This is a good appetizer if you don’t mind having bad breath for about a week. I first saw this at Vinnie Testa’s on the east coast – they use giant garlic bulbs there – a score if you can find some at the market..

Ingredients:
a few large garlic bulbs
olive oil

Chop the skinny ends of the garlic off to expose the cloves underneath and wrap in aluminum foil so that the only opening is at the top.

Pour olive oil over the cloves and let some pool up in at the bottom of the foil.

Put into the oven at 350 degrees for about 30-40 mins. (the garlic is ready when the cloves will easily pop out of the bulb with a fork)

These are a really good pre-dinner snack – talk about flavor country! The original recipe called for parmesan cheese sticks to be placed in the dates, but I prefer the creamy goat cheese. Think of pretty much every flavor you’ve ever tasted and that’s what it tastes like when you put one of these in your mouth (well, kinda). Very good – one of my newest favorite snacks..

Ingredients:
Pitted Dates
Bacon
1 Package creamy goat cheese
Toothpicks

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.

Slice pitted dates open on one side and fill with goat cheese.

Cut bacon slices into thirds and wrap around stuffed dates and secure with a toothpick.

Arrange dates 1 inch apart in a shallow baking pan.

Bake 5 minutes, then turn dates over with tongs and bake until bacon is crisp, 5 to 6 minutes more.

Drain on a paper bag or parchment. Serve immediately.
Read more