Capona(Tina)

When I go to Otto and I'm not in the pizza mood, I'll order a bunch of antipasti. My faves are the caponata, cauliflower, and lentils. Somehow I managed to make them look and taste quite similar to the restaurant version...at home! Truth be told, I made these all weeks ago, but the Breaking Bad finale clearly threw me off my blogging game. Or that's the convenient excuse I'm going with.

Caponata is a Sicilian cooked eggplant salad with a distinct sweet and sour flavor profile called agrodolce. Typically the agro (sour) part comes from vinegar and the dolce (sweet) part from sugar. There are also several variations that may or may not include celery, capers, olives, pine nuts, raisins, or currants. I like a variety of textures so threw in most of the options except for the raisins. Because they are gross. I used Mario Batali's recipe as a base and was surprised to find a touch of cocoa powder. The balsamic vinegar also adds a bit more richness than a red wine vinegar, which is often called for in recipes. I was super happy with the way mine turned out. 

The cauliflower here is simply roasted with some distinctive flavors added in at the end. Mario torches his under the broiler, 4-inches from the flame, but I have a crappy rental apartment oven so...yeah. Roasting seemed like a better idea. This a great way to try cauliflower especially if you are not a fan, possibly because you grew up on plain frozen florets or plain raw florets dunked into ranch dressing on a veggie tray. Not that I know anything about that.

Eggplant Caponata

1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, diced

2 celery ribs, diced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1⁄2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, or to taste 

2 medium eggplants, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 1⁄4 pounds each)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 (14-1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes

3 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup chopped green olives

2 tablespoons capers, drained

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic, pine nuts, and red pepper flakes, and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat until the onion is translucent. 

2. Add the eggplant, sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa powder, and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring often. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, olives, and capers and bring to a boil. 

3. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to simmer for 5 minutes more, or until the mixture has thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool and serve at room temperature. It's best made one day ahead to let the flavors develop. Will keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Serves 8.

Cauliflower with Olives and Capers

1 medium head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), trimmed, cored, and cut into bite-sized pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Maldon or other flaky sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives (or other favorite olive)
3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
1½ teaspoons hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
3 tablespoons lemon agrumato oil, or 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

1. Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil in a large bowl and season with the salt and pepper. Spread out in a single layer on a large baking sheet and roast, stirring occasionally, for 30 - 40 minutes, or until lightly charred in spots and just tender.

2. Return the cauliflower to the bowl, add the olives, capers, red pepper flakes, if using, and lemon oil, and toss to mix well. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve, or let stand at room temperature for up to 1 hour to bring out the flavors. Serves 6.

The Deep South

View from the Westin

So, yeah. I've been kind of MIA. Had to go to Aruba for work. I know. Poor me. Woe is me. Blah blah blah. But YOU try being "on" for 18 hours a day. It's exhausting! It's hard enough to travel with friends, let alone with work peeps. Plus, the wind was blowing a constant 20 knots. I still have sand in my ears. Anyhoo, that's a lame excuse for my lack o' blog posts. After 8 days of restaurant dining, I need to cut back hard core. So I've looked to some veggie relief.

I found this recipe on the Food & Wine website and it just sounded tasty and healthy (once I reduced the oil by half). Since I feel like I need to cut back on white food (rice, bread, pasta, sugar) I ate this recipe for dinner as is, without any sides. But you could serve it with Basmati rice and it would be a bit more filled out and super delish. Enjoy it with my travel photos below...

View of Aruban east coast

Bushiribana Gold Smelter Ruins

View from inside Bushiribana Gold Smelter Ruins

View from the (collapsed) Natural Bridge area

National Archaeological Museum

Sand dunes north of the California Lighthouse

Sunset at sand dunes

Curried Eggplant with Chickpeas and Spinach

Adapted from Food & Wine

2 large garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt

2 teaspoons curry powder

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 medium eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

One (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained

1/4 cup grated fresh ginger

Freshly ground pepper

One (5-ounce) bag baby spinach

Warm naan or Basmati rice and plain yogurt, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. On a work surface, mash the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt.

