A very satisfying slice of pizza.

Happy Holidays!  I'm sure most of you thought I'd perished in some kind of turkey brining accident or was left behind at that Mexican disco bar we swung by on New Year's Eve.  But no, folks, no.  I've been adventuring and exploring and creating and doing a whole lot of eating.  For whatever reason, this page has been the least of my worries, which I regret.  Keeping you in the dark about what we're cooking up in California?  For shame.  Apologies all around!  To make up for it, I leave you with this delightful pizza post.  Because:

We make a lot of pizza.  And you should too.  Because it's easy.  Because it's delicious.  Because it's fun.  Because it's cheap.  Because it goes so nicely with wine.  Because we can make enough for two or twenty without having to think too much.  Because because because.

Recently, I tackled a new pizza topping, for me at least.  Both Daniel and I have tasted this pizza many times, but I hadn't put the effort in to recreating it at home.  Our friend, the excellent chef and author of her own slice of blogosphere at http://butterdate.blogspot.com/ is a master of this pie and proudly contributes it to every pizza party.  Unfortunately, we live many miles apart and are not treated to this deliciousness enough, and so we made it ourselves.

Some might call it a dessert pizza, but I think the combination of sweet and savory is perfect for a main course.  Do pair it with a glass of the 2009 Vaona Valpolicella, which has enough acidity and vibrance to play nicely with the toppings.  This pizza is addictive, and it's all about the sauce.

Salsa di noci.  Nut sauce.  Walnut sauce.

WALNUT and HONEY PESTO
adapted from Epicurious

2 cups walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp fresh thyme
salt and pepper  

In a food processor, combine all ingredients and whir until a thick pesto forms.  Season with salt and pepper.  

Roll out your pizza dough, slather with walnut pesto, top with sliced pears and crumbled blue cheese.  Bake until bubbly and crust is fully cooked and starting to brown.  Lightly dress arugula with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a hit of lemon juice.  Top pizza with the greens, pour yourself another glass of wine and eat eat eat!

The walnut sauce is the genius behind this snappy pizza, but it could be used in a variety of dishes, both sweet and savory.  Drizzle it over vanilla ice cream!  Or spread it on sour dough with goat cheese and fresh figs.  Eat it with a spoon or as a dip with salty pretzels.  The key is a gorgeous balance of sweet and savory, nutty and herbal, earthy and floral.  It is so so so good.

As requested, next up will be my top ten recipes from 2012.  For my mother, of course.