Chorizo and Figs

Spanish cuisine and tapas are a continuous source of inspiration for me. There are endless combinations of different kinds of fruit, cheese, fish, meat and nuts that can be married together to make something delicious and unique.

I have been waiting for summer until figs are in season to make tapas from ripe figs, studded with almonds, stuffed with spicy Spanish chorizo and showered with crumbly cheese. The other day I happened to see these beautiful purple figs at the market and though I usually like to stick with seasonal fruits because they always taste the best, I jumped at my chance to make them now.

While in this dish the figs are essentially stuffed with the ingredients, the execution of the recipe makes it seems like the ingredients burst forth from the deep scarlet fissures of the figs, giving up their sweet ghosts to reveal a secret savory center rich in texture and cloaked in contrast. These tapas are a delicious combination of depth of flavor (fruity, nutty, salty and sweet) and ease of consumption. This combination will make an impact on your palate.

Fresh Figs

Ingredients:

• 6 figs
• 1/4 cup almond meal
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 1/2  tbsp ex virg olive oil
• pinch of salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tbsp grated parmesan, though blue cheese or goat cheese would also work
• 1/2 cup finely chopped chorizo

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to about 450F. Cut a cross into the top of each fig almost all the way to the bottom. Arrange the figs on a baking tray and set aside. Combine the remaining ingredients and mix well. Divide the crumble mix into each of the cuts on the figs, packing gently. Bake the figs for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the crumble is lightly golden. Serve with a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

This recipe is an adaptation of one of the wonderful recipes from John on heneedsfood.com

With so many skincare products on the market, it can be tough to nail down the right regimen. Luckily, more companies are offering skin solutions in cost-effective kits that deliver the same refreshing results as their full-sized products – but at a much cheaper price. These carefully curated skin care sets are an easy gift or selfish selection to help you stock up on your favorites.

Here are a few winners:

Soap & Glory ~ Smooth Over Darling: $48.00 (sale)

A fabulous vanity bag filled with a full-size Clean, Girls Body Wash, Scrub ‘Em & Leave ‘Em Body Scrub, The Daily Smooth Butter, and Mist You Madly body spray—plus a super sudsing shower puff. Deploy the contents of this bag on dry skin, flaky legs, and rough elbows and watch them simply smooth over. The all-in-one bath and body set with an addicting scent formulated with blackcurrant, freesia, and musk.

LaLicious ~ Luxe Body Bundle: $50.00

A dynamic duo of nourishing and moisturizing all-natural body products. LaLicious Sugar Soufflé Scrub  and Body Butter is made with Coconut Oil, Almond Oil and Vitamin E Oil. The Body Butter has a Shea Butter base that melts into the skin with no greasy residue. Comes in all kinds of yummy scents from Coconut Cream and Tahitian Flower to Sugar Kiss and Peppermint.

First Aid Beauty ~ Smooth Operator Kit: $45.00

Feel luxuriously lush and supple head to toe with this set of clinically-proven moisturizers from the Ultra Repair collection. A four-piece collection of hydrating favorites for the silkiest, softest skin possible. The Ultra Repair Cream is a super-emollient formula with a spectacular whipped, non-greasy texture that treats severely dry skin, whatever the cause. The Oatmeal Mask is a 10-minute fix that provides deep hydration to calm, nourish, and soothe distressed skin. The Lip Therapy treatment is an intense lip cream with the healing power to repair, nourish, and protect your pout.

skyn Iceland ~ Quench Kit: $45.00

Four products designed to harness the power of cryogenic technology from the Arctic to help moisturize, repair and protect super dry, sensitive skin. Ideal for aging or severely compromised complexions, this set is infused with mineral-rich Icelandic glacial waters, replenishing Arctic berries and soothing hydrators like shea butter, collodial oatmeal and Arctic algae. Together they rejuvenate exhausted and depleted skin, bringing back the glow you left behind.

Boscia ~ Little Black Book: $48.00

A set featuring the very best of Boscia’s black collection that work together to mattify shine and minimize pores. This collection of products work together to mattify shine and minimize pores. The cooling Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel moisturizer provides ultra-light hydration as it brightens skin clarity, minimizes pores, and refines skin texture. The innovative, Luminizing Black Mask boosts skin clarity and radiance by removing dirt and impurities, while the multi-tasking No Pores No Shine T-Zone Treatment instantly reduces the appearance of pores and blackheads. The Detoxifying Black Cleanser is a warming gel cleanser deeply cleans and detoxifies, dissolving pore-clogging impurities, makeup, and oil, leaving skin refreshed and revitalized.

