REVIEW: Amy’s Frozen Pizzas

For many people, ExpoWest is all about the hunt for samples of food products. The aisles at the show are full of these individuals, and you can recognize them by the hungry, desperate look in their eyes. Rarely stopping to speak with anyone about the product they’re sampling, they move quickly and silently, on the prowl for their next free snack.

Rather than join the hunt at this year’s show, I decided to keep my sampling to a minimum. After all, as Ted said last week, “There’s only so many soy crisps one person can eat.” Most of the samples are things like tofu wraps and flax crackers, not exactly hearty fare for those with a genuine appetite. Yet there never seems to be time for lunch at Expo; there’s always another booth to visit, another person to talk to. The aisles stretch as far as the eye can see, and each one is teeming with possibility.

As a result of my never-ending quest for the diamonds in the rough, I pushed myself beyond the point of normal hunger and into the realm of the hypoglycemic. Wandering around dizzily on Sunday, I realized I needed something substantial in my stomach if I wanted to continue touring the show with any success.

Amy’s 3-Cheese Cornmeal Pizza

It was around this time that I turned down the aisle that contained the massive space occupied by Amy’s Kitchen, and I was struck by the aroma of real cheese, rare in a giant hall full of soy products. I made a beeline for the pizza booth, and delicately selected a slice of their 3-Cheese Cornmeal Crust Pizza, my favorite out of all the Amy’s pizzas. The cheesy, cornmealy goodness tasted like heaven at that particular moment, and I knew that the sweet sustenance I was receiving would help me to continue through the show. I can honestly say with certainty that I owe the energy I mustered for the final hours of the Expo to that little slice of wonder. Thank you, mozzarella, parmesan, and goat cheese!

While I certainly don’t recommend eating pizza of any kind too frequently, I can admit that a frozen Amy’s pizza has helped me reach many deadlines. When you’re sitting in front of your computer in your home office, barely blinking while trying to solve a printing issue or a problem with a web file, the last thing you want to worry about is what you’re going to eat for dinner. So, the occasional pizza is incredibly helpful since all you have to do is heat up the oven, pop the pizza in, and set the timer. I like to eat it with a salad, so I can at least feel a little better about myself. After all, it’s hard to feel like a cook when the most difficult thing you’re asked to do is remove the plastic wrapper.

Next time you’re at the grocery store, be sure to toss an Amy’s pizza into your cart. After all, you never know when you might need to save some time, or your sanity. It’s a bit of a stretch to say that a frozen pizza could save your life, although that’s exactly what I’m saying. Unless you try it, you’ll never know.