• Sweet: Something that is awesome –  “Girl, that is one sweet outfit!”
• Hot: One who is: a. gorgeous b. pretty c. beautiful d. cute e. attractive – “George Clooney is so hot!”

Nice definitions in the current urban language, but not the sweet or hot I’m talking about here…

• Sweet: Tasting or smelling of sugar or a similar substance.
• Hot: Spicy or peppery enough to cause a burning sensation in the mouth or throat.

My friend and neighbor, Ronnie Jaap, dropped by yesterday smack dap in the middle of my current “pickling craze” with a bag of big fresh jalapeño peppers for me. How convenient! Now I have a jar of pickled jalapeños in my fridge! It’ll be about a week before I can use them but when they are ready, I’ll stem and slice them, remove the seeds and use the slices or dice them into any recipe that could use a bit of spice and a touch of sweetness. Or maybe use them whole as a condiment for my favorite Mexican, Southwestern, or Tex-Mex dishes and beverages. I’m already thinking how great a slice would be with a tall icy cold Bloody Mary. The week needs to go by faster! Thanks, Ronnie, we’ll have to make a day of it.

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For some unknown reason, I am very much into pickling things right now. I can’t explain it. Ever since I pickled onions last weekend, everywhere I look, I wonder, “how would that be pickled?” Today, it’s figs. I had heard of a restaurant in Seattle where the chef is also big into pickling and she pickles figs, so I gave it a try. Big success – they are amazing. 

So far I have tried my version of pickled figs atop vanilla ice cream, alongside or poured over fresh goat cheese (the pink-tinted goat cheese above is Shiraz flavored from Fossil Creek Creamery in Strawberry, AZ), and finally with rosemary grilled flank steak – all fabulous! Once you use up the figs, be sure to use the remaining fig syrup (pickling liquid) to make delicious salad dressings – just whisk in olive oil and herbs, to taste.

I have a Kadota fig tree in my yard which produces twice a year, so my friends can expect pickled figs for Christmas gifts in December! I actually prefer Black Mission figs to Kadota, so I’ve made a half and half mixture of them here. Mission figs are the type you’ll most easily find in stores right now. Dried figs may be substituted for the fresh ones when they are out of season.

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