Laura Mercier ~ Body & Bath Trio - Fresh Fig: $65.00

Laura Mercier Fresh Fig Body & Bath Trio features a full-size Crème Body Wash and 6 oz. glass jars of Body Scrub and Soufflé Body Crème in the sweet, fresh, intoxicating scent of fresh Celeste Figs blended with dewy fruit bouquets of Apricot Nectar and sensuous Ylang Ylang. Blended with the finest ingredients, each delectable item contains active ingredients that instantly nourishes the skin. This Holiday Trio comes in three of Laura Mercier’s luxurious scents: Fresh Fig, Almond Coconut Milk and Crème Brûlée. Or stop by your local Laura Mercier counter and mix and match your favorites for a truly personalized gift!

Hostess (with the mostest) Gifts!

Natura Bisse’ Spa Silk Hand Cream:  This hand cream will revive the driest of hands and last through three hand washes.  With all the dicing of onions, wrapping of gifts,  a set of hands will love this special treatment!

Fresh hand soaps:  Your hostess can happily toss her Dial hand soap out when she receives these lovely hand soaps  that will add the finishing touch to any guest bathroom!

Spa and makeup services from our makeup team:  Why not give the hostess a gift card for some wonderful pampering.  She’ll look oh-so-pretty and relaxed after receiving her facial (in our private spa room) and  expert makeup application while she sips her spa water in our lovely cosmetic area!

Stocking Stuffers!

Fresh Sugar Lip:  In each and every stocking (the male gender included), you must add a little sugar, Fresh Sugar Lip that is!  Forget about the Chapstick!

Laura Mercier candles:  Only available during the holiday season, Laura has three delicious scents to bring cheer to all – Warm Roasted Chestnut, Fresh Fig, Creme Brulee. Mmmmmm….they smell so good!

Butter London lip and nail lacquer duos:  For the little trendinistas, we have the perfect sparkly red and mysterious onyx colors that will be sure to please and very eye-catching!

BFF Gifts!

Trish McEvoy Power of Skincare Collection:  Create and maintain beautiful bare skin with Trish’s result-oriented Power of Skincare Collection for effortlessly effective AM and PM skin care routines at home and on the go.  Give this gift and you truly will be BFFs forever!

Laura Mercier beauty-palette-to-go in cool neutrals:  This luxurious palette is truly an entire face in an easy compact and will take your BFF from day- to-night.  The colors are incredibly universal so you can buy this for all your BFFs and it will bring out the individual beauty in each of them!

Trish McEvoy brush set:  Trish packages her brushes in a glamorous quilted hot pink leather case that is the perfect girly gift with the most fabulous makeup brushes known to mankind (yes, MANKIND)!

neuLash:  What BFF doesn’t want her eyelashes long and luxurious….naturally?!?  This tube of miracle grow for your eyelashes or brows will have your BFF jumping for joy!

Merry, Happy to Me Gifts!

Clarisonic Opal:  Are you  sick of your mother in-law complaining of her saggy, baggy lined eyes (hmmm, and maybe you have your own inner conflict on this, too)?  Get your hands on a Clarisonic Opal.  In 30 seconds, two times a day, you will take your eyes from gloom to vavoom in delivery results that are proven to refresh and rehab the eyes.  Yea us!  So, it’s one Opal for you, one Opal for Mom…favorite daughter in-law status to follow!

Natura Bisse’ Diamond Extreme Eye & Stimuleye Gel:  Extreme at night, Stimuleye in the morning.  Poof away the puff!  Instant recovery from holiday cocktail party overload or Grandma’s gravy!

Significant Other Gifts!

Trish McEvoy Sexy 9 & No. 9 fragrance:  Trish has come out with a special pocketable size that your sweety will love and she can “pocket” it in her purse to carry with her everywhere she goes!

Clarisonic Pro:  This dreamy handheld wonder will make the dullest and driest skin radiant and glowing after just one use, one beeping minute a day.  We are bleeping nuts about this one….give it to everyone you know (men, too) and reap the resulting praise “as the best gift ever” from your recipients!

