White pizza

I'm on a New Year's health kick, along with every other living member of the Western population over 15. No more snacking, no more convenience foods, no more takeaway, no more laziness. Ever. Well, at least for the immediate future (read: until I give up.) So far, so good. We're ten days in and I've lost a kilo. One measly kilo. How exciting. At this rate, I should reach my ideal goal weight by the year 2045.

Meanwhile, I'm still reading food blogs and wishing of what might have been. For example, had my life turned out differently, I might be at this very moment in New York City, bundled up against the cold and sampling soft, tender slices of piping-hot white pizza, sprinkled with fresh herbs. Pity that never happened. However, I did have a really fantastic white pizza at Arriva, in New Farm. I believe the pizza in question is called the puttanesca (interesting) and it has won them several awards. I also believe this particular pizza comes and goes from the menu, so I couldn't tell you whether or not it is currently available. But I CAN tell you that it is transcendentally fabulous. It has a white garlic base, capers, herbs, olives, possibly some mushrooms... and not much else. Salty, flavoursome goodness. It is twice as good as their San Daniele pizza, which I love to the point of inappropriateness. So the pizza puttanesca- you can imagine.

I also love to make my own pizza at home, but have never mastered the white base. With current dietary restrictions, I don't think I'll be making either pizza OR white base any time soon, but this recipe from the US has me drooling and dreaming of imaginary American travels through pizza country.