Find a few delicious standbys for holiday parties

Invitations to holiday parties have already started arriving. Some are fundraisers for worthy charities, where you'll need to bring money to bid in the silent auction. A few will be posh, catered affairs in someone's home, where you'll need to bring a thoughtful host or hostess gift. And a few will be get togethers where everyone contributes to the menu. 

These last can be challenging for the organizer, who often won't know in advance what will be on the table. Even when you specify "heavy" hors d'oeuvres, there may be a few surprising interpretations. A bag of tortilla chips and a container of store-bought salsa may be ideal for the football tailgate, but perhaps not the best choice for a sparkly holiday party. 

For me, there are a few delicious standbys I hope to find at these events. One of my favorites is miniature meatballs in a crock pot. Whether in traditional red gravy or a secret sauce the cook won't name, these are cocktail party comfort food. An array of cheeses with interesting crackers is another platter that will capture my attention. 

And what is it about deviled eggs? A simple concoction made from humble, hard-boiled eggs. A dish for which everyone has a slightly different recipe and very strong opinions. I've heard animated discussion about whether certain ingredients belong in deviled eggs; olives and pickle relish seem to enjoy the most attention. But these savory mouthfuls quickly vanish. 

Most of us have a standard dish we rely on when we're invited to bring an appetizer to a cocktail party, while some of us see it as a chance to try something new or different. I've had mixed success with the latter approach. Hot, cheesy crab dip was popular, while the savory gorgonzola cheesecake left people confused. Deviled eggs never fail, but the ham and cheese pinwheels fell a little flat. 

For the upcoming party season, I've decided to test my contribution before the event, rather than a few hours before we're scheduled to arrive. Although I'd made it many times in the past, the recipe in my card file for "pear pizza" was woefully unspecific and unlikely to guarantee repeatable results. For example, "cook until done" without any mention of oven temperature could be problematic. 

Earlier this week, I made the pear pizza in the photo, taking notes along the way. Not only did I actually capture the details of my own recipe, but I also made a few tweaks to improve the results. Because the light is best for Jack to take his pictures in late morning, by the time he finished, we used a taste test as the excuse to eat the entire pizza for lunch. 

If you search on the Internet, you will find a few different variations on this recipe. The cheese options run the gamut, but I prefer to use a combination of slightly sweet mascarpone and tangy gorgonzola instead of a stringy mozzarella, which makes eating too messy The caramelized onions are optional, but I enjoy the subtle flavor they add. 

Some versions call for toasted walnuts as a garnish and others top the cooked pizza with arugula leaves. I opted for a scattering of snipped chives to add color interest without overwhelming the delicate flavors. 

When you choose the pear variety to make this pizza, I would recommend Bosc for their dense, sweet flesh and a tender skin that doesn't need peeling. Skip the instructions to place the pear slices in lemon juice, it won't matter if they brown slightly and the tart lemon flavor fights with the creamy cheese. Although I formed the crust into a round here, keep it in a rectangle for easy slicing if you're taking it to a party. 

I've included my recipe for pear pizza and one for another sweet-savory combination — fig and goat cheese pizza. With either of these, your dish will be the hit of the party. 

Savory Pear Pizza 

1 t cornmeal 
dough for 1 pizza crust* 
1 thinly sliced onion 
1 t butter 
2 oz mascarpone cheese 
1 Bosc pear 
2 oz gorgonzola cheese 
snipped chives 
pinch salt 

Preheat oven to 425 F. Coat a rimmed cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray and lightly dust with cornmeal; set aside. Roll out the dough into a rectangle 10 by 15 inches and place in the prepared pan. Bake until slightly puffy, about 8 minutes.

Melt butter in a nonstick skillet and sauté onions until soft and golden. When pizza crust is finished pre-baking, spread evenly with the mascarpone cheese. Cut the pear in half lengthwise and then cut each half into thin slices, removing the seeds. Arrange the pear slices in a single layer on the pizza shell. Remove onions from the skillet with a slotted spoon, draining off any liquid. Scatter onion across the pizza shell.

Sprinkle gorgonzola cheese over the pears and onions. Bake until crust and cheese is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Garnish with chives and a pinch of salt. Yield: 12 appetizer-size pieces. 

*Note - Look in the dairy aisle for prepared pizza dough or select Pillsbury dough in the blue tube-shaped package. The already-baked pizza crusts won't work here, as they are too thick and often pre-seasoned with Italian spices and cheese. 

Fig & Goat Cheese Pizza 

Dough for 1 pizza crust* 
1/2 C thinly sliced red onion 
1/2 t olive oil 
6 fresh figs, quartered 
4 oz crumbled goat cheese 
1/2 t snipped thyme 
pinch white pepper 

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Add olive oil to nonstick skillet and sauté onions over medium low until softened, about 5 minutes. 

Shape the dough into a 10 by 15-inch rectangle and place on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake until slightly puffy, about 8 minutes. After pizza shell is prebaked, drain onions and scatter across the shell in a single layer. Toss fig quarters evenly across the pizza shell. Sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese, thyme and white pepper. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Yield: 12 appetizer-size pieces.

*Note - Look in the dairy aisle for prepared pizza dough or select Pillsbury dough in the blue tube-shaped package.