It's time to vote for The Next Food Blog Star! Click HERE to vote for The Chocolate Fig's entry to challenge number three, Rustic Luxury. Foodbuzz may prompt you to create an account in order to vote, but this is quick, easy, and painless. Who knows, maybe you'll start integrating with the community! See my posts for Challenge Number One HERE and Challenge Two HERE. As promised, here are the recipes I used to make my dinner guests swoon.

Classic Hummus Ingredients 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed 2 large cloves garlic, smashed 1 tsp. ground cumin 3 Tbsp tahini pinch of cayenne pepper the juice of one medium lemon 2 Tbsp olive oil salt and pepper Instructions Combine all ingredients in a food processor for one minute (mixture will be thick). Slowly add water (or more olive oil, if you prefer) until hummus reaches desired consistency. Serve with cumin and cayenne sprinkled on top. ~

Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus Additional ingredients 1 small jar sun-dried tomato halves, in oil Instructions Follow the same instructions as Classic Hummus above, adding your desired amount of tomatoes and 1 Tbsp of their oil. I used 3/4 of the jar, about 1/3 cup, which resulted in a delightful color and a subtle essence of sun-dried tomatoes. Serve garnished with a few. ~

White Bean Hummus with Cashews and Mint Ingredients 2 cans white navy beans, drained and rinsed 1/2 cup cashews, whole handful of fresh mint 1 clove garlic, smashed 2 Tbsp olive oil salt and pepper Instructions Combine all ingredients in a food processor for one minute. Gradually add water or olive oil until hummus reaches desired consistency. Serve garnished with mint and a cashew. ~

Herb-Rubbed Pita Chips Ingredients 3 bags whole-wheat pita rounds (about 18 rounds) 1/4 cup olive oil salt and pepper herbs of choice (I used fresh mint, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and basil.) Instructions Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take one pita round and brush it with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and your herbs of choice. I did some with mint by itself, some with red pepper flakes and basil, some with basil and garlic powder, etc. Cut into triangles and place on a large baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pita rounds. Bake for about 13 minutes, until crispy and slightly golden. Cool on a rack and serve, or store for about a week. ~

Spicy Swordfish Marinade (good for 4 steaks) -from The Frog Commissary Cookbook- Ingredients 1/4 cup sesame oil 1/2 cup tamari or regular soy sauce 1/4 cup lime juice 1/8 cup mirin (I used sherry and it worked well) 1 Tbsp minced fresh garlic 1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger 1 Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes (Don't skimp! This is important!) Instructions Whisk all ingredients. Marinate steaks for 30 minutes max, or they will be too spicy. For my kebabs, I split the marinade between the three glass casserole dishes holding them. I basted the kebabs with the marinade once before placing back in the fridge. ~

Fig and Almond Tart -from Giada De Laurentiis- Ingredients 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 Tbsp plus 1 Tbsp sugar 1 lemon, zested (I used orange zest and it make the greatest difference. I highly recommend it.) 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt 10 Tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 3 Tbsp ice water 3 1/2 ounces almond paste, at room temp, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temp (important) 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2 Tbsp honey 6 large or 12 small fresh figs, sliced and stems removed 1/4 cup apricot jam Instructions Combine the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, lemon zest, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until blended. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With machine running, gradually add the water until moist clumps form. Turn the mixture out onto a work surface and form into a ball. Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic. Chill for 1 hour. In a clean food processor bowl, combine remaining sugar, almond paste, mascarpone cheese, vanilla extract and honey. Blend until smooth. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. On a large sheet of parchment paper, roll out dough into an 11-inch circle. Transfer dough and parchment to a large, heavy baking sheet. Spread almond filling over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Arrange the figs on top of the filling. Spoon jam over the figs. Fold the dough border over the filling to form an 8-inch round, pleating the crust loosely and pinching to seal any cracks in the dough. Bake the tart until crust is golden, about 40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then slide a metal spatula under the crust to free from parchment. Transfer to a platter and serve. Enjoy!! See the corresponding post HERE.

Attention: Foodies!! Voting for Project Food Blog Entry Number Two is now open. Click HERE to cast your vote, and good luck to everyone else participating!

Thanks in part to you fantastic readers, I have the privilege of advancing to the second round of Project Food Blog! I loved all of your comments and I'm very grateful for your support, so thank you. There is some really good competition out there! For the second challenge, we are asked to tackle a classic dish from another culture. My choice? I'm taking us all on a quick trip to Egypt! Here are a few reasons why:

• Because I really, really, really want to go there.
• Because if I could share a meal with anyone, ever, in the history of humankind, it would be Cleopatra.
• Because I was in the middle of studying Ancient Egypt for an Art History exam, and I thought, if I was a chef around 2600 BC, what would I cook for a Pharaoh?
• Because Egypt is a bit... dry, and I was immensely intrigued by what can possibly be made (deliciously) in the North African desert.

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Lucky for Egypt, it lies at the coast of the African continent. This means there is a large body of water nearby. Not to mention, the Nile river flows through what once was Mesopotamia. This means the land is fertile. Which means there's more to eat than sand in Egypt. Things are looking great so far.

