Fleur de Sel Chocolate Figs

When I went to the market last weekend, I saw ripe figs for the first time. Real figs. They look nothing like I imagined (though I am not sure what I was picturing in the first place). I bought them out of curiosity and in the spirit of experimentation.
My first introduction to figs was on a long drive with my good friend Natasha. We had stopped at a gas station to fill the tank and she made it her mission to choose the best road trip food, which, as it turns out, are fig newtons. We nibbled away half a package in no time, laughing and seeing how many we could stuff in our mouths at once. Growing up in the plains of the Midwest, fig newtons were as close as I was going to get to the real deal.

Now that I have the real deal in my hands, I wanted to find a way to showcase the fig in its whole, glorious form. This just might be it.

These fleur de sel chocolate figs are intensely dark and decadent. The sea salt and the sugars in the fig become two parts in a precarious balancing act, closely toeing the line between ever so sweet and salty. This is a moody fruit, liable to change its nature at a moment's notice.

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Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I am slowly learning I cannot be trusted around food. Particularly anything with carbs. And especially those with sugar. When I made whole wheat baguettes, I ate an entire baguette in one sitting, two days in a row. When I made bittersweet chocolate pear cake, I ate the entire cake, by myself, in less than 36 hours. And when I made these cinnamon chocolate chip banana bread loaves, I couldn't help myself from eating an entire loaf right out of the oven. I have no idea what the word "restraint" means.
As I know myself too well, I immediately froze three loaves so they could not tempt me (or so I thought). Every time I stand next to the freezer, I remember they are in there. I can sense them. I can smell them. I can taste them. I may have given in once.
And so, I ask you dear reader, how do you exercise this foreign concept known as willpower? I need advice. I need tips. I probably need to go to the gym.
This cinnamon chocolate chip banana bread is moist, dense, and absolutely delicious. We all know chocolate and bananas go well together, but when you add the cinnamon? That just makes it even better. There is no doubt about it, this is a dessert bread. I want to see if you can exercise restraint when you eat this. Consider it a challenge.

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Dark Chocolate Raspberry Oatmeal Muffins

Moving to a new city where you know not a soul is interesting for a few reasons. It forces you to be tremendously independent and self-reliant (like it or not). It allows you to find your own way. I don't mean this in a clichéd sense either; I mean it quite literally. Once you've walked down a sketchy street in a not-too-pleasant part of town, at dusk, completely lost, blindly searching for the metro, you can understand what I mean. Lastly, and perhaps most curious of all, you have the chance to reinvent yourself. There is no one to judge if you decide to be a little different or even very different. And so, I sit and ask myself, do I want to be someone new?
As I know very few people in this city of over three million (I can count them on two fingers, to be exact), I am in the market to meet new friends. Acquaintances. Anything that breathes. I am not picky. I held a fascinating conversation with a squirrel just yesterday. And so when grad school finally started this week I got excited. I get to be around people! Real people! I just hope I don't seem too desperate for friendship. We all know what that looks like. God forbid I catch a case of those crazy eyes.
My new research group has Wednesday morning meetings and I wanted to make a good impression. So did I read all of the 400 page thesis that was handed to me? Not quite. But I did bake muffins. Either they will love me (and temporarily forget about my lack of contributions) or wonder how I found the time to bake when I could have been researching instead. It could go either way. Wish me luck.
These muffins are so moist they practically fall apart in your hands (not to mention your mouth). The flavors of the chocolate and raspberries stand out, but are not overpowering. You can still taste a little of the oatmeal too, making these a perfect breakfast muffin. These muffins are healthy and quite filling (but you'd never guess it because they taste like a special treat).

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