Mini Photo Essay: The Last Pizza Party of the Year

A few friends got together to celebrate the last bit of warm outdoor weather we'll have for a bit, still with October in full swing the air did get nippy. Firing pizzas in a wood burning oven, plenty of red wine, and a few seasonal Ottolenghi-style salads made for a good way to stay warm. Of course, the camaraderie was probably the hottest thing there. The night was finished with apples tossed with butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar cooked in the oven before being served with homemade vanilla ice cream and salted caramel.

God, I love my friends.

As for what pizza I made? Smoked mozzarella, aleppo pepper, kalamata olive, capers, and plenty of anchovies. Salty, like that cranky woman who sells me apples at the Farmer's Market and tells off color jokes even when children are nearby. (Loves it.)

-This fire, while cool looking, is burning way too hot for pizza.-

-Turning the pizza. Wine: mysteriously not in my hand. Wrist: bent super gay. I don't know.-

-My host is a tablescaping overachiever.-

-Trading stories and seeing whose wine was the most epic. Generally, hard to tell after 8 bottles.-

-Hot pizza right out of the oven. This one was sliced persimmon, blue cheese, and kale. Or was it the caramelized fennel and pork loin? Pumpkin seeds, chilies and green chorizo? Maybe the vegetarian pizza with tzatziki sauce? Who remembers in the pizza bliss?-

-Because it isn't a proper pizza without the right hardware. It also doubles as a zombie fighting weapon.-

-Fire roasted apples by candlelight. Oh, and dessert wine. Yes.-