The only place in town that I enjoy eating at has but one thing on the menu, besides a salad, that I am willing to eat-- pizza. However, when it is hot out and I don't feel like turning on the oven, that pizza is irresistible.

I thought at first it was the artichokes and the sundried tomato pesto that was reeling me in. However, I can honestly admit now that my favorite part was dipping the crust in the "dipping sauce" that they gave us at the start of the meal. I tried to make it at home, but oil and vinegar alone didn't cut it. A quick google search turned up a few ideas, and this recipe was born. Now that it is cold and I look forward to using the oven, I will have lots of chances to adorn my homemade pizza with my homemade dipping sauce. Yum!

Ingredients

extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
crushed red pepper
dried basil*
2 cloves garlic, crushed
water

Directions
Pour balsamic vinegar into a cruet or some other kind of container with a pourable spout. Add a little water to it (I'm not sure why, I think it is an Italian thing). Now pour in enough olive oil so that when it floats on top there is about a centimeter of space between the upper boundary of the olive oil and the upper boundary of the vinegar. Add a few sprinkles of the crushed red pepper, and a bit of dried basil to taste. Add the garlic and mix well.

Swirl the mixture to combine it, and quickly pour some onto a saucer or a small bowl with a flat bottom. Dip your pizza crust into it, and enjoy my favorite part of the pizza.

Pictures of my cruet, which I got at a garage sale for fifty cents, soon to come. It isn't necessary, but it makes me feel fancy.

*Basil is a good italian herb which I adore, but other spices would probably be lovely as well. The next time I make this I'll try a different spice combo and report how it turns out