Natura Bisse’ Diamond Life Infusion:  For the ultimate gift of luxury, treat your significant other to the Diamond Life Infusion.  This serum with patented technology will deliver the results of taking 3.9 years of age off the face.   After hearing this, my one question to Rachel is:  Can I bathe in this….does it take 3.9 years off other areas too???  Ok, one more question:  If I take two baths, does it double the results??!!

Bond No. 9:  Fragrances for both men and women with names derived from NYC, such as:  Wall Street, Astor Place, Madison Square & Nuits De Noho.  Put the Big Apple under your tree this season!

Fresh shaving cream and after shave skin soothing lotion:  Yes, we have the guys covered too!  And, they will love you giving them these wonderful pampering gifts….smooth move!

Let’s wrap this up!  We have wonderful gift ideas in store for you this holiday season and we are looking forward to assisting with finding the perfect gift for those special people in your life…and maybe something special for you too!

The other day, in an effort to use the fresh figs in some way that didn’t involve something too sweet or a baked good, I created a more savory fig concoction.  My taste buds approved this delightful combination.  May I present, the Grilled Cheeses and Fig sandwich…………………………….

 Spread coconut oil** on sourdough bread slices first, then place oiled side down in a cold non-stick pan.  Cover the bread with Havarti cheese slices and top with sliced fresh figs.

Next I topped the figs with some soft goat cheese, nice and tangy!

The figs were not super flavorful nor sweet so I decided to drizzle honey over the goat cheese.  A very wise choice.

I added more Havarti cheese to help hold the sandwich all together, once all of the cheeses start to melt.  Cheese makes a very good sandwich “glue”.

And we pop the other coconut oiled bread slice on top and turn the heat to a very low setting and cover the pan with a lid.  I keep the heat low so the cheese melts as the bread slowly toasts without burning. The lid helps to heat the pan , sort of like a mini oven.

Using a wide spatula, gently turn your beautifully toasted sandwich over and continue to grill until the other side is equally toasted and golden.

 Some of the honey will spill out and that is a good thing.  The edges of the sandwich will get caramelized – OMG, right?

And here is the beautiful end result.  The sourdough bread was a perfect choice for this tasty treat.  It’s chewy texture and slight tang married perfectly with the zing of the goat cheese and the sweetness of the honey drizzled fig.  The heating of the fig brought out more flavor.  Havarti cheese is very mild and agreeable, creating no sharp contrast with the goat cheese, just lovely meltiness and ooziness.

One last parting shot because I really liked the shininess of caramelized bread edges and the melted cheese with that pretty fig poking out.

Get creative with your grilled sandwiches.  Try different bread, cheese and fruit/veggie combinations.   Have fun with your food.  Your taste buds will thank you.

**NOTE:  Coconut oil is usually rock hard.  For this sandwich I gently heated the oil (DO NOT MICROWAVE) in a metal measuring cup over the lowest setting on my cook top and then used a pastry brush to apply the oil to the bread.

FRESH FIG AND CARAMEL SAUCE FOR ICE CREAM

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

6 to 8 ripe figs, any variety, stems trimmed, halved lengthwise

¼ cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a 9 or 10 inch skillet until foamy.

Add the figs, cut side down, and

sprinkle evenly with the sugar. Cook, without stirring, over medium heat until the sugar caramelizes and the figs are browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes.

 Carefully turn the figs over and cook 2 minutes more.

Remove the figs to a serving bowl.

Add the cream to the skillet and boil,

stirring, until it has reduced slightly and the sugar has melted into the cream to make a caramel-colored sauce.  Let stand off heat for a few minutes.

Then stir in the vanilla and add to the figs.  Serve warm over ice cream.

My original intention was to serve this sauce over some ice cream, as the recipe indicates.  Since I had fresh baked coffee cake in the house, I went with a more decadent choice.  Coffee cake ala mode, the mode being Häagen-Dazs Caramel Cone ice cream, and this luscious fig caramel sauce.  It was surprisingly light.

I may have another fig recipe in the works, so check back with me, or better yet, just subscribe to this blog and you will receive an email the next time I share.  Have a figtastic day!

