Skip the Avocado and Top Your Toast with Figs and Black Sesame Paste

Move over avocado toast, we’re craving figs on focaccia for fall instead. At State Bird Provisions in San Francisco, Chef De Cuisine Gaby Maeda wanted to highlight the beloved California jewel at the height of its season. “We wanted the fig to have its moment on the menu,” says Maeda, who lightly sears them in clarified butter and adds a little salt. She also grills housemade sourdough focaccia in...