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While researching this particular cuisine, I was pleased to discover that its influences include Persian, Arab, Greek, Italian and Turkish- which makes sense considering they're in pretty close proximity. Culinary staples in Egypt are beans, peas, cucumbers, dates, figs, grapes, wheat, barley, and by the coast, fish. Which brings me to the point of this post: I used many of these culinary staples to create a classic and delicous Egyptian meal. The menu: Catfish with Lemon-Tahini Sauce, Koshary Pasta, and Stuffed Dates.

Catfish with Lemon-Tahini Sauce

(from Gourmet, August 1999) Ingredients: 1 garlic clove 1/4 cup well-stirred tahini 1/3 cup water 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons coriander seeds two 6-ounce catfish fillets 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves Directions: Coarsely chop garlic and puree in a blender with tahini, water, lemon juice, cumin and salt. Set aside. Crush coriander with a knife or a mortar and pestle. Pat fish dry and season with salt and pepper. In a 10-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high. Saute fish for 2 minutes, then turn over and sprinkle with coriander. Cook 2 minutes more, or until cooked through. Divide tahini sauce between two plates and top with fish, some oil from the skillet, and parsley. Yield: 2 servings *Note: I doubled the recipe and it turned out great.

The catfish was probably the most challenging and intriguing part of this meal. I had never cooked it before, and I don't think I've ever eaten it. However, it turned out great! Catfish has a thick, meaty texture and was a perfect centerpiece for the meal. The strong tahini sauce lent itself well to the mild flavor of the fish, and the coriander wasn't too powerful. Overall, it was a complex medley of unique flavors that I had never experienced before. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Koshary Pasta

(from TourEgypt.net) Ingredients: 2 cups cooked brown rice 2 cups cooked whole-wheat penne pasta 2 Tbsp white vinegar 1 tsp. ground cumin, divided 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1 cup cooked lentils 1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes 1/2 cup water 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper 3 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 2 medium onions, thinly sliced and carmelized (optional) Directions: Cook grains and lentils according to package directions. Combine rice and pasta in the bottom of a shallow serving platter or casserole dish. Keep warm. Whisk together vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Add cooked lentils and stir to combine. Spoon over rice and pasta. Combine tomatoes, water, sugar, cinnamon, salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin and red pepper in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until heated through, stirring occasionally. Stir in squash and cook another few minutes over low heat. Spoon tomato mixture over lentil layer. Partially stir tomato mixture into the other layers, but do not completely combine all layers. If desired, top with carmelized onions. Yield: Serves 4-6 people.

The Koshary pasta was delicious. The combination of flavors, especially the cinnamon, reminded me of my favorite Moroccan dishes. Lentils, rice and pasta together were hearty and comforting- I can see myself making this again in the dead of winter and substituting seasonal vegetables. It's a stick-to-your-ribs kind of dish! Everyone loved it.

Stuffed Dates

(a family recipe) Ingredients: 10-20 dried dates 10-20 walnut halves 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter 1/4 cup granulated sugar Directions: To prepare, make a slit in one side of a date so that you can open it up. Stuff with either a walnut half or a bit of peanut butter, then roll in sugar. Repeat with remaining dates and nuts or nut butter.

Little did I know that my family's traditional holiday treat hails from Egypt! My mom has been serving these for years and they are my brother's favorite snack. They're super fun to make, and everyone helped put them together. For Elliott, who'd never had them before, they were a huge hit. I don't think we had any leftovers! I would call this Egyptian meal a huge success. It was out of my comfort zone, new to everyone, and very good. Although my family members were the only guests, I secretly pretended that Cleopatra herself was seated next to me, enjoying every bite. I think she would have been pleased. Until my wish to dine with her is granted for real, fantasizing will have to do. *Please note that most of the pictures were taken by Elliott while I was cooking. I can only claim one of them as my own. Let's give him a big round of applause, he deserves it.

I don't think I've yet made it explicit on this space that I'm participating in Project Food Blog 2010. Hosted by Foodbuzz, it's a challenge with almost two-thousand participants to find our Next Food Blog Star. This is my first entry for the contest, a sort of tribute to everything I know and love about blogging and an attempt to explain to you why I have what it takes to win the title. Bear with me for a short while, and hopefully by the end of this narrative I'll have you convinced.

When faced with the question, Why are you the next superstar?, my first reaction might be to show you my best and biggest smile, throw my hands in the air, strike a pose and proclaim, Because I AM! But after noticing the blank stares and furrowed brows of my intended audience, I may lower into a cross-legged seat, sit on my hands and think about it more, because this question is multifaceted and much too large to answer in one simple sentence. Therefore, I'm going to start with the basics. Why do I blog? What defines me as a blogger? I'll attempt to keep this as uncomplicated as possible, for the sake of your delicate attention span. Of course, I could go into how I love making connections with strangers from all over the world, how I love a good challenge, how I believe in myself, how I will ruthlessly pursue self-improvement until I succeed, how I'm ignited by the unfamiliar... the list goes on. These statements are all legitimate and very true. But they are not what defines me, what makes me stand out, what makes The Chocolate Fig a blog you won't find duplicated. My prediction is that these are the statements we're going to find duplicated, and I don't want to risk repeating what you've heard before.

