Pizza is has replaced pork as the foodstuff that the food mafia can’t stop buzzing about.  Those of us with kids have always known that pizza is the greatest food in the world, and that sometimes even bad pizza is great.  There are lots of fancy-schmancy pizzas out there, and lots of foodie talk about artisanal cheese and fine-milled flour, but for the rest of us, it’s a little daunting to think about making pizza at home.  But hopefully your secret weapons sitting right in your backyard - the grill.

Here are the two major tips to remember:

1) Watch the temperature, aiming for medium-high.  If it’s too hot, the pizza can scorch and if it’s too low it might stick or come out soggy.

2)  Flipping the crust after two minutes or so means that the top of the pizza dough will have firmed up, so that you can layer on your cheese and whatever else you fancy, and not end up with a disappointing wet, undercooked layer of dough between the bottom crust and the toppings.

Once you get the hang of it, you’ll make this a summertime staple.  People are always very impressed to see a pizza being grilled up, and while of course it’s a guaranteed kid-pleaser, it makes grown-ups extremely happy as well.  You can stick with tomato sauce and cheese, or you can get inventive with the toppings.  Blue cheese and figs?  Greek olives and feta?  Broccoli and fontina?  Let the kids — and your friends — invent their own combos - do remember to precook some of the more dense raw ingredients, like broccoli, onions or sliced red peppers.

Here’s the drill:

1) Make or buy the pizza dough (it’s available at many supermarkets, and of course most pizza restaurants will sell you a ball of dough to take home).

2) Let it rise.

3) Punch it down, and stretch it out so that the crust is as thin as you can get it - patch together rips as best you can.  You’ll want to let it relax a bit in between stretches so it doesn’t keep bunching back up.

4) Brush it lightly with olive oil, and flip it onto a pre-heated medium hot grill.  Use tongs to carefully straighten out creases and folds that may occur.  Brush the top lightly with more olive oil.

5) Cover the grill and peek starting after 1 minute, and continuing to check until he bottom is firm enough to hold together, and you’ve got those light golden grill marks going on.  Then, using the tongs, flip it. This takes a bit to get the hang of, but you can start with smaller pizzas, so the dough its easier to handle.

6) Layer on the toppings of your choice.  Close the lid,  let it go for 3-4 minutes, but don’t stray too far.  Check it, and keep checking every minute thereafter, until the bottom is browned and crispy, the topping are melted, and the middle is cooked through.  If the middle needs a little more cooking, but the bottom and top are good, lower the heat, and let it cook, covered, for a couple more minutes.

Here are some recipes for dough, and some cool combos to inspire you.

Basic Pizza Dough by Mark Bittman

The food processor makes this really easy.

Pizza Dough by Diane Morgan and Rony Gemignani

This dough is easy to work with, the texture and crispness of the crust is fabulous, and the subtle flavor that comes from the addition of rye flour makes the crust distinct and delicious. Look for rye flour in bulk at natural-foods stores. Substitute whole-wheat flour, if you prefer.

Pizza with Fig Jam, Prosciutto, Blue Cheese, and Arugula

Fig jam is surprisingly delicious with cheese and prosciutto, and in this case, both.  You can find it near the deli or gourmet cheese selection in your supermarket.  I like the Dalmatia brand .

Grilled Pizza with Smoked Salmon, Red Onion and Chive Creme Fraiche

Wolfgang Puck turned the pizza world on its ear in 1982 when he created a pizza topped with smoked salmon, caviar and creme fraiche.  Here is one interpretation.  It makes a great appetizer, cut into narrow wedges, and served with a glass of cold, crisp white wine.