Figs!

People in my life often find it amusing how I can be so easily excited by food or kitchen items...I mean excited to the point that I can't stop chattering on and on about it even though their eyes glaze over and they haven't a clue what I'm on about...

Before I get into what happened to me recently let me give you a little bit of background information and this might help you understand my glee...

Over the past few years I have come across many recipes using fresh figs...grilled figs tossed in a salad...figs paired with prosciutto and brie or Gorgonzola...stuffed figs and more...the only problem with reading all these recipes is the fact that I had never tried a fresh fig...and to make matters worse in Malaysia I have never been able to come across figs at any grocery store whether it be a specialty store or an organic one or one targeted to expats...I think the whole idea of not being able to get a hold of it amplified my want for it. It became a sort of forbidden fruit in my mind and I just HAD to have it! Soon enough this whole idea of what a fig would taste like became an obsession and every time I went to the grocery store I would browse the fruit and vegetable aisle just in hopes that maybe one day they would have it.

So now on to the scene that took place recently on a trip to the grocery store:

I walked over to the specialty fruit aisle to grab a package of strawberries and even though I was pessimistic I decided to look at the other fruits available in that section just to see if there was any chance sighting of a fig. And suddenly I saw them, 6 figs sitting in a little package. At first I couldn't believe it....I glanced over at the fruit labels reading and re-reading to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me. The minute it clicked in my head that these were indeed figs I immediately picked them up and bounced over to R to share my excitement.

Me: Baby! Guess what I found!! Figs!!! Can you believe it???

R: Oh ok that's nice love

Me: No! You don't get it! I've been looking for figs all over...I didn't think I would ever be able to find them in Malaysia...I've been searching for them in every grocery store every time I go shopping...

R: Ok well it's good that you've found them now

Me: I can't believe I've finally found figs! Do you know what I can do with these? Oh I wonder how they taste...it's so exciting...all the possibilities! *I pull my little bag of figs close and I caress them*

R: *Gives me a very strange look and is probably thinking to himself - I'm dating a psycho!*

Me: We have to go home now...I need to see what I can do with these figs...Oh! I have some Camembert cheese at home...maybe I can grill a fig and we can eat it with the cheese...or maybe I can put it on a gourmet pizza...

R: Ok lets just head home now and you can figure it out when we get back...

Me: *Dreamy Sigh* Figs...

So by now I'm sure the suspense is killing you! What DID she do with her figs? Well last night I decided to make my very own gourmet pizza fusing salty, sweet, sour, and spicy flavours together...it was very tasty but I think next time I may try an arugula pesto instead of the mango chutney as a base...I felt that the sweet taste was more overpowering than the rest of the flavours.

Figalicious Mini Pizzas

1 Ripe Fig sliced thinly

5 Slices of Prosciutto diced

Spicy Mango Chutney

4 Wholewheat Pita Breads

Thin slices of Camembert/Brie/Mozzarella (Enough to toss a few on each individual pizza)

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 150C

Step 2: Lay the pita breads out on a baking tray and spread each with the Mango Chutney

Step 3: Add the prosciutto, figs and cheese to each pita and put the tray in the oven

Step 4: Bake till the edge of the pita bread begins to brown and the cheese has melted

Step 5: ENJOY!