Pizza

It’s a food we’ve all grown up with. Greasy, fattening, unhealthy, processed, pizza. But it doesn’t have to be. All food is not created equal, as pizza parties with people who care about good food, will exemplify. At a party this past weekend, friends summoned their culinary creativity in order to out-do each other’s pizza recipe. The results? Rosemary, potato and wild boar bacon pizza; smoked duck leg, chives, portabella and hoisin; the classic and ageless margherita; parmesan, pistachio, rosemary and red onion; lemon meringue, just to name a few of the pizza delights… On top of all that, excellent wine, a wide variety of micro-brewed beer, mouth-watering cod (the Newfoundland way) and the best friends a food-lover could hope for.

Another example of a simple food that can easily become a celebrated one with the right ingredients, careful preparation and a desire to do it well. I often forget how different this philosophy is from the way most people consume food. Then I’m invited to a franchise by a non-food-loving friend and am underwhelmed with bland, overcooked, sloppily prepared and uninspired food. I find myself trying hard to focus on the great company, so that the lacklustre food doesn’t ruin my night. Even though Edmonton has many hidden gems and a surprising variety of cuisine, there are at least 10 mediocre food establishments (they don’t deserve to be called restaurants) to each one.

With the first blizzard of the season well under way, the pizza party was the perfect escape from the winter that we have tried hard to forget over the past 8 months. It was also a pleasant reminder of the difference between a party that has food and a true celebration. Happy birthday, Chad!