Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Mini Photo Essay: The Last Pizza Party of the Year

A few friends got together to celebrate the last bit of warm outdoor weather we'll have for a bit, still with October in full swing the air did get nippy. Firing pizzas in a wood burning oven, plenty of red wine, and a few seasonal Ottolenghi-style salads made for a good way to stay warm. Of course, the camaraderie was probably the hottest thing there. The night was finished with apples tossed with butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar cooked in the oven before being served with homemade vanilla ice cream and salted caramel.

God, I love my friends.

As for what pizza I made? Smoked mozzarella, aleppo pepper, kalamata olive, capers, and plenty of anchovies. Salty, like that cranky woman who sells me apples at the Farmer's Market and tells off color jokes even when children are nearby. (Loves it.)

-This fire, while cool looking, is burning way too hot for pizza.-
-Turning the pizza. Wine: mysteriously not in my hand. Wrist: bent super gay. I don't know.-

-My host is a tablescaping overachiever.-

-Trading stories and seeing whose wine was the most epic. Generally, hard to tell after 8 bottles.-

-Hot pizza right out of the oven. This one was sliced persimmon, blue cheese, and kale. Or was it the caramelized fennel and pork loin? Pumpkin seeds, chilies and green chorizo? Maybe the vegetarian pizza with tzatziki sauce? Who remembers in the pizza bliss?-

-Because it isn't a proper pizza without the right hardware. It also doubles as a zombie fighting weapon.-

-Fire roasted apples by candlelight. Oh, and dessert wine. Yes.-

14 comments:

  1. YUM! Wood fire roasted pizza is *the best* My friend has a wood fire oven and routinely throws pizza and tapas parties. So freaking good.

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    1. I am planning to get one when I buy my own home. XD

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  2. I want your pizza oven! And maybe your whole outdoor kitchen set-up...

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  3. Garrett, I love this post. And I love your table-scaping-over-achieving friend. Makes for a beautiful photograph, yes? One of our favorite grilled pizzas is topped with goat milk mozzarella, a heaping pile of fresh greens tossed with olive oil/lemon/s/p, then add a few slices of prosciutto just as it comes off the fire. But pretty much any wood-fired pizza will do me just fine.

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    1. I am so trying that combo, Dawn. SO. TRYING.

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  4. I am in love with your blog!!! My roommate and I are throwing a harvest dinner for our friends here at college this weekend... I wish I would have thought about pizza instead of cooking a more traditional style meal (we are having a mushroom, leek, and goat cheese tart for a veg. Main course though). Next year I think this will be what we do!

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    1. It just means you have to throw another party.

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  5. I love to try some wood fire roasted pizza. Hope I can find some. Lovely post Garrett.

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  6. Also, again, my wrist; like the vestigial arm of a fancy shmancy T-rex in an eggplant colored waffleknit sweater. Lordy...

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    1. It's not eggplant, it's aubergine. Gold star if you get the corny rom-com movie reference.

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  7. Just found your blog yesterday through Aida and I love it!! And your gay hand photo caption made me lol :)
    I am now very hungry for pizza, as well as the apples. And home made ice cream and salted caramel? You're killing me.

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  8. Pizza parties are the best! Expecially with wine!

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~Garrett