B2 — THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD
HOME & LIVING
TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2021
Why I might never eat another fi g
By DANIEL NEMAN
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Ew.
And also: Ick.
I like fi gs. I have always
liked fi gs. I planned to con-
tinue liking fi gs for the rest
of my fi g-eating life.
But that was before I saw
a video explaining some of
the more disturbing facts
about fi gs. The video was
sent to me by someone who
hates fi gs and knows I love
fi gs and wanted to ruin my
life by changing my mind
about fi gs even though we
have been happily married
for 25 years.
The video was created
by PBS, part of their digital
series called “Gross Sci-
ence.” As far as I can tell,
the entire purpose of the
nearly fi ve-minute video is
to make people stop eating
fi gs, as if someone at PBS
is fi ercely angry at the
entire fi g industry.
To be fair, I already
knew some of what the
piece had to say. I knew
there was some relation-
ship between wasps and
fi gs, and that wasps who
entered fi gs did not always
leave them, if you catch my
drift.
But I had chosen to
forget it because, as I men-
tioned, I liked fi gs.
That was then.
Figs are unusual,
because they are kind of
inside out. Inside each
fi g are anywhere from
30 to 1,600 tiny fl owers,
depending on the spe-
cies. If you can picture the
inside of a fi g, that makes
sense — all of those thin,
long tube things are actu-
ally fl owers. Each one con-
tains a little seed, which is
what crunches when you
eat them.
Flowers, of course, have
to be pollinated in order
to make future fi gs. Bees,
butterfl ies and even bats
are pollinators, but how
can anything pollinate
these fl owers when they
are hidden away inside a
fruit?
That is where the wasps
come in, members of Aga-
onidae family. These very
small insects are often
called fi g wasps, because
“fi g wasps” is easier to say
than “Agaonidae.”
When the fl owers inside
a fi g are ready for polli-
nation, they produce an
aroma that attracts female
fi g wasps, but only the ones
that are appropriate for that
kind of tree (it is this kind
of detail that leaves me in
awe of science and nature).
The wasps enter the
fi g through a hole in the
bottom that is too small
to let in anything else that
doesn’t belong there. The
hole is so small that the
wasps usually lose their
wings and antennae while
squeezing in, but that
doesn’t matter to the wasp
because, as the U.S. Forest
Service puts it, “it will
never need them again.”
The wasp drops fer-
the fl owers and the eggs
turn into grubs that grow
inside some of the seeds.
The grubs gain nourish-
ment by eating the seed,
and eventually emerge as
are technically their own
sisters.
The male wasps then
die inside the fi g where
they have spent their entire
short lives.
Dreamstime/TNS
Figs are unusual, because they are kind of inside out.
tilized eggs into as many
of the female fl owers as
it can. Meanwhile, it also
pollinates all the fl owers
with the pollen it collected
from the fi g in which it was
born. Having done what
she was meant to do in the
world, the wasp then dies
inside the fi g, happy but
somewhat disconcertingly.
The seeds grow inside
wasps from the fl owers
into the fi g.
The males emerge fi rst.
They have no wings, so
they have to mate with
females that are inside
that fi g. The females hav-
en’t even emerged yet, so
the males mate with them
while they are still inside
the fl owers — and yes, the
males often mate with what
When the female wasps
hatch, they collect pollen
from the male fl owers and
work their way out of the
fi gs. Filled with already
fertilized eggs, they fl y off
to fi nd another fi g to begin
the process again. Mean-
while, birds and other ani-
mals eat the fi gs, including
their now-mature seeds,
and go on to spread them
the way birds and other
animals always spread
seeds.
But what about us?
What about humans?
Humans have been
domesticating fi g trees for
more than 11,000 years,
and the type we usually
eat, called common fi gs, do
not require wasps. Some
types of common fi g are
seedless and do not need
any pollination at all.
Other common fi gs have
male and female trees.
Wasps can only polli-
nate the fl owers in the fi gs
from male trees, while we
only eat the fruit of female
trees.
But wasps can’t tell the
diff erence between male
and female trees. If a wasp
manages to get inside the
fi g of a female tree, it will
pollinate the fl owers inside
it and then die. And yes,
that fi g could very well
make it to your kitchen
table.
Scientists marvel at the
way fi g trees and wasps,
two completely diff erent
types of organism, rely on
each other and use each
other to propagate their
species. The relationship is
called mutualism, and yes,
it is truly astonishing.
But still, if you ever eat
a fi g again, it might have a
dead wasp inside it.
Ick.
And also: Ew.
Sweet and
simple tiramisu
By GRETCHEN McKAY
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
I tend to eat a lot of Popsicles for dessert during
summer because they’re sweet and cooling when the
weather on my back porch is anything but. But I’m not
against making something from scratch as long as it
doesn’t require turning on the oven.
This easy tiramisu fi ts the bill. Whether you use a
hand mixer or a stand mixer (my preference), it whips
together in a couple of minutes with just a handful of
ingredients.
