Fig Season

One of the best harvests right now is the fig ones.These plump beauties are versatile,they can be perfect as an appetizer or wonderful as a dessert.It's the time to use them at the height of their short season. Figs come from the Middle East and Western Asia,however it's the Romans who brought fig growing to a high art.Roman writer, Cato the Elder listed several varieties in his De Agri Cultura,one of the world's first cookbooks in part.the fruit is one of the healthiest fruits you can eatThey are rich in potassium,They are also loaded with calcium and magnesium as well and are a good fruit to eat for anyone suffering from high blood pressure.Dieters should make figs part of their daily regime because they can aid in losing weight.It's due to the fiber.Surprisingly enough they're also helpful in decreasing the risk of macular degeneration ,an eye problem, afflicting the elderly..Even the leaves have tremendous benefits.They can reduce triglycerides as well as lowering insulin.There are several different types, usually identified by their colors.there are the Black Missions, which have blackish purple skin and a pink exterior.There are the green Kadota and Calimyrna while the Brown Turkey is adept eggplant purple .The Adriatic , which provides the filling for the ever popular Fig Newtons are light green with a tan interior.right now your stores or farmer's markets are selling the European figs.For dried figs, remember.to look for ones that are mold free and pleasant smelling.They 'll stay good all year round while the just picked ones last only two days in the fridge. Most people think figs are only good for filling bar cookies.However they 're much more than that.David Tanis of The New York Times Dining recommends them in a ricotta and phyllo dough tart.He also adds honey and almonds, a nodd to their exotic past.Of course ripe figs are perfect foils to salty prosciutto as an appetizer or even light meal.You can even pair them with pecorino cheese again in a salty. And sweet combination.Another fun idea is using it and dried salame as topping on foccaccio..You can also wrapped them in cured or dried meats as tasty appetizers for a late summer barbecue.Figs can be added to salads too, to give them a pop of color and earthy sweetness.They can be added to Moroccan tangines or as a glaze for lamb chops or chicken.Try them roasted with the chicken as well.Figs can also add a touch of the exotic to desserts too.Oven roast them and serve with ricotta and vanilla ice-cream.They can top a gâteau di riz or a baked rice pudding.They would be great in a tart tatin or better yet enrobed in dark chocolate.You can also go the traditional route and bake them into bars.Homemade Fig Newtons are relatively easy to make.It requires dried Calmyra figs cooked with water ,sugar and apple juice.The cookie wrap is a buttery one made with eight tablespoons of butter.Assembly is easy,Think jelly roll and then cut into inch or two inch cookies.These are not only a nice snack, they're also a great dessert too. Take advantage of the fig harvest right now.They're healthy and sweet ,along with being versatile.Try them in a salad or exotic dish, or better yet, in homemade cookies.They won't disappoint, not with their flavor and benefits.

Can't Escape Cantaloupe's Goodness

Melons are wonderful, especially cantaloupes. Their sweet taste is almost too heavenly and sinful. Yet they're the perfect snack and breakfast for dieters thanks to each melon having only fifty calories. They're also the perfect cooler for a hot day and treat after a hard day's work. Best of all they 're easy to eat and don't leave half the mess other fruits d0.

Cantaloupes are one of the world's oldest fruits, first being cultivated 2500 years ago in India and Asia. They arrived in ancient Rome around the time of Christ and became a staple of their diet.The fruit were named for the Cantaloupe Gardens, one of the Papal estates around Vatican City. What we have in America is not that, , it's the musk melon. Here in the states they're grown year round on farms in California, Arizona and Texas. When looking for a ripe one , look for one that has a pale cream or yellow color and no stem. If there are stems that means these have been picked prematurely and are unripened.

What I love about cantaloupe is that they're only fifty calories and no fat. They're the perfect light breakfast and great snack for summer. There's nothing like sitting outside on a hot summer night with a plate of chilled cantaloupe slices. The taste is candy sweet but light. The flesh is firm yet yielding. To be honest I've been scattering the seeds in my garden , hoping one or two vines will sprout up. (although this can be dangerous. Like any melon, cantaloupe plants can take over an entire lawn and choke out other plants). I would love to grown my own melons and just the idea of picking fresh cantaloupe is very appealing.

Cantaloupe is one of summer's must have. It's refreshing sweet and light. It's the perfect refreshment after a hot, sticky day.Best of all eat as many as you want and you won;t gain a pound!!!

Torrone, An Italian Christmas Treat

Christmas in any part of Italy is amazing. There are so many lush varieties of holiday foods that it's like a foodie wonderland. Rome has amazing Hanukkah dishes, while Naples serves up its' traditional thirteen fish dinner on Christmas Eve. Everyone has panetone and pan d'oro. Kids have especially good with a big treat - torrone from Befana, Italy's female version of Santa Claus. This is a wonderful chewy nougat that's eaten this time of year.

