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Pizza entertainment for eight coming right up

The Raspberry Umbrella.... , 1 comment

Summer is in full swing and I hate the heat. OK, hate may be too strong of a word. I dislike this heat. I do, however, HATE the humidity. I go outside for five minutes and I have to come back in my house to take another shower. In a minimal amount of time in this humidity my make-up has melted off and my hair is a frizzy mess.
So I don’t go outside when I don’t have to. What a shame when I love to entertain but my disdain for this un-ending heat wave makes a back yard bar-b-que more like a chore than a good way to get friends together for an evening of food and fun.
Luckily, I’ve always thought the kitchen is an endearing room in the house to get people together. Some of the most entertaining stories and best laughs come out of group time in the kitchen whether preparing a meal or enjoying a glass of wine around the table together. So this week to entertain our favorites, we are going to do a group homemade pizza night with delicious drinks!
Let me tell you now, you are going to throw one of these get-to-gethers and I promise, you will be an instant entertaining hit among your group! If you aren’t, send the pizza dough bill to my house.

The Invite - So here’s what you do. This is a laid back casual event. Send an E-vite to a few couples or around 4-6 friends requesting their presence for a night of preparing pizza together. Request that each couple or friend bring the toppings of their favorite pizza and dough will be provided.  The beauty of this idea is the fact that there are so many pizza combinations these days. If anyone asks you for ideas you could suggest barbecue Chicken pizza, Hawaiian pizza (ham and pineapple), Sun-dried tomato Chicken Pesto Pizza, and, of course, the basic sausage and pepperoni or garden vegetable pizza.

Request that when your guests R.S.V.P on the E-vite that they should note which kind of pizza they’ll be preparing. This way no one will make the same recipe. The idea of the night is to have a variety of pizza for everyone to try.

Preparation- On the day of the event, stock up on already-prepared pizza dough which you can find in the bakery at Publix. Purchase enough dough for each of the individual pizzas that your guest’s replied that they would prepare. You may want to buy a few extra cans of pizza sauce. I refuse to use anything except Glen Muir’s Organic Pizza Sauce which can be found at Whole Foods.
For appetizers you’ll be serving red-roasted hummus dip (already made in the deli section of your grocery) and pita chips. Also buy a loaf of Italian bread, break into pieces and serve with Extra Virgin Olive Oil sprinkled with Italian Seasoning on the side.
Since there are usually wine and beer drinkers in every crowd, pick up a few bottles of Red Bicyclette Pinot Noir (available at Brinkman’s Wine and Spirits in Cool Springs). You will be surprised how well the smooth texture of fruit aromas and black cherry combined with ripe plum and a light oak influence pair with pizzas. Peroni is a well-known Italian-style lager that you can purchase at most grocery stores to entertain the palette of your beer drinkers.

Right Before Guest Arrival- Before your guests arrive, pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Have a few bowls of flour set out which everyone will use for rolling pizza dough. Also have rolling pins handy for the dough process.  Set out appetizers and a drink station in the kitchen complete with glasses, beverages, and ice so your friends can help themselves.  Make sure you have plenty of clear space for your guests to prepare their pizzas. The kitchen table area and cleared counter or island space is ideal. Lastly, light some candles, and put on good music. Ray LaMontagne’s album Trouble is always a good pick for appealing lyrics and light hearted yet soulful rhythms.
When your friends arrive, encourage them to enjoy appetizers and drinks. Shortly after mingling, everyone should begin rolling out their pizza dough. The use of the flour helps with the kneading of the dough. Once rolled out, have guests take turns putting their dough without toppings in the oven for 10-15 minutes. After the pre-bake they can finish loading toppings and baking their pizza for 15-20 minutes or until the pizza crust is golden and the cheese is melted.
Everyone will love trying different versions of pizza. Making pizza takes time and it is a great opportunity for conversation. Enjoy your company, drinks and deliciousness and the fact that you are in the refreshing air condition amongst your closet friends. After all, when fall comes in a few months you will have plenty of time for cooking out on the grill and enjoying the great outdoors.

(Top right hand pizza is one of my own homemade pizzas.  Bar-b-que chicken, roma tomatoes, red onions and sharp cheddar cheese with Masterpiece Bar-b-cue Sauce)

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