Pizza Party

One of the biggest indications that I am making a recovery is how quickly I want pizza. 3 days into my recent recovery, I was seeing triangular slices of mozzarella, tomato, basil and various other toppings dancing in front of my eyes. It seems that it is hereditary though and not medicinal.

I adore pizza. I won’t say it’s my favorite food but there is something special about it. It can be the most simple and satisfying thing to eat. It can also be delicate as well as complex. I’ve had a wild share of interesting pizzas in my day. One of the most memorable pizzas I’ve ever had was brimming with prosciutto, watermelon and arugula – the perfect blend of salty, sweet and bitter as well as hot and cold. Upon first seeing it on the menu, I know I made a face like I smelled a ruptured sewer pipe. But once I tasted it, I was awestruck. I welcome such surprises. Often it is with simple ingredients that one’s mind can be blown.

Anyway, I was saying it might be hereditary. My mom loves pizza. She may never admit it but she does. At least once a week you will hear her say “just order a pizza for dinner.” She will admit that at least once a week that will be on the menu because she just doesn’t feel like cooking. But it isn’t about it cooking, it’s about her pizza cravings. And whenever we pass by certain pizzerias, even if we’ve eaten a small country’s worth of food, she will say “Do you want some pizza?”

In past entries I’ve mentioned how my cousin would not eat anything but pizza when he was visiting last year. Honestly he eats pizza pretty much all the time when he’s in Italy. But part of why he was fixated on pizza was that it’s very hard to mess it up. He would rather have had a mediocre pizza than something weird like frog’s legs. I do think this is faulty logic but it’s ok. Sometimes there is nothing better than a slice of pizza.

When my husband first went to Italy, he wanted to wait until we got to Naples to eat a pizza. He wanted to have a pizza in the place of its birth. I told him he was making an enormous faux pas. Naples has fantastic pizza but many of the other Italian cities have phenomenal pies. In fact Rome is crawling with pizzerias that have pizzas that make you say “I can now die. I’ve eaten a piece of heaven.” One such place is Da Baffetto (Via del Governo Vecchio) in Rome. The waiters are the entertainment but the pizzas make you happy to be alive and are proof that a supreme being exists. My husband and I had their house special – individual thin crust pizzas with tomato sauce, cheese, mushrooms, salami and a fried egg. When the soft yolk breaks over the pizza, it is an exquisite dance of creamy sweetness blended with the salty salami. I took a breath so deep after eating it to verify that I was still alive. It was a pleasurable pirouette of playful textures prancing on my palate. I dream about this experience often. If there were a way to jet off to Rome on a moment’s notice, I’d be the first in line to take that flight just so I could have another pie!

Don’t get me wrong though. Naples also has some great pizzerias. I’m just too hungry right now to get into that discourse. It will have to wait for another day.

Go

My husband and I enjoy cooking. I am always trying to create new dishes or changing up basic recipes based on ideas I get from watching ‘Iron Chef America’ or from tasting different flavor combinations when we go out to eat. We do enjoy eating out when we can as it allows for a specific time to connect. But it also opens our eyes to the different wonderful foods out there.

We have a couple of neighborhood favorites for cuisine that:

1) Neither of us can cook
2) We want to eat but are too tired to cook
3) We can not match no matter how hard we try.

One of our favorites is Vai (Upper West Side on Amsterdam Avenue between 81 and 82nd).

We have been frequenting the restaurant since it opened in its earlier location on 77th Street. It is a cozy, romantic place with a lovely wine selection and even more amazing food. The first dish that I had there was a crudo of fish and basic salad - both of which were simple in description. However when I ate them, the mélange of flavors lit up my mouth and I had to inhale deeply as I thought I might die from the exquisite dance happening on my taste buds. I was hooked from then on and continue to be. I have never had a bad meal there.

Recently we went and I had their osso buco pasta special. The minute I put the lamb in my mouth, it melted like a fine-crafted piece of chocolate. It coated my tongue and throat and I just wanted to curl up from the warmth and comfort I received from the delicious morsel of food I had eaten. I then combined the marscapone and tarragon quenelle that was on top of the pasta into the dish. I took a bite of it. Whatever I had just experienced, it was obliterated. I now had this fantastic blanket of cream and luscious herbs dripping into my belly. It was as if I had just eaten two completely different pastas and both had saved my life. After a few more bites, I had pretended to cuddle up with my coat because that’s just how comfortable and toasty I was feeling inside my tummy.

A couple of dishes that have always stood out in my mind that are occasionally on the seasonal menu are:
1) Whole Roasted Branzino – the right amount of crispy skin and delicate flesh with a hint of subtle flavors that are light and refreshing and enhance the fish.
2) Creamy Fingerling Potatoes – the first time I ate them, I thought someone had served me cake batter. It was so smooth and creamy that I could eat a pint of them instead of any ice cream that can come to mind
3) Any crudo – the blend of the cold fish, the citrus that accompanies it and the heat and/or cream that is added along is a wonderful blend of textures and/or flavors that the small portion (normal portion) never seems enough. I always either drink the liquid that is left over or sop it up with a piece of bread. I can not give that plate back! It is a waste of savoriness that is a sin.

On top of the magnetic menu, the host/owner is always so welcoming. He greets you at the door with a smile. If he you are a regular, there is a hug involved. He generates such enthusiasm that you begin to glow before you’ve even had a drop of wine or a taste of food. He makes you feel like you’ve returned home after years of being away. It’s a perfect place to go and every time we eat there it feels like we are celebrating a special occasion. I wish that everyone could have the same feeling about a local place that they frequent. It really makes you treasure those moments when you go out for a meal with your partner or your friends. Thank you Vai for so many wonderful meals!