Serves: 3

About 2 weeks ago Tosca Reno, (also know as the “Eat Clean” lady for those who don’t know who she is, but it’s crazy to think someone doesn’t know who she is!) sent out a picture on twitter and asked if anyone could guess what fruit she was holding. As soon as I saw the picture I knew immediately that it was a fresh fig! At that very moment it dawn on me that it was fig season and I had yet to buy any! I had never tried a fresh fig until about 2 years ago (yes, I only knew figs in the ‘newton’ form) and I fell in love with their flavor immediately, so when I saw Tosca’s picture I made sure to head to Trader Joe’s the next day to pick up some figs! Since then I have read, in two different magazines, about in season fruit, including none other than FIGS!! So, I knew it was time to post this recipe!

If you have never tried a fresh fig before (and are the victim of only the newton form) Ihighlysuggest you try this recipe, along with a plain fresh fig! They are packed with vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, B1, B2, calcium, iron and more! Plus they have an amazing amount of fiber! So, what are you waiting for??

Check out those chia seeds!!

Fit Ingredients

Crust:

• 1/4c (28g) almond flour
• 1/4c (21g) SunWarrior Vanilla Protein powder (or protein powder of choice)
• 3tbs (46g) liquid egg whites
• 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp stevia
• water, if needed

Filling:

• 150g fig meat (I used only the center of the fig, not the skins) This was about 1lb of figs
• 1tbs (12g) chia seeds
• 1 tbs stevia
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

**************************************************************************************************

• large size muffin/cupcake tins or 3 small tart pans
• non stick spray

**************************************************************************************************

Directions

Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 muffin cups or your tart pans with non stick spray. In a bowl combine your crust ingredients. Press 1/3 of the crust into the bottom of each muffin cup or tart pan. (If the dough is too dry add a bit of water or some more egg whites. Also, if it is sticking to your fingers, run your fingers under cold water and press). Bake the crust for 6 minutes. While the crust is baking, mash your fig meat, stevia, nutmeg and vanilla extract in a bowl. Feel free to leave some chunks of fig if you’d like! Mix your chia seeds into your figs. When your crust is done baking, remove them from the oven and divide the fig ‘jam’ evenly between the 3 crusts. Place the tins back in the oven and back for another 24-28 minutes or until the tops are golden around the edges and slightly firm. Remove your tartletts from the oven and allow to cool. Be careful when removing them from the tin as the tops are still slightly soft. (If you’d like the tops to be more firm, feel free to add some arrowroot or a bit of protein powder to your fig mixture before baking).

Enjoy one of these topped with a little greek yogurt for a healthy, sweet dessert or have it plain as a pre workout snack, like I did!! Paired with a protein shake, this little treat gave me a great burst of energy and kept me satisfied long passed my workout time!!

Delicious!!

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Nutrition (for 1 out of 3 )

Calories: 150.1, Protein: 10.4, Carbs: 15.7g, Fat: 6.3g (0g Saturated), Sodium: 121mg, Fiber: 5g (Net Carbs: 10.7g)

**************************************************************************************************************************************

I curated this list along with my mother. We picked our favorite’s that we think won’t fail to impress. I hope I can offer you some idea’s when shopping for your mothers this year.

1. Laura Mercier ‘Le Petit Patisserie Fresh Fig’ Fragrance Trio - $45 – The most popular of the fragrances. The body butter and shower gel are loaded with fragrance while the body butter is super hydrating. Also a great deal. – image via Nordstrom.com 
2. Voluspa Macaron 2-wick Candle – $15 – These luxury candles will fill your entire space with a yummy macaron scent. Excellent candles with a large selection of scents at a good value.  - image via Nordstom.com
3. Tory Burch nylon Robinson Small Cosmetic Case – $79 – A designer cosmetic case from Tory Burch in this season’s hottest hue. - image via ToryBurch.com
4. Clarisonic Mia Skin Cleansing System in New Spring Shades –  color Mandarin Tango - $119 - No woman should be without the most important part of her skincare routine. She will be forever grateful! - image via Sephora.com
5. Origins Ginger Body Scrub – $33 – Pamper her with a wonderful body scrub that smells incredible and will keep her moisturized long after she has buffed and scrubbed. image via Origins.com
6. L’Occitane ‘Hand Cream Getaway’ Set – $28 - Three great healing hand creams. One for bedside, one for next to the sink and one for her purse. – images via Nordstrom.com

I got some emails from readers saying I should inspire their Christmas diner… so I selected 7 dishes (first and main course) with a French, Swiss and Italian touch, that are both easy to make and festive:

 ☆ Easy First Courses ☆

Fresh Fig, Prosciutto, and Arugula Salad with Parmesan Shavings

You will need:

For the vinaigrette: 2 tbs balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, olive oil and freshly ground pepper / 1 bag of ready to serve arugula salad (any other salad will work too), 6 green or purple figs, 6 to 8 slices of San Daniele ham, a piece of Parmesan cheese.