2. In a large roasting pan, mix the paste with the curry powder and vegetable oil. Add the eggplant, onion, chickpeas and ginger, season with salt and pepper and toss thoroughly.

3. Spread the vegetables in an even layer and roast for about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the eggplant and onion are tender. Stir in the spinach and roast just until wilted, about 2 minutes. Serve with warm naan or rice and yogurt. Serves 4, or 2 without sides.

Eggplant Assemblage

Holy cow. How good does that look?!? Sometimes I totally surprise myself. Thank you Melissa Clark. Thank you The New York Times. Thank you random folder of recipes that I keep even after the invention of this thing called the web. This recipe is delish.

I've been feeling super lame because I haven't been blogging regularly (get ready because that is going to change!) so this past weekend I decided that I wanted to make something simple yet seasonal and I think I hit the nail on the head with this deconstructed eggplant parm by Melissa Clark. It's fresh and flavorful and you don't have to bake it in the oven! There are more steps than I normally endorse, so takes awhile (2 hours if you are talking on the phone at the same time) but it's worth it! You cook the eggplant, cook the sauce, brown the bread crumbs, assemble, and voila...a gorgeous veggie starter.



Eggplant Parmesan Assemblage

1 large eggplant sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
Black pepper to taste
About 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
5 garlic cloves
4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
4 sprigs fresh oregano
3 sprigs fresh basil, plus 5 large leaves
5 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup ricotta
2 ounces fresh mozzarella

1. Place the eggplant slices in a colander over a bowl or in the sink. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand for 20 minutes. Drain and pat the slices dry with a paper towel. Season with pepper.

2. Working in batches, heat some of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (you will need about 1/2 cup total for frying, less with a nonstick pan). Add as much eggplant to the skillet as fits comfortably in a single layer. Cook, without moving, until the undersides are dark golden, about 4 minutes; flip and cook 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer the eggplant to a platter. Repeat with the remaining oil and eggplant.

3. Let the skillet cool for a few minutes. Return it to medium heat and add 3 tablespoons of the oil. Smash and peel 4 garlic cloves and add them to the skillet. Cook until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and oregano. Cook, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spatula, until the tomatoes start to form a sauce, 15 minutes. Add the basil sprigs and 4 tablespoons of the Parmesan. Simmer 5 minutes longer.

4. While the sauce simmers, in a small skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the oil. Mince 1 garlic clove and add it to the skillet with the bread crumbs. Toast, stirring, until the bread crumbs are just golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the 1 remaining tablespoon of Parmesan and a pinch of salt.

5. Arrange the eggplant on a large platter. Spoon dollops of the ricotta over the eggplant and top with the sauce. Scatter the bread crumbs over the sauce. Top with the mozzarella and garnish with torn basil leaves. Drizzle with more oil and serve. Makes 6 to 8 side dish or appetizer servings.

Toga(rashi) Party

Umm...Has anyone noticed that summer is basically over? How did that happen? I went to the beach once (well, pool actually), took a one week holiday and now it’s Labor Day. Practically. Since I’m a slacker who hasn’t been cooking at all this summer, I decided it was finally time to see what was happening at my local farmers' market.

Since I’ve been spending most of my time going out, most recently to one of my favorite local joints, Yakitori Totto with best buds Chad, Julie, and Sandro, I was looking for something quick and easy. The local Japanese eggplant looked the most promising, especially recalling the amazing miso glazed eggplant that I had just consumed at YT. Really I was just looking for a way to eat more Togarashi, a totally addictive spice blend. Shichimi tōgarashi (Japanese: 七味唐辛子, "seven flavor chili pepper") or shichimi, is a common Japanese spice mixture containing seven ingredients, typically:

• coarsely ground red chili pepper (the main ingredient)
• ground sansho (Sichuan pepper)
• roasted orange peel
• black sesame seed
• white sesame seed
• ground ginger
• nori or aonori

It’s amazing on yakitori. Something about the spice blend and the grilled meats (and vegetables) is a great combo. You can buy it here or you can even make your own by blending equal parts of the above. (Some recipes include garlic, poppy seed, or hemp seed in place of one or more items listed).

