{"id":1429,"date":"2011-02-03T01:14:12","date_gmt":"2011-02-03T01:14:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2011\/02\/in-the-news-pepperoni-pizza.html"},"modified":"2011-02-03T01:14:12","modified_gmt":"2011-02-03T01:14:12","slug":"in-the-news-pepperoni-pizza","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/02\/in-the-news-pepperoni-pizza.html","title":{"rendered":"In the News: Pepperoni Pizza"},"content":{"rendered":"

In May of 1985, my wife and I traveled to Italy. It was my first time there, her second. When we arrived in Firenze (that’s Florence, to those of use who speak English), I was thrilled to see some of the finest works of art ever created, including Michelangelo’s David. But I was a man on a mission. I wanted to eat my first, real Italian pizza.<\/p>\n

\"pepperoni-pizza-slice-5.jpg\"<\/form>\n

Linda and I found a small cafe – I avoid the temptation of calling it an Italian restaurant – just off the Piazza del Duomo, the central plaza near the cathedral. There, in my finest Italian, which was none too fine, actually, I ordered a “Pizza con peperoni.” After waiting for what seemed like an unusually long period of time – this was Italy, after all – I finally received my long-sought-for prize . . . a pizza covered with green peppers. One problem: I hate green peppers! I wanted pepperoni. You know, those little slices of spicy salami. Pepperoni! Everybody knows that that is, right? (The photo offers a glorious example of what I wanted.) <\/p>\n

By God’s grace, I restrained my impulse to complain, asking the waiter politely, “Pizza con peperoni?” “Pizza con peperoni,” he answered, confidently. In a moment I realized that “peperoni” is the Italian word for “green peppers,” not “little slices of smooth salami.” So I patiently picked the peperoni off of my pizza and had a genuine, Italian cheese and tomato pizza with a hint of green pepper flavoring.<\/p>\n

If only I could have read an article in today’s New York Times<\/i><\/a> before I traveled to Italy more than a quarter of a century ago. If I had done so, then I would have known that pepperoni pizza is not Italian, and that “peperoni” is the Italian word for “large peppers,” and that there is no Italian salami called “pepperoni.” That signature meat is, indeed, an American creation. For the record, I couldn’t find anything called “Italian sausage” in Italy either, only multiple varieties of sausage with multiple varieties of Italian names. And for the double record, I couldn’t find “Swiss cheese” in Switzerland, only dozens of kinds of white cheese with holes. <\/p>\n

Julia Moskin’s article in the Times<\/i> does more than prepare you to avoid ordering green pepper pizza in Italy. It also describes the curious history and contemporary debates about what we American’s like to call pepperoni. If you’re looking for some light and informative reading, especially if you’re a pizza fan, be sure to check out this article.<\/p>\n

Does anybody else have peculiar “ordering in foreign countries” stories? Want to weigh in?  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In May of 1985, my wife and I traveled to Italy. It was my first time there, her second. When we arrived in Firenze (that’s Florence, to those of use who speak English), I was thrilled to see some of the finest works of art ever created, including Michelangelo’s David. But I was a man…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[206,202],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-food","category-in-the-news"],"yoast_head":"\nIn the News: Pepperoni Pizza - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1429"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1429\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}