Road map for pizza

1. Choose how you want to cook the pie: on the grill or in the oven.

2. Get your crust together, whether made from a fresh dough or a purchased prebaked crust. Fresh doughs can either be homemade or bought at the store. If using a fresh dough, either shape it on a pizza peel or else press it into form on a pizza tray or a large baking sheet.

3. Create the topping for the pie you've selected.

4. If the pie has been made on a pizza peel, slip it carefully onto the preheated pizza stone either on the grill or in the oven. If the pie has been made on a pizza tray or a baking sheet, simply place the pie on its sheet on the unheated portion of the grill or right in the oven.

5. Cook the pizza until it's done.

6. If you're working with a stone, slip the peel back under the pie to take it off the grill or out of the oven. Then gently transfer the cooked pie to a wire rack to cool completely. If you're working with a pizza tray or baking sheet, transfer that tray to a wire rack to cool a minute or two, then slip the pie off the tray and onto the wire rack on its own. A pie that sits on a tray will steam and turn gummy.

7. Slice the pizza into wedges or sections to serve.

8. Pizza leftovers are heaven attained, but not by faith alone. Cool the pie completely, then place it on a plate and cover loosely with wax paper. A tight seal can lead to a gummy crust. Leftover pizza from a restaurant is always perfect because it sits in that box with lots of air space around the pie, so that the crust dries out a bit before it turns soggy.