GRILLED-PIZZA POINTERS

The free-spirit nature of grilled pizza calls for creative toppings.

Here are some ideas:
- Instead of traditional tomatobased sauces, try salsas, barbecue sauces, fruit chutneys, salad dressings and Asian-style sauces such as curried coconut or hoisin sauce.

- Save your grilled protein leftovers from the night before for the next night’s pizza. Crumbled hamburgers, shredded chicken and sliced steak are delicious. Ditto for grilled fruits and vegetables such as portobello mushrooms, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, plums and pineapple.

- Don’t forget fresh whole herbs such as basil, tarragon, cilantro and thyme.

- Double up on cheeses. You need a cheese with good melting and spreading capacity (such as cheddar or mozzarella) at the base to hold everything together. But for extra flavor, toss a second accent cheese on top, such as gorgonzola, feta, chevre, brie, camembert or low-moisture ricotta. To make softer cheeses such as chevre and camembert easier to slice, put them in the freezer for a few minutes. Gorgonzola can be frozen for up to an hour and then grated.

- For wood-smoked flavor, put water-soaked wood chips in an open foil pouch on the side of the grill.

Topping suggestions:
- Steak, gorgonzola and A1 sauce.
- Chicken, cheddar, salsa and avocado.
- Chicken, cheddar and barbecue sauce.
- Shrimp, goat cheese, sliced tomatoes, fresh basil, slivered almonds and barbecue sauce.
- Grilled and crumbled cheeseburgers, Thousand Island dressing, sliced tomatoes, sautéed onions and cheddar.

From: Brandon Wiggins, caterer, chef and owner of Slice of Napa Gourmet Pizzeria, Victor, N.Y.
Source: Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat and chronicle