All men are created equal.

But not so all pizza.Amy Shuey says she's figured out a way to do it faster, fresher and tastier.Shuey, of New Ringgold, created Cutie Pies Wood Fired Pizza, Tamaqua, which opened recently at 209 N. Railroad St. adjacent to Padora's Six Pack House.Cutie Pies is takeout only and operates from a custom kitchen that incorporates the area's only wood-fired, high-temperature brick oven.Don't want to wait around? Not a problem. The pies bake at over 800 degrees and are done in a flash."It only takes one to two minutes to bake this pizza," Shuey says. But don't call it a fast-food establishment.And don't think for a moment it's prefab. It's 100 percent homemade and fresh, she says.Shuey mixes dough from scratch and works it into a pizza shell right in front of customers' eyes."I use my own garlic-infused oil and my own sauce which I make using an immersion blender. I use only the highest quality ingredients," she told the TIMES NEWS as she demonstrated the process. Nothing is frozen.So far, everyone is raving about the crust at Cutie Pies. Shuey knows the reason why."It's my own crust recipe, and I use a secret ingredient," she says. "I've perfected the sauce and dough."Shuey won't reveal her secret ingredient to the public. But it's something many people have in their kitchens or pantries. It never spoils and is wildly popular with Americans.She offers four size pies, from an 8" small to 14". Prices range from $6 for personal to $12 for large.Toppings include extra cheese, spinach, onions, bacon, broccoli and mushrooms. She cuts those mushrooms fresh. They're not canned or jarred. Same for all of the other veggies."I typically buy the ingredients from farmers markets," says Shuey.She makes specialty pizzas such as BBQ chicken, taco, whole wheat, stuffed crust, Buffalo chicken, bacon lovers, meatball Parmesan, veggie lovers, white spinach and ricotta broccoli. She'll make a pizza to order. For instance, if you like burnt edges, she'll oblige. You can have it your way.Her veggies are sautéed like grandmother did it, in an old-fashioned, cast-iron pan.Shuey also offers a bacon-egg-and-cheese toasted bagel breakfast.Dessert cookies and cupcakes are available, made by two baker friends. Flavors include tiramasu, lemon chiffon, pumpkin, red velvet, salted caramel, cinnamon apple marshmallow, super moist chocolate and super moist vanilla.Shuey is serious about her product because Cutie Pies is her livelihood. She's a single mother, the former Amy Kleckner of Lansford, a 1989 graduate of Panther Valley High School.She earned a business degree from Alvernia University. For a time she operated a stone veneer company and then a masonry operation. But the 2007 economic downturn in the housing industry caused her to shift focus.Like other single parents, Shuey works hard to keep a house and provide for her daughter, Alexis, 13.But she has a strong work ethic and isn't afraid to roll up her sleeves, build a fire, and bake a wood-fired pizza that can't be matched."I take everything up a notch," she says.The site along busy SR309 south in Tamaqua has proved to be a key to her early success."This is the perfect location. It's close to my home and heavily traveled," says Shuey.She invites all hungry stomachs to stop by from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m Monday through Saturday. Shuey says it's a good idea to call ahead, although not required.She recently placed an advertising insert into the TIMES NEWS and has been swamped with business. Everyone likes pizza, she says, and there's no other place that uses a wood-fired brick oven or her secret ingredient.More information is available at 570-527-7065 or on the Internet at cutiepieswoodfiredpizza.com.