But back to my eggplant...I didn’t have any miso so just did a pan sear with the togarashi and a soy/mirin glaze. It’s super easy and, although not as fab as the miso version, it's still the perfect vessel for eating more togarashi! Hello. My name is Tina, and I'm an addict.





Spicy Japanese Eggplant
(Adapted from Food & Wine)

1 1/2 pounds Japanese eggplants, cut crosswise about 1/2-inch thick
Togarashi, for sprinkling
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons soy sauce

1. Lightly sprinkle the cut eggplant on both sides with togarashi. In a very large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons each of the canola oil until shimmering. Add the eggplant and cook over moderately high heat until browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes.

2. Brush the eggplant with the remaining canola and sesame oil. Turn and cook until deeply browned on the bottom and tender, about 3 minutes.

3. Add the mirin and soy sauce to the skillet. Turn the eggplant and cook until glazed, 1 minute. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with more togarashi, and serve. Serves up to 4 as a side dish.

Guarded by Garlic

So did you catch the True Blood Season 3 premiere last night??? It was awesome! Fabulous bloggers, Wendy and Stacy, came over to hang out and to watch the awesomeness unfold. Even more awesome? Wendy brought me my new stake necklace just in time to wear at our personal premiere party! She revealed the new necklace design just in time for the show. (I love that the photo of Eric on her blog features him wearing a similar necklace.)



I didn't really plan my True Blood menu (at all), so the only thing linking the recipes below happens to be garlic. It's in everything. (Sorry, ladies. I hope peeps didn't have to move far away from you at the gym today!) According to folklore, garlic was used to keep vampires away. According to Google, it repels mosquitos. But after watching last night's episode, we'd really, really rather not keep Vampire Eric away.



Garlic Bread
(Adapted from Food & Wine)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced (about 1/4 cup)
4 thyme sprigs
1 rosemary sprig
Coarse sea salt
1 baguette, halved and split lengthwise
Pimentón de la Vera (smoked Spanish paprika), optional



1. Preheat the broiler. Heat the butter and oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, thyme, and rosemary and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is softened and lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Discard the herb sprigs. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic and any loose herbs to a small bowl and mash to a paste. Season the garlic-herb paste with salt.

2. Spread the baguette with the garlic-herb paste, brush with the melted butter left in the skillet, then sprinkle with salt. Season lightly with smoked paprika, if using. Broil the bread for about 1 minute, or until sizzling and browned. Serve hot.




Eggplant, Garlic & Feta Dip
(Adapted from Food & Wine)

2 (1-pound) eggplants
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 large garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 ounces feta, crumbled (about 1 cup)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pita chips

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. On a baking sheet, roast the eggplants, turning once, until they are very soft and blackened, about 1 hour. Let cool.

2. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop the pulp into a strainer. Let drain for 10 minutes, shaking the strainer occasionally.

3. On a work surface, finely chop the parsley with the garlic. Transfer the eggplant pulp to a food processor and pulse until chopped. Add three-fourths of the parsley mixture, and season with salt and pepper and pulse just until blended. Transfer the eggplant to a bowl and stir in three-quarters of the feta and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley mixture and feta, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and serve. Serve with pita chips or crusty bread. Makes about 2 cups.




Mediterranean Couscous and Lentil Salad
(Adapted from Gourmet)

1 cup lentilles du Puy (French green lentils) or brown lentils
3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup couscous
1/2 teaspoons salt
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint, parsley, or basil leaves (or a mixture of all)
2 cups vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, halved
4 ounces feta, crumbled (about 1 cup)

1. In a small saucepan, simmer the lentils in water to cover by 2 inches until tender but not falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well. Transfer the hot lentils to a bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of the vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Cool the lentils completely, stirring occasionally.

