Detroit pizza is a Motor City take on a Sicilian pie, rectangular and pillowy with cheese scattered edge to edge, toppings above it and sauce on top, generally in two thick bands. What I like about it is the lacy, almost frico-like intensity of the cheese at the edges, where it crisps against the pan. I generally make it with pepperoni, but a mixture of sliced onions and pitted Kalamata olives wouldn’t disappoint.
In Michigan, the pizza’s made with brick cheese, a cousin of Cheddar that takes its name from the bricks that were originally used to press the curds. But if you can’t find it, no matter: A mixture of Cheddar and low-moisture mozzarella will do, or white Muenster and mozzarella, or Monterey Jack and mozzarella. You just want a little bite in there, something that emphasizes the American side of the Italian American equation.
