Lidia Matticchio Bastianich  was born in what is now Istria, Croatia.  It is a fabled land near the Italian border most notable for the city of  Venice.  Lidia's fascinating and colorful history and mastery of food has made her cooking famous.  She has been a star of the PBS cooking show lineup since 1998.  Proprietor of four celebrated restaurants and author of numerous cookbooks, the name Lidia Bastianich is synonymous with fresh Italian home cooking.   In honor of national Fig week and sandwich day we present Lidia Bastianich's take on figs and sandwiches.

Prosciutto-and-Fig Bruschetta Drizzled With Honey and Crushed Black Pepper.

"We used to eat a fig-and-bread sandwich when we were kids." This simple recipe makes the most of two Italian delicacies and marries sweets and savory to perfection.

Recipe Provided by: Chef Lidia Bastianich,  New York Magazine
Served at: Felidia 

• 8 1/2-inch thick slices of firm country-style bread
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 15 to 16 ripe fresh black or green figs
• 8 thin slices of prosciutto di San Daniele (each about 6 inches long)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of sage honey or wild-herb honey

Prepare a charcoal fire or heat a grill pan over medium heat for 5 minutes. Grill as many of the bread slices as will fit in a single layer, turning them only once, until they are golden brown and crispy, even slightly charred around the edges, about 3 to 5 minutes total. Remove the bruschette from the grill and brush lightly with olive oil.

Alternatively, the bruschette can be prepared in the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Arrange the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet, and bake, turning once, until golden brown and crispy around the edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Brush with olive oil.

Wipe the figs clean with a damp cloth or paper towel and slice them crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick rounds.

Cover the bruschette with overlapping fig slices. Drape the prosciutto to cover the figs. Grind some black pepper over the prosciutto, drizzle with honey, and serve immediately.

(Published 2000)