Compuliterate

Once, my Dad called me in to his den to show him where the "W" key was. The he marked it with a post it note so he wouldn't lose it again. W's can be tricky like that. Wily, even. His internet ineptitude may be hereditary, as I couldn't understand how to use WordPress, where my first blog was originally set up. Well, I could make posts, but everything was ugly.

Since we've both been home (2 days- I've come home from school, my Dad from China/other places too numerous to number), my Dad and I have fought four or five times. He makes it up to me by being awkward and semi-endearing, and I make it up to him by making him lunch or dessert.

I've begun to have a real appreciation for sandwiches. They're underrated, you know? 

Biscuit and Fig Jam Sandwiches

Adapted from Bon Appetit, February 2009

Biscuits

Makes about 12.

Preheat the oven to 450ºF.

• 2 cups of flour. I like one cup whole wheat [WW] and one cup all-purpose [AP]. The WW gives the dough a beautiful homey speckle, the AP keeps the dough light.
  
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• About 4 T of cold butter, diced
• Almost a cup or plain yogurt. You can use buttermilk too, of course, I just always have yogurt on hand.

Couldn't be much easier. Combine the first 5 ingredients together in a food processor and pulse till the butter is cut into the rest of the mixture. It should look almost sandy. Dump the butter-flour-etc mixture into a mixing bowl; add the yogurt. Mix with a spoon till a loose clumpy-ball-thing forms. It's important that you don't over-knead this dough, otherwise you'll have super bunk chewy crap biscuits. Once the ball is formed, knead it on a floured surface like, 7 times, or less if you can get it all to combine and be mostly smooth. Flatten it out to a 1/4 inch. Using biscuit-cutters (or a cup), cut out circular biscuits. Place your biscuits on an UNGREASED baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, or until very golden on top.

Fig Jam

Adapted from Bon Appetit February 2009.

Makes 11/2 cups.

• 1/2lb of dried figs, sliced thin. I used golden colored ones, but I'm pretty sure any kind would work more or less.
• 1 cup of water
• 1 tsp grainy mustard (or more. I love mustard. MORE.)
• 1/4 tsp brown sugar.
• Mrrrrr...like a 1/2 cup of robust red wine. Or more. I just sort of added more as it burned off.

Essentially you just drop everything in a saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once bubbling, lower the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture is...jammy. Pulse in a food processor until smooth. This is the cutest jam ever, because of all the little seeds.

The Actual Sandwich, For Real Kid

Makes one.

Preheat the broiler.

• Anh, two slices cheese. More to your liking.
• 2 slices prosciutto salami, or prosciutto, or ham. Your favorite hammy meat. The more cured the better.
• 2 of the afore-baked biscuits.
• Some fig jam.
• butter

I shouldn't have to tell you how to build a sandwich. But I will, because I don't feel like a) going for a run, b) painting, or c) being any sort of productive human cell structure. Sooooooooo butter both biscuits! Add the cheese! The ham! the fig jam! Broil til melty! Oooooh child.