FoodLetter bonus tip: World's easiest dessert

[Robin Garr]

I'm just absolutely crazy about fresh figs - purple Mission or green, I'll take them either way - and gleefully eat them like candy when they're in season, said season being all too short.

For a 10-second tip, though, here's a ridiculously easy way to turn the already delicious fig into one of the best (and easiest) desserts there is: Cut your fig in half, lengthwise. Dollop a spoonful of mascarpone cheese on the cut side of each half. Eat. I'll bet you can't stop with just one!

As my former Wisconsin employers would say, "Youuuuu betcha!" I just recently grabbed a container of Calimyrna figs at Trader Joe's and have been popping them like M&M's since. It crossed my mind to chop some up fine and include them as part of the filling for braciole ... maybe with a few toasted pine nuts tossed in for good measure. (Of course, my mother wouldn't approve. She also doesn't like raisins in meatballs.)

Same thing, only different - Years ago my sister introduced me to eating a thin slice of guava paste together with a thin slice of Muenster cheese. Not bad for breakfast either.

Figs and prosciutto - ambrosia.