Fresh Approach Cooking

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Here we go again my food frenzied friends...(try saying that a few times fast!)

I do hope you will indulge me as I delve into yet another in a long list of tasty cocktail snack recipes. A catagory of foodstuffs near and dear to my little ol' heart.

Hand held foods are the very bestest!

And these?

Figs stuffed with goat cheese. Wrapped in pancetta then broiled to perfection.

Mmm.

And what about the recipe? Is it complicated? WIll it take time? Do you need to plan in advance?

Nope.

All that happens is that you have to take a few ingredients that you love, combine and cook. A few minutes later, they emerge hot from the oven. Then you can go on and pop one into your mouth, chew and smile.

That is all there is to it.

Pow!

A snap to make and a bold, delicious combo of yum.

Go ahead. Sit back for a moment and imagine yourself eating this. Crispy, salty pancetta, sweet smooth and crunchy figs, warm, tangy goat cheese with a hint of cardamom.

I suggest you pair this with a good, strong bev and make a night of it.

Cheers.

3/4 cup goat cheese
Black pepper to taste
A hearty pinch of ground cardamom
1 cup dried mission figs, sliced in half
20 slices pancetta, very thinly sliced
½ cup dry Marsala wine
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
1 Tbsp butter

In a small bowl, stir the black pepper and cardamom into the goat cheese. Taste and adjust as needed. Set aside.
In a large saute pan, melt the butter and brown sugar and cook about 4 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the Marsala.

Return to the stove and add the figs. Cook, stirring until they are completely coated .

Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.

When they are cool, take about a tablespoon of the cheese and make it into a small ball and place on the cut side of the fig and press down to form a mound.

Wrap each fig in pancetta to completely cover the goat cheese.

Place on a lined baking sheet and broil until the pancetta is completely cooked and crispy, turning once to get all the sides cooked. Remove and serve warm on a platter.

_______________________________

On this day in 1930, Twinkies went on sale for the first time

Louis Flores Ruiz, who founded Ruiz Foods in 1964 - the largest manufacturer of frozen Mexican food in the U.S., has died. He was 88. The privately held corporation is the largest Latino-owned manufacturing firm in California and had $326 million in revenue in 2005. The Ruiz company has been recognized as a pioneer in the automation of tortilla-making.

Pancetta: Cured pork belly that is rolled and tied. Unlike American bacon, it is not smoked.

Labels: Appetizer, Tapas