I've never had a date. Anything I should know about them?

[seaglass]

I am making dates stuffed with goat cheese and baked. I've never had a date and have no clue why I'm making this except it sounded good.

I'm going to assume they taste good but do they cause digestive problems like too many dried apricots do?

[eyepaddle]

1. I've never had a problem with them, and it seems like EVERYTHING has caused

me grief at one time or another....

That's hardly conclusive, but hey, so far so good, eh?

[Chan790]

2. They're high in fiber.

I eat them by the fist full.

[Angry Dragon]

3. Do you like figs??

[Chan790]

5. I don't know that I've ever had a fig. n/t

[Angry Dragon]

15. i found them sweeter than dates

[seaglass]

8. OK, Fiber I think is good but causes stomach problems right?

At least Fiber One cereal does :-)

So I will only have one. Unless they taste really good. I love experimenting on my family but I'll warn them. :-)

[Chan790]

14. Do raisins bother you?

Raisins are also fairly fiber dense...technically any fruit has some fiber, drying removes most of the water leaving behind the sugars and fiber, thus the total % of fiber (and total % of sugar) by weight increases (but the actual amount of sugar and fiber and calories per raisin/date/prune stays the same). This is why raisins are sweeter than grapes not surprisingly.

Fiber shouldn't be causing issues, it's totally indigestible. Your body uses it for two things...to carry fats and grease out of the body it does not need and to add bulk to excrement. Consumption of high-fiber foods in advance of meals has some positive effect on weight loss by making you feel full faster.

[seaglass]

17. Nope, no problems with raisins. Just had a bad experience with Fiber One I guess.

But yay for it making me feel fuller because tomorrow was going to be a no-holds-barred eat everything I haven't let myself eat since April.

I'll focus on the hummus with veggies and now the dates to see how good I can be :-)

[TheMightyFavog]

4. Don't expect sex at the end if it's your first?

:p

[Chan790]

6. I always offer to put out on the first date.

I'm very amenable like that. :evilgrin:

(I don't often get taken up on the offer. :()

[tigereye]

11. he he - that was my thought when I saw the OP

:rofl: esp here in the lounge.

[nolabear]

7. One of my favorite appetizers. Wrap a little prosciutto around them

and you have heaven. Sweet, salty, tart, creamy...mmmmm. Wonder if I have time for one more run to the store.

[seaglass]

18. That sounds good. The recipe calls for very fine toasted breadcrumbs on top

but I think I will skip that.

[kimmerspixelated]

9. Be sure to complement your date on her shoes!

HAHAHAHA!

[tigereye]

10. that was funny, I expected something totally different!

:rofl:

They are very good. I really wouldn't eat too many since it seems that they are not very "expeditious" in my own humble experience.

[GoCubsGo]

12. That sounds yummy!

I love dates! They taste somewhat like a cross between raisins and brown sugar. I often eat them when my sweet tooth acts up. Better than any candy out there. Also a great source of potassium and antioxidants.

[redwitch]

13. Dates are yummy. And very versatile.

I like them stuffed with cream cheese, or bleu cheese, or with peanut butter- and then rolled in sugar.

[Moondog]

16. Dates, particularly medjools (sic?) are wonderful. To gild the lily, however,

try slicing them open lengthwise, stuffing them with peanut butter (smooth works better - I am a die-hard crunchy guy, but trust me for this smooth works better), rolling them in 10x confectioner's sugar, and refrigerating. Tasty.

[redwitch]

19. Oh yeah.

My favorite way to eat dates.

[seaglass]

20. Oh that sounds good too - assuming I like dates. They are medjools those are the only kind I saw

except for the ones rolled in coconut at Trader Joe's which did not sound good with goat cheese :-)

[dimbear]

21. You may have tried that little cookie called a Fig Newton.

Oddly enough, the taste of the filling resembles the taste of dates.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

22. have to admit,

thread title made me look.

Dates are good, so are figs. Texture is different.

[Kali]

23. I like them plain and stuffed with a couple pecan halves

:9

[seaglass]

24. Major fail on the dates - not doing that again.

Unfortunately between all the different things I had to use the oven for I couldn't turn it up to 450 to bake the dates.

So I put them in a 325 deg. oven with the turkey and just kept my eye on them waiting for the cheese to melt.

I guess feta cheese does not melt? The cheese browned a little and I took them out but browned feta cheese is not good, so blech.

A couple people ate them and said they liked them but I do not think I will do it again - or maybe I'll try them with cheddar - they were really sweet so something is definitely needed to offset the sweetness.

[Chan790]

25. Yeah, I thought you knew that.

Feta, like all brined cheeses, doesn't melt.

Once it starts to brown significantly even, it's burnt and is going to taste like oily (if it was packed in olive oil which some feta are.) salty funk.

You're right about the sweetness though, that's the reason the recipe called for feta...because it's salty. Likewise the reason so many people recommend bacon. (Edit: or PB or prosciutto. Strong flavors to offset the sweet.) You're looking to balance the sweetness with saltiness. I'd avoid cheddar as I think the results will be bad...possibly a stronger flavored cheese...if you have time, pull out a wine book (or the almighty Google) and see what pairs with tawny port, another super-sweet jammy-fruity flavor often paired with cheeses.

[seaglass]

26. Nope, I've never cooked feta before so I had not clue it wouldn't melt.

Yes, I agree with a strong flavored cheese - preferably one that melts. :-)

[old mark]

27. Dates are naturally very sweet very high fiber and have some good nutrition -

some people like them in place of candy because they are better healthwise and taste wonderful. I love them, especially Medjool dates, but there really are no bad dates, unlike bad dates, a few of which I have had...
You really should try some plain before you add cheese or modify them - watch out for the large pits.

mark