At its best, cooking is interactive art. That means a proper meal is like a premiere gala at a gallery. Putting together the menu of a dinner party should take that concept into consideration. The art of the meal should be of a single, coherent tone but with enough variety to stay interesting. In the Weekend Dinner Party column, we'll be previewing a menu based around a centerpiece dish with appropriate but inventive pairings. Today, we'll be examining pizza, a culinary superstar that all too often gets treated like low-brow fare. We're here to give that famous Italian pie the full menu treatment it deserves.
Amuse-Bouche- Spanakopita Triangles with Dill Yogurt Drizzle
The theme of our pizza dinner party menu is cheese. As much as dough, sauce and toppings get the attention in pizza, the truth is that cheese is the real worker of the recipe. It's the intermediary that keeps the toppings in place, provides the sauce with its own layer and allows the dough to carry everything without it sliding off or turning soupy. To whet your guests' appetites, we have a small triangle of Spanakopita, the Greek pastry of spinach, feta cheese and filo dough. The dish is light but distinct, the feta providing a tart but creamy introduction to a night of rich food. The drizzle of dill yogurt keeps the pastry from being too dry and it adds a nice, refreshing twist to the recipe.
Salad- Romaine Lettuce with Kalamata Olives, Grated Asiago Cheese and Balsamic Vinaigrette
Bridging the gap between the Greek flavor of Spanakopita and the Italian flavor of pizza, this simple but sharp salad brings the savory hues of the Kalamata olive to a crisp bed of greens where they mingle with the sharp Asiago and full-flavored dressing.
Main- Twin Red and White Pizzas
Red sauce may be king when it comes to pizza, but white sauce can bring a level of nuance a spicy red can't achieve. The red pizza is the classic of the two, delivering crumbles of hot Italian sausage and Crimini mushroom on a garlic crust with chunky marinara sauce and a mix of mozzarella and Fontina cheese. The white pizza is a vegetarian affair with herb crust, a smooth Alfredo sauce, roasted red pepper, asparagus and a white wine brie cheese with grated Parmesan.
Pairing- Zinfandel Blush, Napa Valley
Because the menu includes both a red and a white sauce, a blush wine is appropriate. This rose Zinfandel has a medium body with mildly spicy fruit tones. It's smooth and not overly complex, a perfect partner for the wide flavor profile of the twin pies.
Dessert- Mini Cannoli with Fresh Berry Garnish
Rounding out this Mediterranean meal, we have a pair of small pastry tubes filled with rich Ricotta cheese, accompanied by a dark chocolate drizzle and a selection of fresh berries. These classic Sicilian confections are sweet but not too heavy and they go excellently with coffee.
Pizza doesn't have to be a greasy indulgence relegated just to football Sunday or lazy carry-out nights. With the right companions and the proper ingredients, this most famous of Italian pies can be a gourmet delight.