Figs are absolutely wonderful.

I was raised on  Fig Newtons and they were what I thought figs were…and in 1965 that was good enough. I could eat them by the case and never tire of the magic sweetness, and complex heady flavor of the fig.

It took me until I was in my 20s to actually try a real, dried fig…. and it was years after that before I tried a fresh one.

Dang. There was no turning back. Thing is that figs have a flavor that reminds me of dark chocolate, velvet, and long summer nights… it is just so deep and unending. Hard to explain. How do you explain the flavor of a fig?

Thing is that figs are more versatile than most people give them credit for. Yep. There IS life after Fig Newtons. You have to be careful that the flavors you put with the figs complement them and are not overwhelmed. That is the key..and it isn’t easy to do.

The Balsamic in these figs adds sweet tang and depth that balances the sweetness of the figs. The pepper adds another layer of flavor that leaves your tongue dancing. Once you put the fig mixture on a bed of cream cheese, and top with a little more cheese…well dang.

So you have these heavenly flavors but no texture contrasts. Think about this..all of that figgy goodness on a crunchy croustade. Now your talkin’. How easy is this appetizer? Very easy… and you can easily make this ahead and just spread it on the croustades a before serving time.

Elegant, easy, delicious. This is a recipe that you will use in so many ways it isn’t funny. Have fun with it…and try not to eat all the fig spread before you have the croustades made.

Balsamic and Black Pepper Figs

• 1 lb dried figs, chopped
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 TBS. brown sugar
• 2 tsp cracked black pepper, or more to taste

1. Place figs in a pan with the balsamic, sugar, water, and black pepper.
2. Simmer until figs are soft and liquid is absorbed.
3. Taste and check for flavor.
4. Cool

Serious? Is that it? It sure is. Just spread baguette toasts with cream cheese, then a dollop of fig, and sprinkle with feta. It is absolutely amazing. Sweet and sour and tangy and  peppery; rich and creamy, and crunchy.

Great for those holiday appetizer buffets you will be attending before you know it. Great for parties. Great for snacks… Just do it.

images: Marye Audet

A few weeks ago Philadelphia Cream Cheese asked me if I would be willing to try a recipe out of one of their cookbooks and let them know what I thought.  They offered to send me the coupons for the cream cheese I would need.

I have never been one to turn down cream cheese. Free cream cheese.

So I got the book and the coupons and set out to fix something in it. There were a lot of cheesecakes but I am pretty partial to my recipe so I went on to the appetizer section. The book is called A Taste of Heaven, by the way. I love Layered Mexican Dip and decided that it would be a perfect choice for a quick lunch with homemade tortilla chips. I got out the ingredients.

I doubled the recipe because I needed to. As you can see, it is pretty straight forward and simple. I decided that homemade tortilla chips would be the perfect addition to make this a quick meal for the kids. After all, who doesn’t like chips and dips? The Kraft recipe called for low fat items, and I am putting those in parenthesis in the recipe. I chose regular items because we do not have weight problems and I personally find low fat things icky. Feel free to make it either way. This is great for your Superbowl party of course… you can serve it with vegetables, chips, crackers, and/or toast depending on what type of meal you are serving it as.

Mexican Dip

Ingredients:

• 2 8 oz packaged Philadelphia Cream Cheese (Neufchatel for low fat)
• 1 cup Salsa
• 1 cup shredded colby-jack cheese (Kraft 2% milk shredded reduced fat cheese)
• 4 green onions sliced
• 1/2 cup sour cream, optional (my addition)

Instructions

1. Soften the cream cheese for about 30 minutes.
2. Spread cream cheese on the bottom of a 8×8 inch casserole dish.
3. Top with salsa, cheddar cheese, and the onions in layers.
4. Put a dollop of sour cream on the top.
5. Serve with crackers, toast, chips, or veggies to dip.

This makes an 8×8 inch panful. It serves 6 hungry kids. Probably more if you are serving it as part of an appetizer table. For Superbowl Sunday I would consider doing this with several types of things to dip in it and then a few other sandwiches and appetizers.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on t.v.  Philadelphia Cream Cheese sent me coupons to get the cream cheese at no expense, as well as a cookbook to work out of. I was not compensated for this post, but they are not asking for the cream cheese or book back.  The opinions stated herein are the unadulterated opinions of a twisted mind. The entire post should be read with caution. You have been warned.

images:Marye Audet

Coffee chipotle meat rub? Just say WOW! and get it over with — you know you want to.

Seriously, what is not to like about summer…well besides the 107 degree heat? Cooking out is the best! I must admit that Marc likes the gas grill and I miss the taste of good old fashioned charcoal in my burgers but still, there is just something about eating a hamburger that has been cooked out of doors that is amazing.

My dad used to brush hamburgers with a little honey. I can’t seem to replicate that flavor and he never told me how he did it, what he mixed, how much…sigh. It is a flavor that is lost to me forever, everywhere but my mind.

(more…)

Honeydew is one of my favorite flavors of summer. Salsa is, well it is practically a food group here in Texas. Over the past few years salsa has come into its own, and is being made from nearly everything you can imagine. I was intrigued with the idea of honeydew salsa. I saw the original on Epicurious and knew I was going to make it. Soon.

The salsa is so unique, I think. It is sweet, spicy, warm with cilantro, and cool with the honeydew. Perfect for the Dog Days of August!

The colors were refreshing, too. Green, light green, purple…

This is a cinch to put together, guaranteed to impress everyone and is perfect for dipping homemade tortilla chips into OR Serving over fish, chicken, or shellfish. I think if you were going to do pork you would probably want to replace the honeydew with canteloupe, which is my next experiment.

This is seriously good. Try it. Erin (my oldest daughter) and I had to make it twice. We test tasted the first batch until it was almost gone.

Honeydew Salsa

• 2 cups  diced peeled honeydew
• 3/4 cup  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/8 cup chopped mint leaves
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Grated zest from one lime
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 serrano (hot) or jalapeno (medium) chopped

Combine all ingredients and allow the flavors to blend for 30 minutes.

Makes about 3 cups… depending on how many times you taste it to adjust the seasonings.

images:marye audet