Scheduling foot surgery for December 3rd was not the brightest thing I have ever done. From the surgeon’s description of the operation, it seemed like a simple enough procedure so I assumed I would be up and running before our daughter’s visit for Christmas and our trip to Florida for a New Year’s celebration with friends. I admit that I freaked out a bit when the doctor began describing how he was going to insert a pin lengthwise into my toe; that’s when I cut him off. Hind sight is wonderful and now I realize that telling my surgeon not to give me details, just do what he had to do, was probably not the best idea. I clearly did not ask enough questions and my surgeon, who took me at my word, did not volunteer additional information, especially about the recovery period. Painfully slow, is the best way I can describe that process.
So what does this fiasco have to do with Mediterranean pizza, you ask? It was the morning of my surgery, I was at the surgery center, prepped and waiting for my doctor’s pre-op visit. As the minutes dragged on, I became more nervous and began to wish I hadn’t scheduled this surgery. Before long, he approached the cubicle in which I was waiting. I was hooked up to an IV and having a mini nervous breakdown by that time. He looked over my chart, examined my foot, reassured me and was about to return to the operating room to ready himself for my surgery when he caught a glimpse of the book I was reading. Welcoming any distraction, I told him it was research for a pizza cookbook I was writing. Within seconds, he was at the side of my bed; elbows perched on the bed rail, talking about what he would consider to be the perfect pizza, weaving in details of his heritage and describing some of the amazing Mediterranean dishes his mother prepared. On the spot, he conjured up a pizza containing fresh figs, chicken, olive oil, almonds and lemon; no doubt a combination of foods he had enjoyed before. I imagined the sweetness of figs complimenting the seasoned chicken coupled with the added complexity from the crunchiness of the almonds all being brought together with a drizzle of fruity olive oil and a splash of fresh lemon juice. Needless to say, I was duly impressed with his ability to instantly and effortlessly create a pizza, a simple diversion from a surgeon’s hectic and demanding schedule. Thus was born the Surgeon’s Diversion Pizza. The testing of this pizza will take place as soon as I can get my hands on some fresh figs, which will be late summer or early fall. I am confident it will be good and promise to share the recipe after testing is completed.
