Figgy

Providence, here in Los Angeles, has the biggest and most delicious cheese plate. If you order it at the end of the meal, they wheel out a butcher block full of cheeses and let you pick which you would like. They also have the regular accouterment of toast, nuts, and dried fruit.

The cheese plate led me to one of my favorite dried fruits, the fig. They’re so chewy and sweet like an amazing Gusher. My curiosity perked when the fresh fig showed up at my farmers market a few weeks ago.

I tried a recipe that roasted figs with a dollop of ricotta and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. It wasn’t so good. Then I saw a recipe for a tart but I wanted a bit more then just the figs. The mascarpone cheese filling adds a great balance to the fresh figs.

Fig and Mascarpone Tartlet

1/2 Cup Flour

2 Tablespoons Butter, cold

2-3 Tablespoons Water, ice-cold

Pinch Salt

2 Figs, sliced thin

2 Tablespoons Mascarpone Cheese

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla

2 Teaspoon Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Zest

1 Tablespoon Egg Beaters

1 Tablespoon Water

Preheat oven to 375°

Pour flour in to a bowl and begin cutting the butter in to it. This just means taking a fork and pressing the butter threw it to make little bits of butter. Once the butter is about the size of peas, begin to mix in the ice-cold water one tablespoon at a time until dough forms. Don’t over work the dough because you want the butter to stay slightly whole for a flaky crust. Wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or over night.

In another bowl, mix the mascarpone, vanilla, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and lemon zest. Set aside. Roll out dough on a floured surface until it’s about 6” in diameter and a 1/4” thick. Prick dough on the bottom with a fork to avoid bubbles. Spread mascarpone mixture in the middle of the dough leaving about 1” of dough for folding. Arrange fig slices on top of the mascarpone. Dust top of figs with remaining sugar. Fold dough in around the figs and brush with egg wash (egg beaters mixed with water). Place in over for approximately 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

Pizza! Pizza!

I love pizza from growing up in the northeast. The way you bite into a double cheese pizza like a bite into warm string cheese. Weird analogy but it makes my mouth water.

When I moved to California the approach to pizza was a drastic change. Sure a double cheese is still good out west but cucumbers, feta and Tzatziki sauce? That sounds like a great salad to me, not a pizza. For me the one that shines amongst the eccentric and seen as the glory of California is the BBQ chicken pizza.

It was a pleasant surprise when I tried this unique concoction. The simplicity of the ingredients worked startlingly well. It's delicious though I don’t view it the same as a traditional double cheese. For one serving size the best way to make a pizza is to use pita bread as a crust.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

1/2 Chicken Breast

BBQ Seasoning (optional, personal recipe follows)

1 Whole Wheat Pita

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Onion, diced

2 Tablespoons BBQ Sauce

4 Slices Mozzarella

1/2 Piece of cooked Bacon, diced

Preheat oven to 425°

Season chicken liberally with BBQ seasoning or you can just grill as normally. Slice chicken into thin strips. Brush both sides of pita with olive oil and place on baking tray. This helps the pita crisp in the oven. Spread BBQ sauce over pita then evenly distribute chicken and onion. Place mozzarella equally over pizza to make sure all is covered. Place in oven for approximately 10 minutes until cheese just begins to bubble but not brown. Then sprinkle bacon over for the last 5 to 10 minutes until pizza is bubble and slightly browned.

Alyssa’s Rub ;)

1 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika

2 Tablespoons Cumin

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon Ginger

1 Tablespoon Chili Powder

1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder

1 Tablespoon Dried Thyme

1 Tablespoon Ground Mustard

1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

Mix all ingredients together in mason jar. Can be stored with herbs for up to a year but it might not last that long!