2. In a saucepan bring the water to a boil and add the couscous and salt. Remove the pan from the heat and let the couscous stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil and cool completely, stirring occasionally.

3. In a small bowl whisk together the garlic paste, remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, remaining 3 tablespoons oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir the lentils and dressing into the couscous. Chill, covered, at least 3 hours and up to 24.

4. Just before serving, stir in the remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6.

Pasta Bellini

I think that eggplant is something you either love or hate. The texture is a little weird and can easily turn people off to it, and I totally get that. Don't get me started on the things that I hate simply because of the texture. (Mayo, bananas, pudding, tomato juice...)

I've been seeing a bunch of white and purple eggplants all over my local farmers' market lately, so had been thinking about what I would do with them once I finally got around to buying some. I checked out the Recipes for Health column in The New York Times and considered making some baba ganoush (and I probably still will), but saw a tomato-eggplant pasta recipe that sounded perfect for a chilly fall weekend.

After I read through the recipe a few times, it felt familiar. I finally realized that it was essentially a version of Pasta alla Norma, one of my favorite pasta dishes, probably because I remember eating it in an outdoor cafe in Sicily, which is WAY better than eating it in my tiny apartment, with the scent of my neighbor's cigarette smoking wafting through the window. (Random fact: It is supposedly named after Bellini's opera, Norma.) I had never tried making it...until now. And I'm glad I did!

This recipe calls for a cooked tomato sauce as one of the components. I did actually make my own sauce, mostly because I like to make a bunch and then freeze the leftovers, but I guess you could buy a jarred sauce instead, but ONLY if you recognize all of the ingredients and there is no added sugar. Also, if you are good at improvising, you could make a quick sauce on the fly. I recommend the recipe the way I've written it simply because it was SO GOOD. Guess I know what I'll be eating for lunch tomorrow...



Pasta alla Norma
(adapted from Martha Rose Shulman)

1 pound small eggplants (white and/or purple)
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose tomato sauce*(see note below)
3/4 to 1 pound dried pasta (penne or rigatoni)
Fresh basil, optional
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino (or Parmesan, ricotta salata is traditional)

1. If you are working with small eggplants, not more than 3 inches long, trim the ends and cut them into 1/2-inch thick wedges. If the eggplants are bigger than that, cut them in half, and then into 3-inch wedges. Place the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle generously with salt, then allow to sit for 30 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels.

2. Heat a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once it is hot and begins to shimmer, add the eggplant. Cook, stirring often, until the edges are nicely browned, about 10-12 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and tomato sauce and stir together. Cover, turn the heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes more. Remove from the heat, and keep warm.

3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously, and add the pasta. Cook until al dente, firm to the bite, following the package instructions for exact cooking times. Stir 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water into the eggplant and tomato mixture, until fully incorporated. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Drain the pasta, and toss with the tomato sauce and eggplant mixture. Stir in the fresh basil if using. Serve, passing the cheese for sprinkling on top if desired. Serves four to six.

*Note: You can either follow the recipe below for the tomato sauce, or substitute a high quality jarred sauce. Alternatively, after the eggplant has been cooked in step 2, remove it to a plate and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, one small onion, chopped, and 2 minced garlic cloves to the skillet. Cook for 3 minutes and then add 1 (14-ounce) can of chopped tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes more. Add the eggplant back into the skillet with the tomato sauce and continue with the rest of the recipe starting with the rest of step 2, adding the red pepper flakes and cooking 10 more minutes.




All-Purpose Tomato Sauce

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh Basil, chopped, optional

1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the onions and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for 30 seconds, and then add the chopped tomatoes with their juice. Stir in the salt. Bring to a simmer and the reduce the heat the medium-low and continue to cook, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Stir occasionally.

2. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove the pot from the heat. If desired, use an immersion blender to puree the sauce. Stir in fresh chopped fresh basil if desired. Makes about 4 cups.