Impressive Pizza

2007 Abadía da Cova Albariño and Greek and Margherita pizza: 5/5

2007 Abadía da Cova Albariño: 89/100

With the beautiful sunshine this past Thursday, I took to the streets and headed down to whole foods for some high quality produce. On the menu: two whole wheat pizzas, one Greek, the other a Margherita.

Walking into Whole Foods is like walking into a culinary Disney World. Fresh flowers waft towards your nose as you enter, you catch a glimpse of beautifully faced organic produce in kaleidoscope patterns. The whole place buzzes with a healthy, fresh vibe. Of course you are going to be tagged with an extra 10 bucks or so for shopping organic, but the quality is worth it when it comes to a veggie pizza.

Shelbey asked me last week if her mom, Wendy, could come over for dinner this Thursday. Wendy sells Cookie Lee Jewelry and frequents Chicago to go to conventions and events and usually stays with Shelbey in the evenings. With Rocio confirming she was going to make it as well, I wanted to make sure that I made something that would feed everyone. What better than pizza right?

If you’ve ever shorted yourself by picking up a pre-made pizza crust from the store, I’m telling you, don’t do it. Pizza crust is not hard to make, it does take a little time. My mom has a recipe for regular white pizza crust, and the last time I made pizza I tried it with wheat flour and it was a little dry, so I found a recipe with rave reviews online: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/amazing-whole-wheat-pizza-crust/detail.aspx If you have a bread machine, as I’m sure many of you don’t, but if you do, you can also mix all these ingredients in the bread machine, saving you time and strain.

For the Greek pizza I wanted a pretty rustic presentation, so I got some olives from the Olive bar at Whole foods, rough chopped and red onion, used organic crumbled feta cheese, and just peeled apart a couple jarred artichoke hearts. For a light sauce I whipped up some pesto. If you have a food processor great, if you don’t, I recommend going and picking up a little 21 oz one. My 21 oz Cuisinart processor is the perfect size, and doesn’t take up your entire cabinet or counter. To the processor add a clove of garlic, 4-6 fresh basil leaves, some baby spinach, mixed greens, salt and pepper. Your 21 oz processor should be about 3/4 of the way full. Process on low while adding olive oil until the the greens are no longer sticking to the side of the processor. That’s it (and now you will ask yourself why you ever spent 6 dollars on a 4 oz jar of the stuff). Once the pizza was assembled I topped it with a light sprinkle of dried dill, indicative of greek cuisine.

A traditional Margherita pizza is simple: sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and pizza sauce. For Michael I added some pepperoni on a quarter of the pizza so he would have some meat. My mom’s pizza sauce is simple: 1 6oz can of tomato paste, 1 14 oz can of tomato sauce, 1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of dried basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix the ingredients together and your done. The next time I make a Margherita pizza I’ll wait to put the basil on until the last 5 minutes of cooking, so it does get crispy, but either way the flavor is still the same.

Since I was in the area, I stopped into Wine Styles and chatted with Sara Kay Snider, the resident sommelier, about the evenings meal. Telling her I was thinking of a heavier bodied white wine, she agreed, and showed me to a bottle of 2007 Abadía da Cova Albariño. Albariño is a varietal of grape popular in Spain, and usually has aromatics of almond, citrus, and apple, with a slight minerality, and a present acidity.

Before the pizzas even were close to hitting the oven, the apartment smelled of blooming yeast, garlic, onion, and tomatoes. With the fresh aromatics, my taste buds were tingling just thinking about the finished product.

Both Wendy and Rocio arrived around 7:00, and the pizzas had been sliced and were waiting when they arrived. The intoxicating aromas of feta, dill, basil, and dough floated all the way into the elevator, calling the women in like ancient sirens of the sea. (okay maybe not that dramatic). Anxious to see Wendy’s reaction, I described both pizzas, and the wine, while serving a slice of each to everyone but Michael, who’s not a fan of pesto or feta. To make sure we had enough food I whipped together a salad of baby spinach, mixed greens, shredded carrot, all tossed in a poppy seed dressing.

Inspecting the wine, I noticed a light greenish gold tint, before breathing in a full aroma of almond, citrus, and apple. With a bright acidity, tingling the sides of my tounge, and a slightly slatey minerality, the Alboriño was well balanced. Lighter than a Chardonnay, I would compare the body to that of a Pinot Grigio. Finishing clean, the Albariño refreshed my palate, and would be able to keep the pizza vibrant.

Taking a bite of the Greek pizza, I was met with the upfront flavor of feta that gave way to the sweetness of the red onion. Layered with flavors, olives and pesto peeked through with acidity and fat before giving way to an underlying flavor of dill.

Moving on to a bite of the Margehrita pizza, my mouth felt a bit more full with the mozzarella cheese versus the feta, but the simple flavors of basil and tomato, were not as in depth as the flavors in the greek pizza. The general consensus in the room was the Greek pizza was better, but both were tasty in their own right.

Paired with the Albariño, the overall effect was light, not a meal you'd have to feel guilty about indulging in. Bringing out the acidity in the onion, the Greek pizza was only enhanced by a swig of wine, while the tomatoes and mozzarella took on an overall sweetness—great for a sunny pre-spring day.

As laughter and conversation circulated the table Wendy commented that she was going to start coming every Thursday. I'm beginning to notice food's power to bring people together—good food promotes good conversation, laughter, and a shared experience, no matter if it's meeting someone for the first time, or reconnecting with old friends. Another Perfect Pair.