Pizza deserves its reputation as a perfect party food.

Not only can pizza be tailored to the pickiest guest's palate, but preparing it makes a great activity for the guests. With a little foresight, a homemade pizza party is almost as easy--and loads more fun--than ordering from the place around the corner.

I have been making pizza from scratch for more than 20 years, and my 12-year-old son, Daniel, is a seasoned pizza chef in his own right. Our rules of thumb are these:

• First, we always make dough in advance and freeze it.

• Second, we prepare grated cheese and toppings the day before (kids ages 10 and up can help with grating and cutting).

• Third, we make sure to have enough baking sheets to accommodate a full pizza production line.

When you are ready to get started, check out the recipes at the bottom of this page, including this fool-proof basic pizza dough. So flour up the counter, fire up the oven and have yourselves a feast.