't want to do, and then do that.

"I don't like going so often to your parents, it's too much and they're not that nice. They are your parents, and now you must go on your own with/without the kids as a rule and I will join you three times a year, as you do with mine."

Exactly

I don't think she sounds fussy. Undercooked chunks of vegetable sound horrible and I say that as a veggie who loves vegetables on pizza. I think she's trying not to be demanding by not asking for any additional ingredients, just asking for some not to be added.

Anchovies as a topping are becoming rare. I always have to pay more for them as an 'extra' and sometimes they aren't even available! A pizza without anchovies and a few black olives isn't worth eating.

Look, if you're not prepared to make a change, you just have to suck it up and stop moaning.

But I cannot understand why you won't just have a conversation with DH: "I thought perhaps we could have a similar arrangement with your parents as with mine" or "Actually I was going to go to the gym tonight" and when he tries to put it off until you're free then reference your parents "Don't be daft - I see my parents plenty without you, you can do the same" etc

I suppose you could argue if they're buying you a pizza you should be grateful and suck it up. I disagree though. It IS polite to ask what people would like!

i am imagining huge chunks of aubergine that i would pick off and throw at someone if it came in my direction...

While I'm here: anchovies on a spicy pizza are heaven (and i generally don't like anchovies)

I love a plain pizza with pineapple (no ham)

i have a friend with a pizza oven, he introduced us to one that had mortadella slices on it, drizzled with pistachio sauce and it was heaven...

If you asked for some obscure posh toppings they clearly didn't have then I get it being annoying. But you should definitely be able to choose from what they do have. And if it's just got cheese on it how can that be special or unusual?

You should be honest and say I think you should cut your veg thinner as thicker can make them soggy. It's the truth. You don't need to say it in a rude way.

My DH and I fun argue about pizza all the time, I love onions but DH says they make a pizza soggy. I’m happy to not have them if we’re sharing but have them if it’s my own pizza. We’re never serious about it, it’s just one of those silly things. Being put out or getting weird about pizza toppings is just bizarre, who cares that much? Maybe they thought you’d want more of the available cheese, as that’s all you wanted, geez, I don’t know, it’s weird!

I 'd hate veggies on a pizza - i'm a pepperoni and jalapeño gal

tell your DH!

precooked onions sweated down till they are soft and golden are fabulous on pizza and no sog. I agree with your DH about putting raw onion on.

What I find puzzling about this is that someone would invest in a pizza oven when they are so spectacularly incompetent at making pizza. And then persist in being so bad at it, despite the tools to hand.

I hate folk who are unreasonable arseholes who can't fathom other people's point of view.You wouldn't make sandwiches and put random fillings in them and expect them to suit everyone. What's the point of menus, ffs?

Not unreasonable at all to choose your own pizza toppings. Don’t fancy uncooked veg and soggy base myself so yes I would ask for plain dough as well (but only if I could dip it into some mayonnaise). I think I would tell them straight or lie and say I’m not hungry.

Pineapple and Ham is a NO from me. 🤮

Yanbu there is no point doing home made pizza if you aren't going to give each person a choice of what they want. I like veg on pizza only if it's pre-cooked beforehand so I will sauté some mushrooms and pop some peppers in the airfryer as part of prepping a buffet of potential toppings. How weird to do a "special pizza" only for one guest rather than that being the default that each person gets a pizza they like.

I must admit I tend to make 2-3 different pizzas to share rather than making them to order, it’s just simpler. I wouldn’t serve margarita because it seems boring. My dsd and one of my DD’s are fussy but I say just take it off and eventually they started eating said vegetables!

each to their own

They're idiots and poor hosts. Boo to them for making a bid deal of it.