Rome

The date was the first exotic fruit imported into Rome . Pliny wrote of it in his Natural History LXXII: “When they are fresh, dates are delicious that the risk of dying of overeating is the only thing that will stop you from eating them”

Serves: 4

2 tablespoon pine nuts

20 pitted whole dried dates

2 tablespoons honey

Toast the pine nuts in a small fry pan over medium heat just until they start to brown. Shake the pan to toss the nuts and watch them carefully since they will darken quickly. Allow the nuts to cool completely. Make a slit in each date and fill each with about ¼ teaspoon of the pine nuts. Press the dates together to enclose the nuts. Heat the honey in a small nonstick fry pan until it is melted. Carefully add the filled dates and heat the dates, turning them once or twice, until the honey coats the skin. Serve warm.

Variation:

Add a grinding of black pepper to the dates to give this dessert a little a spark.