Torrone has its roots in ancient Rome where it was literally served up as foods to the gods. It was made and still is made with the basic,s honey egg whites and pistachios or hazelnuts. Squares of it were presented in Roman temples to the various deities for their help or as thanks.Torrone didn't get its' name until 1141 when a pastry chef made it in honor of one of the Sforza's (one of Italy's most powerful medieval families ) married. The marriage was held in Cremona, in central Italy where it was known for its' big tower or torrone. The chef made the candy in the shape of it and guests were impressed with this and the treat's smooth, sweet taste. Nowadays Italians put their own spin on it. Torrone is made with Strega in the Abruzzi region while Sicilians flavor it with orange and lemon.

Torrone can be made at home but it is labor intensive. You have to use egg whites and honey - not an easy combination at times and boil to the soft ball stage. It also requires wafers similar to what is given out in Holy Communion. Like all candy its' best to make torrone on a cool dry day. Make it on a warm humid one and you'll have candy that "weeps" . Clear fluid will ooze out of it creating a sticky mess. Sometimes it's best to stick with the store bought ones.

Torrone is a great treat this time of year. It's a reminder of why the Italians do candy right and produce this amazing mixture of just honey and egg whites.

Peppermint Twist

Nothing says Christmas like the bracing, yet sweet taste of peppermints. The air is redolent with them.We long for a taste of candy cane or those striped discs so popular at this time of year. We lace our hot cocoas with shard of the hard candy version. We practically swim in soothing peppermint tea when these days and night get too hectic.



Peppermint is one of the world's most ancient plants and one of the first hybrids. It is a cross between the water mint and spearmint plants. Ancient Greeks Egyptians and, Romans used it for medicine, probably in treating stomach problems. Suck on a few peppermints or the mother of all mints, Altoids, after dinner to calm a full or upset tummy. Peppermint teas is also good for this as well as calming a stressed mind.

The holidays scream for anything peppermint. A fun minty holiday treat is the candy cane cake. Bake a chocolate one in a candy cane shaped pan, Decorate with red and white icing that has crushed mint (you can use canes or the hard round pastilles). It's a fun way of uniting two flavors that belong to each other. Another fun dessert is peppermint ice cream with chocolate syrup drizzled over it. Add chocolate whipped cream and crushed mints for more decadence.

Make your holidays snappier with peppermint. This mint can jazz up any dessert as well as soothe any upset stomach or overworked mind. Keep in on hand during this month.

Olives For The Picking

What would summertime be without the olive? This millenniums old staple is always a welcome guest at picnics and barbecues. It's perfect chopped in salad or just on it's own. Foodies know that there are several different kids of them.It isn't just black and green but many shades in between.

Everyone knows olives are ancient but do they know how ancient? Legend has it that the goddess Athena first brought the fruit to the city named after her, Athens. The real story is that olive trees were first planted in the Mediterranean basin about 6,000 years ago. The plants originally came from Syria, Palestine and Persia (present day Iran). It was reportedly the Minoans source of wealth and what made their empire one of the wealthiest in antiquity. Religions also picked up the olive using it and its' oil in rites and symbolism. There are olive trees in Jerusalem that were first planted when Christ was there. America first saw the plant when Franciscans brought it with them to California. Currently it is still the Mediterranean that produces 93% of olives. In the states it is California that gives North America its' olive crop.

There are many different kinds of lives. Most of us usually just stick with the basic pimento stuffed green ones or the pitted black. These are good but if you want one with really rich and intense flavor then buy the Greek kalamata ones. These have been treated and pickled in a red wine vinegar brine for 12 months as opposed to the regular olives that have been given a lye bath. These are an intense deep purple color . Greece also has given us the Halidiki olive which is a tangy and green. It's the perfect mate for creamy feta . Southern Italy also produces its' large share of olives. The two most notable are the small fruity Bitetto and the larger, more robust Cerignola. You can serve these with a well rounded antipasto of provolone , prosciutto and mortadella along with crusty loaves of Italian bread. For fun snacking try the Gaeta, a purplish brown extra salty olive that is just good eaten by itself. Olives also come from France's lush Provence region where the tender Nicoise olive is grown. This is used in salads and making pissalderie a type of olive pizza.There are also the jet black Nyons and the verdant crunchy Picholines. The last has a wonderfully fruity taste and is perfect served for the holidays. Spain, another huge producer has a wide variety too.Their Arbequinas is of the green variety, small and bitter, while the Manzanilla, a large green kind that are familiar in America. The North Africa country of Morocco also produces olives, Theirs is the Beldo and is a small type of olive used more in cooking and salads and mixes.

A summer party deserves olives. There are so many to choose from , from the tart and winy Kalamatas to the Beldi and Gaeta for outdoor Southern Italian style feasts. Don't just settle on the every day ones. Experience all the different types of this ancient, delicious fruit.