Mushrooms from a can was my favorite pizza topping

The first pizza I ate that was topped with mushrooms came from a can. And it was so good. Mushrooms were small chunks if I remember correctly. Their texture was rubbery. As a kid that was a new sensation in eating. Most dinners included a cut of meat like a pork chop, a salad of iceberg lettuce with tomato, and a baked potato. Dinner could be chewy, crunchy, with a side of soft with a pat of butter. Pizza was a treat.

Because my dad liked a pizza that included mushrooms as a topping so did I. When I left for college I ordered my first pizza with mushrooms. When I opened the box to get a whiff and look I noticed the mushrooms were fresh and sliced. The first bite was a huge disappointment. It was the pizza I experienced. I didn’t order a mushroom pizza during my whole college experience.

For the past few years we make our own pizza. We mix the dough from scratch. I use fresh mushrooms that I slice then sauté. I put them on my pizza after the crust is cooked. I found a compromise — fresh, cooked mushrooms for that rubbery texture I love.

List of tools and materials

• iPad Pro

• Apple Pencil

• Procreate App

Quote attributed to Chef Tom Colicchio