In a small bowl whisk all ingredients together until emulsified. Cut the figs into 4 wedges (per fig), trim some of the prosciutto fat if desired and halve each slice in two (lengthwise).

Mix the salad and the vinaigrette in a bowl, transfer to plate, add figs and ham. Cut some Parmesan slices with a mandolin on top. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette. (Recipe from Epicurious)

Marinated salmon salad with passion fruit dressing

You will need:

For the vinaigrette: 4 passion fruits, 1 lime, 2 tbs soy sauce, 1 pinch of sugar, olive oil, freshly ground pepper / 1 fresh salmon fillet (without skin), 1kg of coarse sea salt, 1 ready to serve salad mix (2-3 different types), dill.

Use a big oven dish to marinate the fish. Place half of the salt with half of the dill in the dish, place the salmon fillet on top and cover with the remaining salt and dill. Cover with aluminum foil and let it marinate in a cold place for at least 12h.

Remove from pan, remove the salt from the fillet and cut it into thin slices. Put the salads in a bowl. Press the lime, cut the passion fruits, remove the seeds and pass it through a sieve to get the juice. Combine both juices in a bowl, add the pepper, soy sauce, olive oil and sugar, whisk until emulsified. Pour 2/3 on the salads and mix well. Place salad and the salmon slices on plates and sprinkle with the rest of the sauce. (Recipe from Elle à table)

☆ Chic Main Courses ☆

Fillet Mignon with morels

 You will need (for 4 persons):

1 fillet mignon, 200 gr. dried morels, 2 dl crème fraiche, 1dl veal stock, mustard, salt and pepper.

24h before diner: Rehydrate the morels in water and clean them (they are always sandy). Put them into the cream and let them in the fridge all night.

Next day: Cover the fillets in mustard and set aside for an hour. Grill the fillets and set aside in the oven. Use the same pan, pour in the veal stock, let reduce for 5 minutes and add the cream and morels, cook for another 3 minutes.

Cover the fillets with the sauce and serve.

Grilled scallops with truffle oil and mashed potatoes

You will need (for 4 persons):

20 fresh scallops (ready to cook), truffle oil For the mashed potatoes: salt and black pepper, 1kg potatoes, 3 dl milk, 2.5 dl olive oil, salt and white pepper.

Cook the scallops 1 1/2 minute on each side in olive oil, add salt and pepper, remove from pan and sprinkle with extra virgin truffle oil.

Clean and peel the potatoes, cook them in salted, boiling water until tender (use a knife to see if they are cooked or not). Remove water and mashed them with a fork (I prefer it so there’s still some bigger chunks of potatoes in the mash). Put back on the fire and add the olive oil, mix and then the milk.

Place on the plate with a scallop on top (see picture).

☆ Delicious Side Dishes☆

Gratin Dauphinois

You will need:

1 kg potatoes, 2 garlic cloves, 6 dl cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg.

Clean and peel the potatoes, slice them using a mandolin.

Rub the garlic clove in an oven proof dish, pour a thin layer of cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg then place one layer of potatoes on top, continue with cream salt, pepper, nutmeg, potatoes, etc. until you are done.

Place in the oven for one hour (180c, thermostat 6. If the top starts to be too grilled, cover with aluminum foil.

Roasted winter veggies

You will need:

extra-virgin olive oil,  1 medium pumpkin cut into wedges, 500 gr turnips, peeled and cut into pieces, 500 gr parsnips, peeled and halved lengthwise (quartered if large), 200 gr shallots, halved, 1 head garlic, cloves broken apart and left unpeeled, coarse salt, ground pepper and thyme sprigs.

Preheat the oven to 220c.

Place a baking sheet on a baking tray. Place all the veggies in a big bowl, sprinkle with olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Mix well (I like using my hands to do this!).

