Fig Colla Italiano

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It is a rare thing to see a recipe for something you just plain have never heard of. I mean, isn't that the appeal of restaurants like El Bulli and Moto? That the chefs there are actually creating all new takes on food using science and technology?

Well, I've been to Moto, and while I was impressed and the food really was outstanding, there was hardly anything inspiring there, since the odds of me using food grade ink in my printer to create sheets of edible pages are slim to none. (Though perhaps that is the wave of the future in home kitchens. HP are you listening? This could be a diet revolution! "Print out a slice of calorie free pizza and eat all you want!")

Me, I just want to be enticed to make some delicious food. I want to instantly crave it and be able to make my cravings a reality. Joyfully, that is precisely what happened while I was peeking in the Italian bar-food book Enoteca, by one of the Bay Area's great chefs, Joyce Goldstein. In that tome, she had a picture of what she called Fig Salami and I was entranced. (Not entranced enough to drop $35 on the book mind you, but still.) I was indeed inspired.

So using my noggin' I concocted my own version and thought it might be nice to share. It takes about 15 minutes to pull together, but requires a week or two of drying time, so be forewarned.

The results were supremely unique and deliciously satisfying. After two weeks on my countertop the resulting colla, or "collage" (I opted for that as the most descriptive word, since "log" and "paste" just don't seem so divine) when sliced, was quite dense and while quite dried still slightly sticky, crunchy (from the fig seeds), richly sweet, multi-layered (from the balsamic and port,) nutty and ultimately complex with the lovely punctuation of piney rosemary. It is indeed a lot like a grown-up fig newton without the cake (or gluten, I should add) A perfectly erudite addition to your cheese plate, especially with a creamy fresh goat cheese. Try this, and enjoy.

2 cups dried figs, stems removed, rough chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons ruby port wine
1 tablespoon rosemary, minced
1/2 cup walnuts

Preheat your oven to 350F.

On a baking sheet, spread the walnuts out in a single layer. Toast in the oven until just fragrant, about 7 minutes. Remove from the oven, and take off the baking sheet immediately (if they stay on the sheet, they will continue to brown.)

While the walnuts are toasting, in a medium saucepan, combine the balsamic and port. Reduce, over a medium-low flame until somewhat syrupy, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a mixer (Cuisinart) combine the figs, rosemary, half of the nuts and port-vinegar syrup. Pulse until it is chopped up and comes together into a ball.

Remove from the mixer and form into a thick roll. Loosely wrap in parchment or wax paper and leave on your counter until it is quite dried, about two weeks.

When it is dried, slice and serve. Will keep on the counter for an additional month.

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When Cato advocated the conquest of Carthage, he used as his crowning argument the advantage of acquiring fruits as glorious as the North African figs, specimens of which he pulled from his toga as exhibits in the Roman Senate. -In Mamas Kitchen.com

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