General General 3 min read

Which is your go-to flavor?

Go beyond mozzarella and pepperoni with these 10 delicious pizzas

Image: Nataliya Vaitkevich

Yes, pepperoni is great. So are Margherita, mozzarella, Neapolitan, and Chicago deep-dish. But what about the lesser-known relatives of the pizza family? There are words of praise to be said for Mexican pizza with its chorizo topping or fragrant pesto pizza with pine nuts. Venture beyond the classics and take a look at these 10 mouth-watering slices of heaven. Have you ever tried any of these?

1
BBQ Chicken Pizza

Image: Daniel Hooper 🌊

Not all great flavors match, but pizza and barbecue chicken certainly do. This delightful fusion features tangy BBQ sauce, tender grilled chicken, and often sweet onions , creating a perfect balance of sweet and savory.

Some recipes are known to include smoked bacon or sweet corn, adding an extra layer of flavor. It’s a modern, flavorful twist on traditional pizza.

2
Supreme Pizza

Image: Klara Kulikova

The name itself sets the stage for a memorable flavor, and this pizza does not disappoint. Supreme Pizza is a hearty option designed to satisfy everyone. It combines several toppings, including pepperoni, sausage, onions, peppers, and mushrooms .

While it can be made at home, the sheer number of ingredients might make it easier to enjoy from your local pizzeria.

3
White Sauce Pizza

Image: Ivan Torres

The omnipresent tomato sauce, which gives a noble base flavor to our pizza toppings, is set aside for this iteration and trades seats with a creamy white sauce instead.

Combine olive oil and garlic to coat the dough or make a homemade white sauce. This white pizza version can use a ricotta cheese base. Keep the toppings simple so the sauce remains the star—think mozzarella cheese, roasted cherry tomatoes, and fresh herbs.

4
Pickle Pizza

Image: SuckerPunch Gourmet

Another flavor that shouldn't work—but does—is a pizza topped with pickled cucumbers. Some pizza joints across the country offer this unique version that uses pickles and spices as its topping .

The pizza is completed with the classic tomato sauce and a light cheese, to avoid clashing too much with the vinegar from the pickles.

5
Grilled Pizza

Image: Revolve Pizza Oven

Unlike the previous versions, the distinctive flavor of this pizza comes from its unique cooking method. The stretched dough is placed directly on the grates over hot coals , cooking it on one side, flipping the dough, and topping it in reverse—cheese first, sauce second. After this, the pizza goes back to the grates in order for the other side to cook and for the cheese to melt.

The resulting pizza is a crispy, airy, well-charred delight with a smoky flavor. Grilled pizza can be topped with virtually any ingredient according to personal preferences.

6
Green Peppers Pizza

Image: Anna Evans

A healthy and popular pizza topping in America, green peppers bring a crispy and refreshing dimension to any slice. Combined with onions and maybe even mushrooms they create an extremely flavorful, crispy, and crunchy ingredient that adds a refreshing dimension to a pizza.

7
Mexican Pizza

Image: Nik Owens

Mexican food is often associated with tacos, guacamole, nachos, and other delicious treats but Mexican pizza is a force to be reckoned with, too. The main ingredients are chorizo, jalapeños, pepperoni, red onion, and cannellini beans . It’s spicy and tangy, with a satisfying texture thanks to the ground meat and beans.

If you ever see this on the menu, don’t hesitate—go for it! You won’t regret it.

8
Burrata Pizza

Image: Klara Kulikova

Burrata cheese is like the supreme version of mozzarella: creamy, soft, and utterly delicious. A good burrata pizza includes cherry tomatoes, pistachio mortadella, and, of course, burrata cheese .

It’s not often you’ll find this on your local pizzeria’s menu, so if you spot it and want to try something special, give it a shot!

9
Greek Pizza

Image: Brenna Huff

Mediterranean cuisine goes beyond Italian flavors and Greek pizza adds some interesting ingredients to the recipe. This version is characterized by its thick, slightly wet dough, greasy cheese, and tomato sauce with a strong taste of oregano .

The typical ingredients for Greek pizza include artichokes, feta cheese, and Kalamata olives.

10
Pesto Pizza

Image: Klara Kulikova

If you associate pesto with pasta rather than pizza, you are not alone. But, as a fellow Italian specialty, pizza also benefits greatly from this aromatic sauce and its ingredients. The rich flavors of cheese and pine nuts in pesto complement the basic ingredients of a cheese pizza perfectly. Topped with parmesan cheese, mushrooms, and oregano , this pizza is nothing short of amazing.