Place the vegetables on the baking sheet and roast for 30-35 minutes, turning the veggies from time to time. (Recipe from Martha Stewart)

☆ Desserts and day after brunch in the next post!!! ☆

Laura Mercier, Fresh Fig Trio, $60, http://www.lauramercier.com

Fresh fig is one of the most exotic luxurious scents on the planet and Laura Mercier has found a beautiful way to create an exquisite bath and body collection featuring this amazing scent. The bath and body collection includes a super-whipped Souffle Body Crème, exfoliating Scrub, and soothing Honey Bath. This is the perfect gift for the holidays for friends, family or even just for yourself. We love the idea of pampering ourselves with the best bath and body products available and this amazing collection is on the top of our list for some serious at DIY TLC.

This morning, I used the Laura Mercier Crème de Pistache Soufflé Body Crème and Scrub when I took my morning shower. It’s very rich and the sweet smell of pistachio lingers all day, which is one of the reasons that I love these products. As you can tell by the pictures below, I’m an avid user, so as soon as I run out, I’m trying the Fresh Fig. If you have tried it, I would love to hear what you think!

Laura Mercier Crème de Pistache

Laura Mercier Crème de Pistache

I met up with my mom as she was finishing up at her office:

Me:  “I’m really hungry.  Really hungry.  What do you want to do for dinner?”

Mom:  “Well, I never ate the salad I ordered for lunch, and it’s a big salad, so we could split that.  Or, why don’t we go out to eat?  There’s two restaurants I wanted you to try while you were in town.  One of them is pricey, so you may not want to go there with your friends, so why don’t I take you?”

I don’t think I’ve ever turned down a fine dining opportunity where I wouldn’t be responsible for the bill, and I wasn’t going to start now!

The restaurant my mom had in mind was Assaggi Bistro, a restaurant in Ferndale, a little suburb about 20 minutes away.  She had recently been there with a group of her friends, and everyone loved the food and had a great time.  The restaurant has a totally unassuming facade – you would never guess by driving by that this place was recently named one of the best restaurants in metro Detroit by The Detroit News:

Assaggi has a spacious patio out back, surrounded by lots of greenery, and we got a table back there.  My chair ended up being close to a speaker, and I noticed right off the bat the eclectic selection of music that totally had me laughing – a bizarre mix of standards like “That’s Amore” alongside cheesy wedding-band instrumental jazz versions of recent hits, like Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It).”

Assaggi’s menu combines elements from countries all around the Mediterranean.  They have pizzas from a wood-fired oven, a meze plate with hummus, tabouleh, and other Middle-Eastern items, and dishes with French, Spanish, and even African influences.

I was less concerned with watching what I ate that I normally am, on account of the lack of calories I’d eaten so far that day, although I did choose to avoid anything deep-fried or swimming in oil.  For an appetizer, my mom and I split one of their specials, California golden figs wrapped in prosciutto, stuffed with Robiola cheese (a creamy soft Italian cheese), and served with a balsamic reduction.  It was the first fresh fig I’ve eaten since I bought some a few months ago, and, like me, they had come all the way from California!

The fig had so many great textures and flavors – salty, sweet, rich, crispy, creamy – a great way to start a meal.  And how awesome is that photograph?  I normally don’t boast about my camera work – in fact, I’ve apologized for it on more than one occasion – but these pictures came out fantastically!  Probably because of all the natural light.

For my entree, I ordered their Moroccan duck legs, which came with dried fruit and pistachio couscous, spinach, and a pomegranate barbeque sauce:

I don’t eat duck very often – maybe once or twice a year, and always at restaurants.  And it was goooood.  The meat fell off the bones and melted on my tongue, and the pomegranates, pistachios and dried fruit perked up every bite.

My mom ordered the rainbow trout, which came with squash and heirloom baby tomatoes, a creamy dill sauce, and the same couscous I had (minus the fruit and pistachios):

I tried a piece of the fish, and it was smooth and well-cooked, but I liked my dish better.

Oh, and our meal started off with a bread basket that I didn’t photograph – we each had a piece of what seemed like a fresh-baked, warm (steamy, in fact) pita.

The dessert menu looked appetizing – who doesn’t like chocolate lava cake or creme brulee? – but we decided to pass and call it a night.  It was a delicious meal!

