Figgy!

Grilled Fresh Figs

Figs were ripe when we came back from the trip. They are overripe in fact…the weight of the fruits were too great so that the branches broke off. Where have you been? We were ready for you a week ago…

I figured out quickly what I should do with them. I called to my husband; ‘Honey, Turn-up the grill’ ‘ We need to smoke’em! I said figuratively.

Grilled fresh figs for ice cream (adapted from Fine Cooking magazine) (Print Recipe here)

Necessary equipment: barbeque grill

• Figs – 10 to12, the magazine recommended Black Mission Figs, we used Desert King, stemmed and halved lengthwise Note: we only grilled 6 figs.
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1-2 Tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• Vanilla ice cream
• 2-3 Tablespoons honey
• 4-5 mint leaves, thinly sliced (optional)

1. Heat up - a gas grill to medium low or prepare a low charcoal fire.
2. Brush - set the figs cut side down and brush the rounded side with oil. Flip and brush the cut side with the balsamic vinegar.
3. Mix - Sugar and chopped thyme in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the figs.
4. Grill - set figs on grill cut side facing up. Cover the grill and cook until the sugary tops start to bubble and the bottom of the figs get light grill marks. 5-8 minutes.
5. Serve immediately over scoops of ice cream, drizzled with honey and sprinkle with mint if using.

We’re blessed to be able to vacation in Hawaii. To see our two gorgeous grandkids then to visit fascinating Big Island, the money was well spent.

 
Akaka Fall has a nice trail.  Azuki special at Matsumoto Shave Ice
 

Sansei’s signature Apple Tart. Ships ahoy to snorkeling tour!

The sprawling, mega hotel has it’s own monorail inside of the hotel. From main lobby to our room was about 10 minutes by foot. By tram also takes 10 minutes, because our compound is 3 stops away.

Flavorful Acai bowl from Tropical Frozen Yogurt in Kona.   
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A petite French patisserie in Hilo with few selection of sweets. The store closes at 4 pm!, we managed to squeeze inside by 3:57pm.  

The Donkey Ball Chocolatier in Kainaliu, I like the silly name.
The original King Kamehameha statue in Hawi, my husband taking photos in heavy rain.

Historical Bamboo’s lilikoi cheese cake. Donkey crossing sign reminded us of the kangaroo crossing signs in Australia. 

See my nice tan?Hawi doing there?…it’s all rain, can’t see the black sand beach.The wooden poster hung in little café in Hawi gave me a chuckle!Sunset at Volcano National ParkA spectacular night view of volcanoI saw this sign in Hwy.19 on the way to Hilo.

I hope you’re enjoying the summer…Oh hi Chelsea! the next door neighbor’s cat was under my feet while we were grilling figs outside…missed me? Yeah?…me too.

Gingerly

Ginger Marmalade Dressing

I hope you had a nice Valentine’s Day. My husband also caught a cold virus (most likely from me) and so it was a not so hot Valentine’s Day…well he is still cute but…you know, he is not his usual self. We postponed the celebration, and instead stayed home and cheered for our favorite Olympians on television. 

This sweet and tangy dressing yields approximately 1/3 cup though, you only need a couple teaspoons for your salad. Besides, fresh grated ginger loses some of the potency and starts oxidizing soon after, so prep a small amount at a time. Almighty ginger eases the symptom of a cold or prevents you from catching it in the first place.

Ingredients and Instructions (Ingredients are not precise, adjust to your taste and desired thickness) (Print Recipe here)

• Ginger juice- grate ginger, skin and all, then place on a paper towel, twist top and squeeze to get about 1 tablespoon.
• Marmalade 2 Tablespoons
• Warm water 1 Tablespoon
• Balsamic vinegar 2 Tablespoons
• Olive oil 1-2 Tablespoons
• Fresh ground black pepper and a pinch of salt for taste

Thin the marmalade with warm water first in a medium bowl. Add ginger juice, balsamic vinegar and olive oil and mix well with whisk. Salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until chilled - about 10 to 20 minutes. Whisk again before serving.

Cheese lacy nest gives crunch to the dish but not necessary tasty. If you cook too long then it is difficult to mold and often has a bitter or too salty flavor. I used parmigiano-reggiano cheese for this but any cheddar cheese will do. 

1. I covered a spice tin (which fit in my small red rectangular plate) with foil but you could use an up-side down glass jar, in that case, no covering necessary.
   
2. Grate enough cheese. I used about 3 Tablespoons per nest.
3. Heat non-stick pan at low heat. Sprinkle cheese in. When the edges of cheese start developing color then turn off heat. Leave in the pan for another 5 to 10 seconds to cook till very light brown (cheese should be still pliable).
   
4. Slide turner underneath to lift. Press onto the mold. Because it may be too hot to handle I used a paper towel to shape. Leave it on until cool.
   
5. Fill with your favorite appetizer. This is a micro-green mini salad. 

In honor of the Sochi Olympics (?), we had Lemon Symiki, Russian style pan cakes, for breakfast the other day. I omitted but you could top with sour cream or whipped cream. Ginger marmalade dressing is great for fresh fruits too.

We tried a new restaurant, Aviary – not sure what style this restaurant is but they have a number of creative dishes. Although this chestnut soup is very nice, the roasted, charred flavor of the Brussels sprout topping was a put off for me.

Speaking of chestnuts, I made some chestnut chocolate truffles using a inexpensive bag of roasted chestnuts.

I have a pair of Valentine socks that says ‘My first love is chocolate’… right.
I made this truffles for my husband though he wasn’t feeling well and declined. I failed to share my first love.