General General 4 min read

Spoilers ahead!

From M*A*S*H to Cheers: 12 Most watched TV episodes in American history A S H to Cheers: 12 Most watched TV episodes in American history

Image: Bruna Araujo

Certain television shows capture the audience’s imagination like few others, and individual episodes can draw truly staggering ratings. Tens of millions of viewers flock to their screens to watch the final moments of their favorite series. As you’ll see in this list, though, it isn’t only finales that reach such heights. Take a look at the 12 examples that follow—but fair warning: if you plan on watching any of these series, you may want to skip the entries bearing their names to avoid spoilers.

1
All In The Family - "Edith's Problem"

Image: Diego González

This 1970s sitcom used its format to address topics that were otherwise difficult to explore on television. In the episode "Edith’s Problem," the show demonstrated just how groundbreaking it could be.

"Edith’s Problem" centers on the leading character of the same name, who is going through menopause. Archie, a man who is annoyed by pretty much everything, is forced to reckon with the fact that Edith’s life is undergoing a real, biological change—one that will inevitably affect their marriage.

2
Home Improvement - "The Eve of Construction"

Image: Annie Gray

The Home Improvement episode "The Eve of Construction" brought in the highest viewership numbers of the entire series . In it, Jill and Al join forces as volunteers for a Habitat for Humanity build, teaming up because Tim believes married couples shouldn’t work together. In response, Tim assembles his own team to outdo them, and a fierce competition between the groups ensues.

3
ER - "A Hole in the Heart"

Image: Piron Guillaume

Centered on the professional and personal lives of the emergency room staff at Chicago’s Cook County General Hospital, ER featured an ever-evolving ensemble cast—including George Clooney—over its 15-season run.

In the Season 4 finale, "A Hole in the Heart," more than 47 million viewers tuned in as Clooney’s character, Dr. Doug Ross, faced the consequences of his controversial efforts to treat a drug-addicted infant.

4
Friends - "The One After the Superbowl"

Image: Paolo Aldrighetti

This turn-of-the-century sitcom juggernaut had many high points during its run, but the 1996 double-length episode "The One After the Superbowl" stands out as the most-watched. In it, Ross embarks on a comedic quest to reunite with his beloved former pet monkey , Marcel, now a successful animal actor filming in New York.

5
Seinfeld - "The Finale"

Image: Jonathan Roger

Possibly the biggest television series of the 1990s, Seinfeld ended with one of the highest-rated finales in TV history . In it, Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer find themselves in legal trouble after inadvertently violating a local law in Massachusetts. The four friends are subsequently put on trial and must await their respective fates in the final episode.

6
Magnum P.I. - "Resolutions"

Image: Wesley Tingey

The show that turned Tom Selleck—and his iconic mustache—into a household name delivered a satisfying finale that tied together several key elements of Magnum’s story and the show’s overarching narrative. Magnum P.I. helped define an era of detective and police dramas, and its final episode drew massive ratings from fans across the country.

7
Cheers - "One for the Road"

Image: QUI NGUYEN

The most-watched single TV episode of the 1990s was the series finale of Cheers . The conclusion featured the return of Shelley Long’s character, Diane Chambers, who reunites with Sam Malone in Boston. The episode also reveals what becomes of the bar’s beloved patrons as they each reflect on the meaning of life.

8
Gunsmoke - "Love Thy Neighbor"

Image: Taylor Brandon

This legendary show ran for 20 seasons , airing approximately 38 episodes per season —a milestone that seems almost impossible to surpass today. The episode "Love Thy Neighbor," which aired during the sixth season, centers on the theft of a sack of potatoes that sparks a feud between two families. The conflict escalates into a gun duel, resulting in tragic losses on both sides.

9
Bonanza - "The Pure Truth"

Image: Bailey Alexander

The series that launched Michael Landon’s career ran for 14 seasons and, in certain episodes, achieved even higher ratings than the other iconic cowboy series, Gunsmoke . One such episode, "The Pure Truth," centers on a plot in which one of the show’s central characters is falsely accused of a bank robbery and is forced to seek help from a mysterious prospector.

10
Roots - "Pt. VIII"

Image: Bryson Hammer

Roots was a massive hit during its run, telling a powerful story about the horrors of slavery and its lasting impact . The series finale marked the end of an era for its devoted followers and became one of the most-watched episodes of its time.

11
Dallas - "Who Done It?"

Image: Daniel Halseth

As we've seen, not all of the highest-ranked episodes are finales or even season finales. The fourth episode of Dallas 's fourth season is a prime example of this. It drew millions of viewers for one simple reason: Everyone had to know who shot J.R .

