Do you like figs? That is a hard question for me, as my path toward fig lover has been more rocky than sweet. It is a funny story that takes me from avoiding figs at all costs to using them to make these fantastic and easy Fig Glazed Pork Chops.
Midwestern gal here—and believe me, the orchards of my childhood were packed with apples and peaches—not figs. Dried figs were far too gourmet for my mom—so a Fig Newton was the only fig I had met. Then, Roxanne and I went to a professional convention many years ago—and at one of the cocktail parties, we ate a bacon-wrapped fig. We chewed and suffered through a terrible flavor and texture. Now, I understand that the dried fig was spoiled or poorly prepared or something for neither of us liked it, but when faced with awful foods at a fancy cocktail party, what does one do but grin and bear it? We laughed about it for years. The poor, under appreciated fig became our symbol for a food to avoid. [Read more…]