Pizza Anyone?

Dennis Minikel was known around town as The Pizza Whisperer. Not because he made pizza—though he did make a mean margherita—but because he made the tools that made pizza magical.

One sunny afternoon, Dennis stood in his workshop, staring at a stack of wood with more character than a comic book. There were stripes of walnut, cherry, maple—each one bringing a different flavor of color. “This,” he said with a grin, “will be the ultimate pizza set.”

First, he crafted the pizza peel. Sleek, striped, and smooth as butter, it looked more like a surfboard for dough than a kitchen tool. Then came the rolling pin, with swirls that looked like they were dancing. Dennis gave it a few test rolls and nodded approvingly. Finally, the pizza cutter—with a handle that felt like it was made for your hand alone—gleamed under the workshop lights.

When the set was done, Dennis took it home for the first test. He rolled the dough, slid it onto the peel, and after a sizzling trip through the oven, he sliced through the crust like it was silk. That night, under fairy lights on the patio, he served the pizza with a flourish.

The neighbors swore it wasn’t just the best pizza they’d ever had—it felt like a special occasion.

And Dennis? He just smiled and said, “It’s all in the tools.”

(Made by Dennis Minikel for In The Kitchen Contest)