Celeste (frozen pizza)
Encyclopedia
Celeste is a brand of frozen pizza
owned by Pinnacle Foods
. It is widely referred to by its former name Mama Celeste. The brand's slogan is "Abbondanza", which means "Abundance" in Italian
.
from Italy with her husband, Anthony, in the 1920s. They settled on Chicago's West Side, where they opened their first restaurant in 1937. In 1962, the Luises closed the restaurant and began selling pizzas to other restaurants. The Quaker Oats Company
acquired the product in 1969. Celeste frozen pizza was one of the top selling brands in the 1970s. The Celeste brand was later acquired by Aurora Foods, then Pinnacle Foods.
The process by which Celeste pizzas are made has remained largely the same since its introduction, although the size of the original cheese pizza has decreased from 158g to 142g.
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
owned by Pinnacle Foods
Pinnacle Foods
Pinnacle Foods Group LLC is a leading packaged foods company headquartered in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, owned by The Blackstone Group. Pinnacle Foods is a key player in the shelf stable and frozen food categories and their products can be found in more than 85% of American households.The company...
. It is widely referred to by its former name Mama Celeste. The brand's slogan is "Abbondanza", which means "Abundance" in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
.
Background
The product was named after Celeste Luise (1908-1988) who carried the nickname "Mama Celeste".She came to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from Italy with her husband, Anthony, in the 1920s. They settled on Chicago's West Side, where they opened their first restaurant in 1937. In 1962, the Luises closed the restaurant and began selling pizzas to other restaurants. The Quaker Oats Company
Quaker Oats Company
The Quaker Oats Company is an American food conglomerate based in Chicago. It has been owned by Pepsico since 2001.-History:Quaker Oats was founded in 1901 by the merger of four oat mills:...
acquired the product in 1969. Celeste frozen pizza was one of the top selling brands in the 1970s. The Celeste brand was later acquired by Aurora Foods, then Pinnacle Foods.
The process by which Celeste pizzas are made has remained largely the same since its introduction, although the size of the original cheese pizza has decreased from 158g to 142g.
External links
- Celeste Pizza website
- http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE5D71030F93AA25751C1A96E948260 New York Times obituary of Celeste Lizio
- Pinnacle Foods' Celeste page