This may well be our favorite appetizer. The combination of the prosciutto with the luscious fig jam is so good and then the creamy goat cheese - well, you just have to make these. And (shhhh...) they are so easy!
All you need for these little wonders are a good fresh baguette, a jar of fig jam, some salty prosciutto, plain goat cheese and some fresh basil. The fig jam is an item which is now found in any grocery store. You just have to know where to look for it. Some stores carry it with the jams and some carry it with the international foods. I know Whole Foods has this brand of jam and they always have some tucked in with all the cheeses.
This stuff is incredible - if you've never had it, you'll want to eat it with a spoon. Or put it on toast. Or make a sandwich with it. Or put it on scrambled eggs. Okay, you get it. For the prosciutto, make sure you buy a good quality prosciutto - because there are so few ingredients, this appetizer is only good as the quality of your ingredients.
I love Austin, Texas. The people are warm, the food is amazing, and the weather – well, let's not talk about the weather. Let's stick with the people and the food. One morning while Jeff and I were eating breakfast at an Austin eatery, we started chatting with a lovely elderly couple next to us. The conversation quickly turned to food: we talked brisket, chili, Shiner bock (which they drink from the bottle), and cornbread. When I told the wife that I had never made corn bread in a skillet, she replied, in a dramatic affected Southern accent, "Well, dahlin', if it ain't made in a cast-iron skillet, then it ain't cornbread." 
Even though spring is officially here, I'm still craving comfort foods,
like stews and braised meats. Since cold weather isn't a prerequisite
for braising, this past weekend I braised short ribs. After a low, slow
braise, the meat turns buttery, soft and absolutely tender enough to cut
into with a fork. With Passover and Easter just around the corner, a
braised meal is just right for a holiday dinner with family. Instead of
the more typical brisket for Passover, why not bring braised short ribs
to the Seder table?
The Squeeze Inn in Tracy, CA claims to have pioneered the cheese skirt, which I first experienced in at Nobby’s in Chico. The owner, Dean Davis, told me that the Nobby’s founder had learned the technique when he worked at Squeeze Inn before starting Nobby’s. Having gone to the source, I could not wait to try it.
Sometimes what I crave isn't the thing itself but the sauce that goes with it. Years ago when I was a vegetarian, I did very well without eating meat except for a recurring craving for hot dogs. I couldn't go to a Dodger's game or a county fair without being taunted by the sight of a hot dog stand.