Dried Figs and a Champagne Cocktail

You know when you just have one of those days? A day where you solve a problem, then have a curve ball thrown into the mix, forcing you to re-solve it. Over and over again. Yeah, it was one of those days for me. All I wanted to do was go home and eat my left over salad and sandwich from lunch (Noah's got a work dinner tonight) and have a glass of wine. White, preferably.

But all that was in the fridge was a bottle of champagne left over from Thanksgiving. Well, why the hell not? And if you're going to go, go whole hog and make a champagne cocktail, dammit. I love the tres sophisticated cocktail. It was great, but it got even better when I pulled out a couple of dried figs for dessert.

This summer, figs became the fruit I lusted after. Last summer it was apricots, but this year the fig harvest just seemed to be exceptional and I could not get enough of them. The second flush (each tree delivers two crops, one in late July-ish and the other in late September-ish) was worth the wait, smaller and sweeter and just plain more full-flavored than the first. And man was I sad to see them go. But the dried figs that my favorite figuer sells (yeah, I made that word up) are a good winter substitute.

If you need a little pick me up, try this petite dessert out. Okay, sue me, we're leaving for Paris in less than three weeks and oui just can't wait. Hehehehe.

Champagne Cocktail
by ?
1 glass champagne, chilled
1 sugar cube
bitters

Douse the sugar cube in bitters, drop it into and empty champagne glass and fill with champagne!