A quick update on my lower back before I call it a night:  Today I didn’t experience any discomfort or pain at all.  I’m so glad I’m healing so quickly after my move-induced injury!  Today was another rest day, exercise-wise, but tomorrow I’m gonna head to the gym for some light cardio.  I’m not going to push myself – I just wanna see how it feels, and how my body responds.  If there’s any pain or discomfort, I’ll stop.  With 3 of the last 4 days being rest days, I’m getting antsy to move!  I also have a massage scheduled for Thursday – which Richard Simmons recommended I get – and I’m looking forward to that as well.

Keep it up, David!

David, what are figs like? How do you eat them?

Good question, Mary!

Before last summer, I don’t think I’ve ever even seen a fresh fig before, let alone tried one.   I had spent my entire life eating figs in two ways: dried, and as the key ingredient in Newtons.  One of my favorite recipes to serve a large group stars dried figs, which are reconstituted in red wine as part of the Gorgonzola, Fig, and Pecan Cheese Terrine, which I saw on Food Network years ago, back when The Hearty Boys, winners of the first season of The Next Food Network Star, still had their show.  (Incidentally, I haven’t made that recipe since starting this weight loss endeavor, and I don’t want to, unless I can come up with a way of making it healthier – it starts with 1.5 sticks butter and 1 pound cream cheese!)

Here are some of the figs I bought the other day:

It turns out there’s a wonderful reason why I didn’t see any fresh figs growing up in Michigan:  Figs are a spectacularly fussy fruit.  Many fruits are plucked from the tree before they’re ripe, and then they ripen during the shipping process to your local store, or on your counter after you buy them – but you can’t do that with figs.  Figs that are picked before they’re ripe just don’t ripen.  They have to ripen on the tree, or they won’t ripen at all.

Then, you have to contend with the fact that figs are difficult to ship, for two reasons:  They bruise really easily, and they have a very short shelf life – a few days, tops.  So getting fresh figs into markets that are far from where they’re grown (in warm, dry climates like California, the middle east, and northern Africa) is pretty tough.  The figs I bought were local, and I’m sure any other fresh figs I buy this summer will be local, too.  What a great perk of living in California!

Figs have been around forever.  There’s evidence of figs existing as far back as 5,000 B.C., and fig leaves are the undergarments of choice in most versions of the story of Adam and Eve.  Here’s something else I didn’t know about figs:  A fig is actually an inverted flower, with the bloom on the inside, and when a fig is pollinated (sometimes they pollinate themselves, sometimes it involves fig wasps), the fig creates thousands of seeds, which basically become the flesh of the fruit.

Last summer, when I saw fresh figs for the first time at the farmers’ market, I immediately bought some.  I was hooked.  A good fresh fig is like nothing else on the planet – it’s sweet, delicate, and soft – like the texture of a perfectly ripe peach, with the taste that’s slightly like a berry.  When I get fresh figs, I usually just eat them raw.  Sometimes I like to cut them in half:

But most of the time I pick one up, and hold it upside down (so the stem is down):

And I take a bite:

Truth be told, this batch of figs wasn’t great.  They weren’t as sweet as they could be, and the insides could be a deeper shade of purpley-red.  That’s the other thing about figs – I’ve found, in my year of eating the occasional fresh fig (their season is short: mid-summer to early fall), that there’s a high chance of coming across bad figs, and there’s no signs to let you know ahead of time if a fig has gone bad.  I could eat a delicious fig, and then eat a second delicious fig from the same basket, and then the third fig, while looking nearly identical, will not be sweet at all, or, even worse, it’ll be a little bitter.  Oh, and fresh figs are expensive – 50 cents to a dollar per fig, even at farmers’ markets.  It makes me glad that fresh figs are so seasonal – it gives me something to look forward to, and something to enjoy without continually draining my wallet!

Before I wrap up this post, I wanna give a quick shout-out to a fellow blogger, Greta, who writes at Middle Aged Jock.  I’ve been reading Greta’s blog for a while now (she’s in the middle of a fun 10 Lists in 10 Days project), and she recently hosted a fantastic giveaway of swag from the recent FitBloggin’ conference in Baltimore.  Guess who has two thumbs and won?  This guy!  So a big thanks to Greta for shipping me all sorts of goodies (including fitness DVDs, a book, food samples and coupons, a food scale, and more) all the way across the country in a Girl Scout Cookies box (someone likes Tagalongs – just sayin’).

A lot of bloggers have contests – and I’m about to have another one, soon!  So keep reading – more details to come!  As for me, I’m gonna go eat my final two fresh figs.

Keep it up, David!