We're taking advantage of the last few days of summer. This Sunday was great to host another barbecue with family, friends and pets. Since we're all meat-eaters, roasted chicken, vietnamese barbecued pork and many other goodies were on the menu. I also made little appetizers of rolled prosciutto slices with fresh figs and goat cheese. This wonderful recipe was shared by my colleague Fred, who surprised me with his revelation that he loves to cook. These are simple to make and can make your meal a lighter one because these "amuse-bouche" are quite "bourratifs" as we say in French. It was the second time I made these since they were a hit at our last barbecue. This time, they turned out even better than the last time.
It's recommended to serve these appetizers with a warm caramel sauce made with balsamic vinegar and sugar. I can't think of a better combo; the tanginess of the balsamic vinegar and the sweetness of the figs. Although, I made and love the sauce, I prefer to savour the prosciutto-figs without it since the figs were already sweet. However, if you have a sweet tooth, then feel free to drizzle a touch of caramel sauce over the figs and savour.
Recipe "au pif":8 thin prosciutto slices (or jambon de bayonne)
8 fresh figs
4 tbsp goat cheese
Caramel (optional):
1 part balsamic vinegar
1 part brown rice syrup (found in health food stores), or brown sugar
Preheat oven at 350F
Snip off the ends of each fig and make a small incision from top to bottom half way through the fig to create space for the cheese
In the incisions, stuff each fig with about 1/2 tsp of goat cheese
wrap each stuffed fig with one slice of prosciutto
Lay the figs on a non-stick large baking pan or a pan covered with parchment paper
Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until prosciutto is lightly crispy on the outer edges
* Another alternative is slowly grilling the figs-prosciutto appetizers, gently wrapped in aluminium foil, in the barbecue. *
In the meantime, prepare the caramel by heating a small sauce pan on medium-low stir in the balsamic vinegar and the brown rice syrup. Give it a stir until a smooth velvety consistency is reached and sauce is bubbly. Remove from heat. When figs are ready, pour the caramel over the figs.
Serve warm and enjoy!
Best part of this gelato, is that it is made with whole milk…NOT CREAM. Forget about the guilty pleasure sweets, this one is absolutely guilt free. It is incredible how creamy and rich this gelato tasted! Of course, there is little sugar added for a tinge of sweetness but enough sugar to allow the gelato to stick together with the right texture – smooth, creamy, and dense, as opposed to hard and lumpy. As for the rest of the ingredients, Hazem reassures every one of his clients that they are 100% natural. For instance, he will get the best quality dark chocolate to make a chocolate gelato, and fresh fruits for his sorbets. Nothing is artificial, most ingredients are either freshly picked or organic. My second favourite gelato he recently created is this wonderful creamy and so tasty Lychee and Coconut gelato. It’s a great success especially at this time of year. If you don’t feel like having a sorbet primarily made with water and sugar, but something for consistent, then this creamy 
Now, if I talked about the atmosphere at Fusion Montréal….it’s very welcoming with positive energy. It’s not comparable to the Italian gelato/pizza place I was referring to earlier. The staff is very friendly, extremely customer-focused, without being intrusive. They are professional and respect every customer. If you don’t feel like chatting, there’ll be no chatting – just helpful information and suggestions on their products will be gladly given.
If you have not tried this place out yet but are planning to, you’ll immediately notice a “zen/contemporary-Montreal chic” décor filled with good energy. Personally, when I go to a sweets eatery or a coffee shop I like feeling cozy and prefer a homy ambiance, like wood and fabric chairs or sofas, plants and warm colours. Because of its contemporary/modern look, I feel the coziness, for me, is missing just a little at Fusion Montréal. Then again, Fusion Montréal is located right at the heart of the major business district where major corporate yuppies and business executives walk out and about during their breaks. They have the money and appreciate more the contemporary/chic metropolitan décor, than I do.