prosciutto

There's something to be said for quick, easy appetizers that still pack plenty of flavor — not to mention a blend of salty and sweet — and that's exactly what Aimee3242 has created with this simple but satisfying finger food.

My boyfriend and I had a few people over for dinner last week and I needed to make something our guests could snack on while I finished cooking dinner. This dish couldn't have been easier to make and the bites were so easy to just pop in your mouth.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Figs

• 4 figs, cut into sixths
• 8 slices of prosciutto, sliced vertically into thirds
• 2 tbsp. blue cheese or gorgonzola cheese
• Aged balsamic vinegar
• 3 basil leaves, sliced thin

1. Wrap a piece of prosciutto around each fig.
2. Crumble some blue cheese on top of the prosciutto-wrapped figs.
3. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over each piece.
4. Garnish with basil.

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You may find this hard to believe, but my real Thanksgiving dinner — not the dry test runs that I prepare beforehand in my kitchen as a food editor, but the one I sit down to on Nov. 24 with my family — is incredibly humble. It's usually just the four of us, sitting around a table, eating a turkey and a few understated (but no less satisfying) sides. That's the Thanksgiving I grew up with, and it continues to be my family's holiday cooking style today: no fuss, no muss, and absolutely no pretensions.

I'm not deviating from the family tradition, so this year I'll be preparing an easy turkey roulade. Butterflied turkey breast is spread with a quick and dirty vegetable filling of shiitake mushrooms, artichokes, and onions, then it's rolled up, wrapped in prosciutto, baked until succulent and sliced into individual turkey pinwheels. It's hard to believe that all those elements take 15 minutes to prepare and just 90 minutes to cook, but it's true! Read ahead for an simple, speedy turkey breast recipe that's also elegant.

If you think you won't enjoy the cookbook Grilled Cheese Please!, one of our must haves for March, this recipe will change your mind. It's author and cheese expert Laura Werlin's grilled cheese with crispy prosciutto and broccoli rabe.

It's one of the best sandwiches I've ever made: it's gooey, crunchy, cheesy, and just plain delicious! Although the ingredients are simple, this sandwich oozes sophistication. I served it at a party paired with red pepper soup, and it was a sensation.

The key to a perfect sandwich is to follow Werlin's technique exactly. She recommends cooking it low and slow to achieve a beautiful crispness on the outside and delightful meltedness on the inside. Ready to check it out? Keep reading.

During our berry tempting month of blueberries, I was obsessed with the versatility of blueberry sauce. Similarly, with an abundance of blackberries, I simply couldn't resist making a pared-down version of blackberry jam. Never one to pass up a solid salty-sweet combo, I used the ripe flavor of blackberries as a plummy counterpoint to salumi, melted cheese, and mustard. The end result is everything one could want in a sandwich; the portable meal is salty, porky, creamy, toasty, and fruity all at the same time. Click ahead for the recipe.

If you're looking for a project this weekend, why not make a wonderful and delicious brunch? This strata is the perfect way to start any day. It's decadent and rich without being too filling. A strata is similar to a savory bread pudding; basically it's layers of bread, prosciutto, cheese, and vegetables covered in an egg milk mixture and baked.

The resulting dish is puffy, flavorful, and absolutely wonderful. I especially enjoy this recipe because it has to be made the night before, meaning the day you want to enjoy it all you have to do is pop it in the oven and bake! Oh, and unless you want a burnt strata, when you make it, try not to fall asleep on the couch while it cooks. Learn the technique by reading more.

At the Fancy Foods Show, I found myself drawn to paper-thin slices of dark, purple-hued cured meat. I quickly learned that the ultratender, sweet meat was something called bresaola, also known as beef prosciutto. Bresaola is an air-cured, spiced, and salted cut of beef that is aged for several months. The cut comes from the hind leg of the animal and is best served thinly sliced as an antipasto. While the beef cut (usually the eye of round) is very tender, unlike prosciutto, it's extremely lean and has no visible fat. Valtellina, the Alpine valley in Lombardy where bresaola was first conceived, is a protected geographical indication; those made in the same style outside Valtellina are often labeled "viande séchee" instead. The most popular way to serve bresaola is sliced on its own as an appetizer. It is often drizzled with olive oil or vinegar in the style of beef carpaccio, or served on top of salads and pizza. Have you ever tried bresaola?

Source: Flickr User snowpea&bokchoi

Figs are one of my favorite late Summer, early Fall fruits. Thus, after making bacon-wrapped dates, I looked for a similar recipe that used fresh figs. To my delight, I came across this Sandra Lee recipe that combines figs, goat cheese, and prosciutto. Inspired by her recipe but wanting to keep it simple, I came up with my take on her killer app. Rather than heat up the house, I decided to throw these tasty little bites on the barbecue.Although any variety of fig will work, I used Calimyrna and found that the easiest way to remove the flesh is with a melon baller. This delicious appetizer is perfect for a party because it can be prepped ahead of time and only requires a few minutes on the grill, so you won't miss any of the fun. With the salty prosciutto, sweet fig, and tangy goat cheese center, these nibbles are full of flavor and texture. If you want to impress your guests with figs in a blanket, keep reading.