Most first grade boys don't give much thought to what goes in to making a great pizza. Eating pizza? Of course. Creating inventive pizza recipes? Probably not.
But 6-year-old Cameron Bergan showed a panel of celebrity judges, pizza aficionados Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax, and all of America that age isn't a prerequisite for culinary creativity. Cameron's "Spaghetti and Meatballs Pizza" took top honor in California Pizza Kitchen's (NASDAQ:CPKI) CPKids Most Creative Pizza Contest celebrating National Pizza Month. In addition to winning a $1,000 gift card redeemable at any California Pizza Kitchen, Cameron's pizza will be featured on the CPKids menu nationwide after the first of the year. All proceeds from sales of his pizza, up to $100,000, will benefit select children's hospitals in cities throughout the country.
"I'm glad my pizza will help other kids," says Cameron. "It will be fun to order my pizza when we eat at California Pizza Kitchen."
Cameron's pizza was one of hundreds of inventive pizza recipes entered by 6 to 13-year-old creative kid cooks from across America. His pizza was selected from a panel of judges including celebrities such as Steve Schirripa from "The Sopranos" and Joe Farrell of "Trading Spaces: Family," as well as Emily Smith, director of FamilyFun online and CPK's co-founders and co-CEOs Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax.
"There are two things I love: pasta and pizza," says Steve Schirripa, the actor who plays Bobby "Bacala" Baccalieri on HBO's "The Sopranos" and author of "A Goomba's Guide to Life." "So Cameron's pizza hit a certain sweet spot for me."
The "Spaghetti and Meatballs Pizza" uses CPK's hearth-baked crust as a foundation, and is topped with spaghetti, sliced meatballs, marinara sauce and plenty of Mozzarella cheese.
"Cameron's pizza combines two all-American favorites and creates a truly unique dish," says Flax. "His creativity and imagination remind me of the same process Rick and I go through whenever we create new favorites to add to our menu at CPK."
Cameron and his parents, Gregg and Francoise Bergan, live in Aurora, Colo., where he attends first grade at Creekside Elementary School. One of his favorite pastimes is following the Denver Nuggets, especially his favorite player, Kenyon Martin. In addition to basketball, Cameron enjoys karate. The pint-sized karate chopper has already advanced to the level of green belt. When he's not watching the Nuggets or practicing his self-defense moves, Cameron loves playing with his two Chow-mix dogs, Smokey and Teddy.
In addition to Cameron's "Spaghetti and Meatballs Pizza," the other finalists' recipes include: "Macaroni & Cheese Pizza" (Becky Aksamit, Houston, Texas); "Meatball Sub Pizza" (Jack Hoban, Wayne, Pa.); "Honey I Shrunk the Pizza" (Jack McMenamin, Lexington, S.C.); and "Warm Apple Pie Pizza" (Jessi-Lynn Minneci, Nutley, N.J.).
The recipe for Cameron's "Spaghetti and Meatballs Pizza" can be downloaded from the "Cooking with Kids" section of the "In the Kitchen with Rick and Larry" Web site at www.cpk.com.
California Pizza Kitchen is the leader in California-style cuisine and is widely known for its innovative menu items. The chain operates, licenses or franchises 171 restaurants as of October 28, 2004, of which 142 are company-owned and 29 operate under franchise or license agreements. California Pizza Kitchen provides a range of creative California dishes, from the signature California-style, hearth-baked pizzas to creative salads, pastas, soups and sandwiches. Children who dine at California Pizza Kitchen choose from an extensive menu, recently named "The Best Kids Menu in America" by Restaurant Hospitality Magazine.
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