I love to read and to be transported to another place, another realm where regular folks find themselves in impossible situations. No self help books for me…I love the world of make-believe from dystopian, supernatural, and the paranormal, but my favorite is reading vampire romance novels. It’s my one true guilty pleasure. My hands down, all time FAVORITE vampire book series is JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood(BDB). I cannot get enough of her amazing writing and those sexy defenders of the vampire race. I’ve read all of them countless times and they get better with every read. If you haven’t read her, I highly recommend the BDB series. Whether it’s two vampires or vampire-humans falling in love, the intoxicating push and pull of attraction, the conflict that breaks them apart and then the explosive reconciliation which makes for gripping emotional reading. I love the tug of war over instinct versus reason and the inevitable communion of flesh and bloodlust. It’s so much fun!
So that brings me to my vampire-inspired Flesh and Bloodlust Platter, a humble food equivalent of a vampire romance novel complete with dark and luscious fruits intertwined with sexy savory meats, nestled around a dreamy heart of brie dripping with blood orange and wine macerated figs and pomegranate tears. And just like all vampire romance novels, it’s sexy, romantic and sure to make you happy in the end. Enjoy!
Flesh and Bloodlust Platter
Ingredients
- 1 4 oz blueberry coated goat cheese
- 1 wheel Triple Cream Brie
- 3/4 cup dried figs, halved
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1/2 cup blood orange juice (substitute with orange juice)
- 2 Tbsp honey
- Kalamata olives
- various cured meats (I used Iberico chorizo and salami)
- Various dark fruits (black grapes, blackberries, blueberries, pomegranate)
- various crackers and bread (I used beet chips, rye bread slices and charcoal crackers)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, add figs, wine and orange juice and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes and turn off heat. Cool and then refrigerate overnight. Before serving, add honey and pour figs and syrup over to coat wheel of Brie.
- Place wheel of brie in center of cheese board and arrange the rest of the ingredients around the wheel of brie, repeating ingredients on each side. Top brie with macerated figs and wine blood orange syrup.
