At a dinner party several years ago, I met a young twenty-something who’d just moved to Southern California from Small Town, America. He was sporting a plaid button up short sleeved shirt and khaki pants, and his shaggy dishwater blonde hair fell comfortably across his face. Six months later, I saw him again, and he was almost unrecognizable. His boy next door looks had been replaced by a sleek new image of tight-fitting jeans and spiky platinum-streaked hair to emphasize his newly acquired tan. He’d gotten a full-on fake ‘n’ bakeover.
This is not unique to Los Angeles, of course. Every city has its own cultural norms. As the song goes, nobody walks in LA. So here women are happy to wear high heels with everything from dresses to jeans to, yes, even sweatpants. Heels are the go-to shoes. In other towns, cowboy boots are the order of the day. In places like Seattle, where the weather can change depending on the block, it’s all about layers.
As we see this in fashion, so do we see it in pizza. While pizza has been around for centuries, in every place that pizza is made the locals take it and make it their own. True pizza purists believe there are only two legitimate kinds—Marinara & Margherita. However, visit any city, and you’ll find they have their own angle on what makes the perfect pizza. In New York, where people are on their feet and walking amongst the city’s bustle, it’s all about the hand-held slice. In some cities it’s about the crust style, like the deep dish Chicago classic, or because of the unique toppings. Out of town visitors have been surprised by SoCal pizzeria menus listing eggplant, hazelnuts, and barbecue or peanut sauces. “This is a pizza place?” they questioned. But in their hometown pizza joints they think it’s only natural to see pies covered in a healthy layer of sauerkraut. In the Midwest, every pizza place, even those that double as a gas station, have taco pizza. Venture past Nebraska, and it’s not nearly as common. (For a peek into my veganized version of my hometown favorite, check this out.)
Today’s pizza from Vegan Table is a nod to Naples and its Pizza Marinara. It is topped with tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil & oregano. However, I did add sautéed Portobello mushrooms, which means it’s not a genuine marinara. The crust was a perfect chewy canvas for this saucy pizza, popping with fresh and vibrant tomatoes & garlic. I served it with a vegetable-filled romaine lettuce salad. This classic is wonderful on its own or with whatever seasonal fruits and vegetables are cropping up in your town.
Tags: colleen patrick-goudreau, pizza, pizza marinara, taco pizza, vegan, vegan cooking, vegan table, vegetarian