There are countless recipes for this classic, espres-
so-fl avored dessert. Some call for beating the eggs and
sugar over a pot of simmering water, or include heavy
whipping cream in the ingredient list. I skip all that,
adding mascarpone (a soft Italian cream cheese) directly
to the egg and sugar mixture after it’s been creamed in a
mixer. It’s easier and tastes just as good.
My son had just given me a bottle of dark rum so I
used that to fl avor the espresso, but you could also use
Kahlua, brandy, Amaretto or Frangelica; traditional rec-
ipes include sweet marsala wine.
This recipe includes raw egg yolk, so if that won’t do,
look for pasteurized eggs.
Ivy Ceballo/Tampa Bay Times-TNS
Cake designer and Wandering Whisk Bakeshop owner Jennifer Jacobs’ recipe for Mini pina Colada Pavlovas is easy to replicate at home.
EASY SUMMER TIRAMISU
Pavlova recipe from a pastry pro
6 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
16 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 cups freshly brewed strong espresso or coff ee, cooled slightly
1/4 cup dark rum
Bittersweet cocoa powder, for garnish
Dark chocolate shavings or fi nely chopped dark chocolate, for garnish
By HELEN FREUND
Tampa Bay Times
TAMPA, Fla. – Wan-
dering Whisk Bakeshop
owner Jennifer Jacobs is
known for her decadent
and colorful buttercream
cakes, French macarons,
cream puff s and cookie
sandwiches. But did you
know that the self-taught
cake designer and pastry
pro also makes a mean
pavlova?
“Florida summers are
hot, so I’m always looking
for a light and refreshing
dessert to serve when I’m
entertaining,” Jacobs said.
Jacobs came up with
this recipe while working
at her bakery in Pinellas
Park, Florida, where she
regularly hosts popup
events and works on
custom orders. These
miniature pineapple
curd-fi lled pavlovas, a
meringue-based dessert
with a crunchy exterior
and soft and airy interior,
are fl avored with coconut
and naturally gluten-free.
“Pavlovas look chal-
lenging but are actually
quite simple to prepare,”
Jacobs said. “They will
defi nitely make a state-
ment on your table.”
MINI PIÑA
COLADA
PAVLOVAS
Makes approximately one dozen.
For the pavlovas:
4 egg whites, at room
temperature (save the
egg yolks for curd)
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons coconut extract
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon juice
In a stand mixer fi tted with
the whisk attachment, beat the
egg whites on high until foamy,
VISIT BAKER’S MOST
INTERESTING STORE
about 1 minute. Gradually add
the sugar, one spoonful at a time.
Continue to beat until the me-
ringue reaches stiff peaks, about
5 to 6 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the
mixer. Using a rubber spatula,
fold in coconut extract, corn-
starch and lemon juice. Take care
not to defl ate the meringue.
Using an ice cream or cookie
scoop, scoop out the meringue
into 12 equal dollops onto a
baking sheet. Use the back of a
spoon to create a little nest in the
middle. (This will hold the curd
in place.)
Bake at 250 degrees for
approximately 45 to 60 minutes.
Turn off the oven and leave the
meringues in there for an addi-
tional 30 minutes. Remove from
the oven and let cool.
For the pineapple curd:
4 egg yolks
¼ cup pineapple juice
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted
butter, cold and cubed
For topping:
Toasted coconut, for garnish
Pineapple slices, for garnish
Combine egg yolks, pineapple
juice and sugar in a saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring
constantly with a whisk until the
mixture is thick enough to coat
the back of a spoon and registers
160 degrees on a candy ther-
mometer, about 4 to 6 minutes.
Remove from heat and add
salt and butter, one piece at a
time, stirring until smooth. Strain
through a fi ne sieve into a bowl.
Cover the curd with plastic
wrap, pressing it directly onto the
surface of the curd. Refrigerate
until chilled and set, at least 2
hours and up to 1 day.
To assemble the pavlovas, top
each one with a hearty scoop of
curd. Add toasted coconut and
a slice of pineapple. Feel free to
add fresh berries or any other
fruit desired.
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Combine egg yolks, sugar and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a stand
mixture. Beat on high speed until well mixed, and the egg mixture
is light, creamy and very thick, around 4 minutes. Add mascarpone
cheese and beat on medium speed just until smooth and well com-
bined.
Pour espresso or coff ee and rum into a shallow dish or bowl. Have
an 8-by-8- or 8-by-10-inch baking dish at the ready.
Dip each ladyfi nger into the coff ee/rum mixture for a few seconds.
You want the cookie to be soaked but not fall apart. Place soaked
ladyfi ngers on the bottom of the baking dish. You may have to break
some in half for them to fi t the bottom.
Spread evenly half of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfi ngers.
Arrange another layer of soaked ladyfi ngers and top with remaining
mascarpone mixture.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-8 hours to allow the
fl avors to mingle and the tiramisu to set up.
Before serving, use a fi ne-mesh sieve to dust the top with a
heavy-handed layer of cocoa powder. Garnish with chocolate shav-
ings or fi nely chopped chocolate.
Serves 4-6.
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Certified Master Arborist
Upgraded certification striving
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Starting a list for
Dormant Pruning
Season
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michaeltcurtiss@yahoo.com