Several years ago Wendy and I visited Diane in Charlotte for our annual girl’s weekend get-together.

We arrived Friday at noon. Me from Orlando, Wendy from Pittsburgh. We shopped, then shared a bottle of wine and much-needed catch-up over lunch.

Since it was Diane’s weekend to host, we didn’t ask questions about what we would do. We booked our flights and showed up for whatever she planned.

Diane didn’t make plans to go out on Friday evening. She and her husband had a Friday night ritual-pizza and cocktails at home. And she wanted to keep that ritual while we were there.

This concept-this ritual-stay home on Friday night? was beyond my immature, single, thirty-something mind. For pizza? 

***

Now that I’m married, I can totally relate to stay-home-on-Friday-for-pizza with my husband. There is comfort in ritual, sameness, marriage, pizza. 

Count me in. Every time.

Diane knew a few things about marriage. And while it took me much longer and many years later to be a Mrs. and figure out the value of rituals, I finally got it.

I’m dedicating my Gulf Shrimp and Heirloom Tomato Pizza to my girlfriends, Diane and Wendy, comfort in ritual, stay-at-home-on-Friday-nights with pizza, and that weekend in Charlotte, all those years ago.
                                        

Gulf Shrimp and Heirloom Tomato Pizza

• Preheat a pizza stone for thirty minutes in a 500 degree oven.
• While the oven is heating, peel and de-vien the shrimp. Rinse with cold water and pat dry. Cover and refrigerate.
• Spread olive oil on a rolled out pizza dough (or use store-bought). Plop a generous amount of fresh pesto in the center and cover the pizza dough to the edges.
• Arrange sliced tomatoes around the pie. Add whatever else you want, but not too much, you want to luxuriate in the simpleness of pairing fresh summer tomatoes with briny, crunchy shrimp. (I added a little sliced banana pepper.) Season pizza with kosher salt and black pepper.
• Bake for five minutes.
• Remove the shrimp from the fridge and add to the pizza. Bake an additional three to four minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp, and how well done you like your pizza. The shrimp should turn pink on the back side (like the shrimp in the center of my pizza) and bright white on the inside.

Cocktails optional. Friends mandatory.