Pizza Margherita and Glugg

Pizza Margherita

Once again we ate weird at the New Year's Eve party at O & A's house--eating through Europe. We were assigned food from Italy and/or Cyprus. I read about Cypriot food and it found it very enlightening, but nothing sounded like anything I would relish for my last meal of the year. I have nothing against hummus and domaldes and lamb and mint and cheese flavored with *thyme (moldy cheese for sure), but I was glad to choose an Italian-inspired, more American food--pizza. So we (the husband helped by neatly slicing the fresh, skinned, vine-ripened tomatoes and placing them strategically) made a Margherita pizza--named in honor of Queen Margherita who, according to the historical accounts, first enjoyed this 3-color pizza in Naples over a hundred years ago. Red, green and white represent the Italian flag. And how can you go wrong with these basics: bread, tomato, fresh mozzarella, parmesan, olive oil, sea salt, pepper, garlic and basil!

I will make this again. I purchased a prepared thin crust, but maybe one day I will be inspired to make fresh dough.

The Glugg recipe was from a Norwegian cookbook. Stubbornly resistant to all the foreign beverages available, I gravitated more toward the Coke Zero which we brought. I did sample the old world buffet and particularly appreciated the freshly deep-fried traditional Dutch oliebolen. I think the holiday season is complete with all the tastes that I remember and a few new ones that came my way, including that special Mayan brew. And I once again purchased and ate a whole banket!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The Glugg

*There are reportedly villages in Cyprus renowned for the distinctive flavor of a halloumi cheese which is made from the milk of sheep and goats which are fed thyme. This delicacy can probably be found only in Cyprus, although imported halloumi cheese is apparently available in some markets. I am going to look for it in the US and put that Cypriot thyme stuff on my bucket list, even if it tastes awful!