What is your favorite family meal?
We have so many…I would have no idea where to begin.
When I think back to my childhood, family meals in the kitchen are the top of the memory bank.
I LOVED Rice a Roni. And dreamed of strolling the streets of the San Francisco treat.
I was SO excited when I was old enough to make it all by myself, pretending I was Julia Child taping a segment behind the kitchen island.
My mom’s Beef and Beans – strips of steak and green beans tossed together in a spicy sauce – was my all time favorite special meal request.
My dad’s famous BBQ Ribs were always a beloved, finger licking, cover the table with newspaper, annual summer event.
Fast forward many moons, Food Network, and Top Chefographies later…and we are still a family that cooks together, pops the cork together, celebrates and cherishes our time together at the table.
Dad started a Pizza Grill Party tradition years ago, and it is a major family food favorite.
Even Gluten Free – for Mike – works like a charm.
He has so many secrets to share – and this is a doozy.
Start by tying up a bunch of fresh basil with string.
Leave 16″ of string to you to use in the pot – another simply divine secret.
Second secret ingredient.
Don’t even THINK about using anything but San Marzano Tomatoes.
Considered by most chefs to be the best in the world – in a can.
In a stock pot, on a low, slow heat, and add in the tomatoes.
Save the juice inside the can for later. Yet another chef secret.
Next, gently mash them up until all lumps are broken down into a smooth liquid.
Time to add in that pretty basil bouquet.
Dad ties it to the handle, for easy removal when finished.
No fishing, or messy search and rescue required.
Leave the sauce to simmer on low for at least 3 hours.
If needed, for a quick family dinner, use a higher heat and 30 minutes cooking time.
But, you’ll miss out on the secret of three hours of the best homemade red sauce smelling house in the world…
What are the kids doing during the secret sauce prep, you ask?
Only sipping Connecticut’s finest – artisinal Avery Sodas in natural, gourmet flavors.
This, as you can imagine, is a BIG favorite.
They are also busy tossing and rolling dough.
This is loads of fun for all ages.
Mike is Gluten Free, and this makes the perfect GF meal with a GF pizza crust.
Once you roll out your crust, place it onto a pizza peel/board.
Place ontop a hot grill, and when browned at edges, flip to cook the other side.
Remove from grill once browned, and return to kitchen for the topping fun to begin.
I grew up having shrimp for every special meal.
Every single birthday as a child – when I got to pick where to dine for the big celebration – it was shrimp, shrimp, shrimp.
Benihana downtown off Michigan Avenue, complete with city carriage rides, comes to mind first.
Followed by memories of iced Shrimp Cocktail, paired with a sizzling entree of Fried Shrimp at a good ol’ spot somewhere near Wheaton on St. Charles Road.
Now, with my own children, a favorite meal of all time is Shrimp au Curry at Georges, atop the roof of Pompidou, in Paris.
Funny, isn’t it, the full circle of life?
So of COURSE tonight Dad is whipping up sauteed garlic shrimp for the pizza party.
And don’t think of limiting yourselves to Red Sauce.
Dad ingeniously creates a Bechamel (and even gluten free, just for Mike), to enhance the Garlic Shrimp atop a grilled crust.
Not only does Dad’s Bechamel contain NO flour, but it is also more rich and flavorful.
In a saucepan combine 1/3 Philadephia Cream cheese, 1/3 whole milk, and 1/3 grated Parmesean Reggiano cheese.
Stir over low heat until smooth and creamy.
Pretty farm fresh roasted Asparagus, with olive oil, salt and pepper, makes a mighty tasty topping.
Next, time to saute some Leeks in a touch of olive oil. Toppings of a farmer’s market variety really make the meal more interesting, flavorful, healthy and fun.
Once you add all of the toppinds, grill again for a few minutes, to set all of the flavors and melt cheese ontop.
Bechamel, Garlic Shrimp, Sausage, Leeks.
Yum.
From farmer’s market veg, to cheese and sausage, every pizza becomes a personal masterpiece of flavors.
Before the grill…
And after.
Every single combination was just delicious.
Why limit a pizza to one eclectic combination of taste?
Split it into tastings…pairing different veg, meats and cheese.
At legendary GF Pizza Palace NOBO in Boston they told us you can’t split the sauces on a single pizza.
But, rules are meant to be broken. Worked great when we did it at home on the grill.
Here is Mike’s GF Dairy Free ‘za – Red Sauce, Garlic Shrimp, Cilantro.
Have fun year round – go crazy – grill pizzas!
Thanks Dad, for all the love and foodie family fun.
