Two Republicans, two Democrats and three bottles of wine...

Growing up, Friday nights were always a big deal. In the early years it was a pizza and a new episode of Dallas, in later years my mother brought back cocktail hour complete with appetizers and martinis.  Formalities aside, it has always been a time to decompress, review the week, and savor the upcoming weekend.  This week was a nod to that tradition when two friends toted wine over on Friday night for some homemade pizza.

It seems no party is without drama.  With the guest list confirmed, my body decided it was time to party with an allergy attack.  (Picture the Claritin commercial and the person beaten with the huge flower.)  As I kneaded pizza dough and sifted flour I wondered if my cotton filled head could pull this off...luckily, this menu offered some lag time and I spent that time in my bed high on Sudafed.  An hour later I was layering peanut butter cupcakes, and shredding cheese with the best of them. 

With the counters cleaned, and the prep work finished, our guests arrived with a fantastic Chianti, Dolcetto, and a Sauvignon Blanc.  Amidst flying pizza dough we sipped Chianti and reminisced over old stories.  Some were funny; running into a parent at a particular bar and grill, and others not so funny and involved an old friend getting 10-20.  Though politics were emphatically off limits, we did decide that with similar fundamental values, they aren’t that big of a deal.

Cooking Notes:

I wouldn’t recommend making peanut butter cupcakes for a crowd as they are quite labor intense.  Assembly of a mere 12 took me 45 minutes.  I’m sure this time is far from official. 

A pizza stone is the perfect tool for a crisp pizza.  However without being well oiled, it is also a great way to burn out your eyes with smoke and have the smoke detector run rampant.  

On the wine pairing side of things, the Chianti and Dolcetto were lovely with the cheesy Buona Lisa pizza.  While the Sauvignon Blanc was intended for the cupcakes, I loved it with the rolled Venetian pizza.  

In the end, it was a great night with simple foods and wonderful company. And I must admit, it’s comforting that after all of these years, pizza and friends still make for great Friday night. 


The Party in Numbers:
Parties Completed:  6
Weeks before deadline: 46
Justified Purchases: 4 napkins, one table runner
Bottles of wine consumed: a solid 3