Serves 24

INGREDIENTS

• 24 deglet noor dates, pitted
• ¼ lb Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 24 3-inch strips of very thinly sliced bacon
• 5 leaves flat-leaf parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. Using a small paring knife, cut a small slit across the length of each date.
3. Cut the cheese into approximately ½-by-¼-inch rectangles (the cheese will not cut into perfect shapes, but that’s OK).
4. Insert a piece of Parmigiano into each date.
5. Lay the strips of bacon out on a work space, next to each other. One by one, place each date at the end of a strip of bacon, and then carefully roll the date along the bacon strip, wrapping it tightly.
6. Place the bacon-wrapped dates on a roasting rack set in a baking sheet, and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown and crispy on the outside.
7. Arrange the dates in a bowl with the parsley leaves. Remember, the dates will be hot!

It has been nine years since her James Beard award-winning first book, Sunday Suppers at Lucques. Now, in her much anticipated follow-up, Suzanne Goin takes the small-plate, shared style dishes of her sophomore restaurant A.O.C. in Los Angeles and turns them into delicious main courses for the home chef. The A.O.C. Cookbook also has helpful wine notes from sommelier Caroline Styne, and concludes with a thoroughly entertaining 56-page guide on the best cheeses from around the world. – Chris Daniels