It has taken me weeks to figure out how to sum up The Chocolate Fig in a few words, hence this submission being dangerously close to the deadline, but here we go. I blog because I want to encourage your confidence in healthy cooking and baking. I want to show you all that it is really not as hard as it seems. If I can do it, believe me- everyone can. Moreover, I want to make you laugh. And smile. I want to inspire you. I want to make you feel good about being unsure! Take it from me, it's a ton of fun to have absolutely no idea what you're doing while you're in the middle of doing it. I want you to feel welcome here, to feel at home, to feel like this is a good place to be for a little food-obsession fix.

Sure, I really enjoy reading about what professional chefs manage to create out of thin air and what the most pristine restaurant reviewers have to say about trends in Foie Gras. But let's be honest, only a small amount of food bloggers can relate to this level of skill and prestige. What I think the blog world needs is someone who everyone can relate to. Someone who can let her taste buds and lust for flavor guide every single decision regardless of know-how, skill and training (or lackthereof). Someone who can laugh at herself, who isn't afraid to ask for advice, who values the experience over the end result. When it really boils down (no pun intended), I love creating. Via The Chocolate Fig, my goal is to continue creating an organic environment for personal growth, for me as well as you. It's also to keep us all entertained, keep us laughing, keep us nodding our heads at the computer screen saying, Yeah girl, I know. I've been there. I hear you. That looks delicious, by the way. I want you here with me when I unsuccessfully replace spelt flour for all-purpose, having forgotten to adjust the liquid amounts. I want your input when I slave over Millet Risotto, disappointed that the inventive idea in my head did not play out as expected. I'm no nutritionist, I'm no chef, I'm no professional certified anything. What I value most is health, flavor, and a balanced gastronomic experience. Not only will you find simple and wholesome salads, you'll also find a particular Pineapple Upside-Down Cake that breaks all the rules. Nothing is off limits!

Finally, I want to provide you with some of the tools necessary to live Nourished Lives. As we embark on this adventure, remember that I'm learning along with you. I guess if a definition is what we're after, I'm defined by my curiosity. So... have I convinced you that, when I throw my hands in the air and flash my pearly whites and sing a song and dance a jig and tell you that I AM THE NEXT FOOD BLOG STAR, I really, really mean it? I hope so. But just in case you need another reason, here I am singing to my salad. This is a little unbecoming... but I like you, and I trust you won't judge me. Thanks.

Lately, I've been a little desperate. Desperate for a clear head. Desperate for energy. Desperate for muscles that don't complain the minute I start my running watch. Desperate for more time to blog. Desperate for  more sleep and less stress. Desperate for easier mornings.

Don't get me wrong, I am really grateful for absolutely every part of my life. Yes, every last one of the aforementioned barriers to my happiness is part of a larger picture. That picture, my existence, is pretty great. I mean- I'm getting an education. I have a supportive family that I can't imagine a day without. I have the kindest friends in the world. I have access to fresh, wholesome food and clean water on a daily basis. I have a body that can run, jump, swim, hike, and do anything I ask of it. So what do I really have to complain about? I've come to the conclusion that if I can take one of my hurdles and lower it slightly, the way that I'm feeling might change a bit too. I hope. I really hope. The question: Simplify my mornings. How can I sleep a little more and still be out the door by 6:40 am? The answer: Muffins! Luckily, I really like baking. Even luckier, I really like baking muffins. The challenge: bake breakfast into a muffin. I firmly believe that every meal should be enjoyed, savored, in a seated position and not rushed. But please, just this once, let it be something I can grab, sit, eat, and go. As it turns out, this isn't so hard to do.

Coconut Blueberry Nut Butter Muffins

-Inspired by Oh She Glows- 1 cup whole grain spelt flour 3/4 cup whole wheat flour 1/4 tsp. salt 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 cup shredded coconut 1/4 cup ground flaxseed 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/3 cup honey 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 1/4 cup coconut milk 2 Tbsp cashew butter 3 Tbsp almond butter 1 egg 1 cup blueberries, frozen or fresh Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Grease a muffin tin with coconut oil or line with paper liners and set aside. Combine dry ingredients (flours, salt, cinnamon, coconut, flax, baking soda, and baking powder) thoroughly in a large bowl. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat honey and nut butters for two 20-second intervals to soften. Stir! Let cool for a sec. Add the egg, vanilla and coconut milk and whisk thoroughly to incorporate. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to combine. Add blueberries and stir gently, being careful not to overmix. Pour into muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Let cool and then remove to a rack.

Please enjoy these as much as I do. They're not very sweet, so replace the honey with sugar if you prefer. Let them soothe you in times of stress, gently quell your hunger pangs around 3 o'clock, or nourish your empty morning belly. Here's to simplicity, if only in theory.