This cliffhanger became one of the series' defining moments, leaving audiences in suspense about the identity of the shooter for an incredible length of time. When the mystery was finally revealed, millions tuned in to find out who the culprit was.

12
M A S H - "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen"

Image: Museums Victoria

Even years after it aired, M A S H’s final episode still holds the top spot for the highest-rated single episode of all time . This episode masterfully blended heartbreak and sentiment, creating a finale that remained true to the wartime experiences that were often the show’s backdrop.

Culture Culture 4 min read

Old origins, modern entertainment

Was "America's pastime" invented in America?

Image: Paolo Aldrighetti

Sports, with their allegiances, rivalries, and championships, play a huge role in our culture, but we sometimes forget that not all sports were born in America. Where did our favorite pastimes originate? How did the rules, guidelines, and equipment evolve? Let’s explore the origins of America’s 10 most popular sports.

1
Football

Image: Muyuan Ma

Although born across the Atlantic as a mix between rugby and soccer in 19th-century England , football as we know it today was largely developed at Yale University, which formed its own football program in 1872. The line of scrimmage, the snap, and the system of downs were all American additions.

2
Baseball

Image: Josh Hemsley

Though derived from English stick-and-ball sports like cricket, baseball is called "America’s pastime" for a reason. By the mid-19th century, rudimentary versions of the game were popular across the country, but they varied greatly. The first official version of the game was created in 1845 by Alexander Cartwright for the New York Knickerbockers Club .

3
Basketball

Image: Markus Spiske

Its inventor was Canadian, but we can claim basketball as an American sport, on account of it being developed in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1891, P.E. teacher James Naismith, hailing from Almonte, Ontario, was looking for a way to keep his students active without exposing them to the harsh December weather. Equipped with a soccer ball and two peach baskets as rudimentary hoops, he developed a basic set of rules and created one of our most competitive sports.

4
Ice hockey

Image: Jerry Yu

Stick-and-ball games have been played for centuries, and records show they existed in ancient civilizations such as Egypt and Persia. Many of these games were brought to America by settlers, where they came across Native American versions, such as lacrosse. But who decided to play on ice? The Canadians, who had long winters and plenty of icy surfaces to spare . In time, ice hockey became much more popular in North America than its field counterpart.

5
Golf

Image: Will Porada

Originating in 15th-century Scotland and initially played by using bent sticks to hit pebbles into sand dunes, this game was so popular that it was banned between 1457 and 1502 because it distracted soldiers. Golf was one of the first games brought to America by Scottish immigrants , and there are 17th-century records about broken window complaints in New York City as a result of its popularity.

6
MMA

Image: Steven Cordes

Martial arts have been practiced for centuries, often in a mixed format. The Ancient Greeks played pankration , a mix of wrestling, boxing, and street fighting. The MMA that we know today emerged in Denver in the 1990s with the Gracie brothers , of Brazilian origin and with a background in martial arts, who created a single-elimination tournament featuring players from several martial arts and combat disciplines. Though it initially caused a strong reaction due to the violence of the sport, it became accepted as the rules were defined, and has become a global sport.

7
Soccer

Image: Emilio Garcia

Though played for centuries by many cultures, modern soccer emerged in 1863, when the first rules of the English Football Association were written, separating it from rugby by forbidding the use of the hands to handle the ball. The word ‘soccer’ itself is British as well, a result of students shortening association to assoc/asoccer and then soccer . While the name never stuck in Britain, it did in America.

8
Tennis

Image: John Fornander

Did you know that original tennis used the palm of the hand instead of a racket? Invented in France around the 12th century by monks, it was called jeu de paume , or "game of the palm". The racket was invented a few centuries down the line by the British. Why is it called tennis? When serving the ball, the monks would shout tenez! (‘take it!’). Handball is still played to this day, with over 2,000 devoted courts in New York City alone.

9
Track and field

Image: Braden Collum

With roots going back to Ancient Greece, the first records of track and field are the 776 BC Olympic Games, which included the pentathlon, a combination of a 200-meter race, discus and javelin throws, long jump, and wrestling. In America, track and field is one of the most-played high school sports.

10
Motorsports

Image: Casey Calhoun

Motorsports is a wide category that includes several different competitions, the most popular in the U.S. being NASCAR. The first motor vehicle competitions date back to late 19th-century France, where races were a way for inventors to test and promote their new "horseless carriages." The first motor race in America was held in 1895 in Illinois, and it sparked an interest in the sport, which led to the construction of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway a few years later.

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