Great shot of the caponata!
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Lovely article. Lucky enough to be in Sicily now. The eggplant is soooooo flavorful here. Can't say the eggplant in the states has the same flavor. For that matter the grape tomatoes, lemons, bread... all tastes better here. Wish we had access to similar Ingredients in the states.
There is also a lot less Trump here...
There is also a lot less Trump here...
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We're enjoying the heat and fresh produce here in Paros. I just bought enough white and purple eggplants for tonight's dinner. I will be making pasta ala Norma Greek style: oregano instead of basil.
And yes, it's wonderful to wake up in the morning without Trump in your face!!!
And yes, it's wonderful to wake up in the morning without Trump in your face!!!
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I will try this caponata. Looking and looking for one that works. Maybe this will. Thanks.
I suggest as wine a Rosato del Salento. It's wonderful.
@ Vito Gallotta Bari
Thank you for this suggestion. Something to keep an eye on, but may be difficult to find in the US. My alternative suggestion is a dry white, less acidic than Riesling, perhaps a Sylvaner or Chablis.
Thank you for this suggestion. Something to keep an eye on, but may be difficult to find in the US. My alternative suggestion is a dry white, less acidic than Riesling, perhaps a Sylvaner or Chablis.
I believe many like Edda Servi Machlin in "Classic Italian Cooking", attribute the use of eggplants, artichokes, and fennel to the Roman Jews, "Classic Italian Jewish Cooking starts with the ancient Italian adage Vesti da turco e mangia da ebreo ("Dress like a Turk and eat like a Jew")." Also not putting butter or cheese in eggplant caponata which can also be eaten hot or cold, goes along with keeping kosher so that it could be eaten with a dairy or meat meal and on Shabbat, when ovens could not be lit.
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My version of parmigiana--Peel, slice and soak eggplant in cold, salted water. Soften eggplant in hot frying pan with butter. Layer eggplant with Swiss cheese, parmigiana and thinned tomato paste. We call it the artery choker around here. I've learned to make a smaller amount because no matter how much I make there is never any left over.
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They peeled the eggplants ? What do they do with its skin?
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My father was born in Bagharia -- slightly east of Palermo (locations there were used in "Godfather 111". Sicilians love flavorful food and are very creative, inventive cooks. When I was very young, my mother had been very ill for a while. My father would come home and would begin stirring garlic in a frying pan with a bit of oil. He would begin making a fast marinara sauce -- boil the water for the pasta -- then he would find one extra item to toss into the sauce. One time it would be a can of tuna -- another, a drained jar of capers. Every meal he ever made was a surprise. When he had sauce left over, he would boil potatoes and toss them in the sauce -- potatoes marinara. What wonderful, tasty memories.
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Irene, I think you mean "Bagheria". Otherwise I enjoyed your comment very much.
3
Sometimes the potato was used if the sauce was too acidic. The starch of the potato would absorb the acidity of the tomatoes; the raw potato was added to the sauce at the onset.
The skin and seeds of the tomato are what makes a sauce acidic or bitter. Run the canned tomatoes through a manual tomato mill, it only takes about five minutes and eliminates seeds and skin. Your sauce will have no bitterness, trust me! PS: if you can, buy the authentic San Marzano canned tomatoes which have various seals on the labels and all cans have an individual number. Once you have tried San Marzano tomatoes, you will never use anything else, trust me!
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My favorite eggplant-dish is a Russian spread called "baklazhannaya ikra" (baklazhan is eggplant in Russian). Of the dishes illustrated and described by Mr. Tanis, my order of preference from top to bottom would be:
eggplant caponata;
baked eggplant with anchovies;
eggplant parmigiana; and last
eggplant with different varieties of pasta.
eggplant caponata;
baked eggplant with anchovies;
eggplant parmigiana; and last
eggplant with different varieties of pasta.
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Share your recipe! I call it "falshivaya ikra" (fake caviar).
My current fave eggplant recipe: prick whole eggplants several times, place on pyrex dish, cover w whatever, cook in 60 second increments, turning them each time, until slightly soft, or as soft as you want them. Less soft they stay a lovely green. Let cool. Skin - usually it comes off easily. Chop flesh into cubes approx 1", place in large shallow bowl or pyrex dish. Add however much of any or all: diced celery, sliced cherry tomatoes, capers, scallions, cilantro, walnuts, parsley, tomatillo finely cubed - nothing should be bigger than the eggplant cubes. Drizzle with olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with a pinch of sugar and good amount of red wine or white vinegar, or lemon juice. Add any herbs - basil, tarragon, dill.
The additions can be up to the volume of the eggplant and it will still be eggplant salad. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature. It's good!
My current fave eggplant recipe: prick whole eggplants several times, place on pyrex dish, cover w whatever, cook in 60 second increments, turning them each time, until slightly soft, or as soft as you want them. Less soft they stay a lovely green. Let cool. Skin - usually it comes off easily. Chop flesh into cubes approx 1", place in large shallow bowl or pyrex dish. Add however much of any or all: diced celery, sliced cherry tomatoes, capers, scallions, cilantro, walnuts, parsley, tomatillo finely cubed - nothing should be bigger than the eggplant cubes. Drizzle with olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with a pinch of sugar and good amount of red wine or white vinegar, or lemon juice. Add any herbs - basil, tarragon, dill.
The additions can be up to the volume of the eggplant and it will still be eggplant salad. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature. It's good!
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@ Elle Kitchen
Aye-aye, M'ame!
Perhaps this will do for now:
"The Art of Russian Cooking", by Nina Nicolaieff and Nancy Phelan, Galahad Books, New York City, 1969, p. 40.
Library of Congress Cat. Card No. 76-57797.
Aye-aye, M'ame!
Perhaps this will do for now:
"The Art of Russian Cooking", by Nina Nicolaieff and Nancy Phelan, Galahad Books, New York City, 1969, p. 40.
Library of Congress Cat. Card No. 76-57797.
3
Three good looking recipes. As soon as my eggplants are worth harvesting that caponata will be on our table for a summer lunch. Thanks.
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I've also made Jamie Oliver's Eggplant Parmesan. He calls for baking/roasting sliced eggplant, rather than frying it, for a healthy alternative. Also delicious.
And I've a fresh batch of ratatouille, chilling in my fridge right now, as I received eggplants, peppers and zucchini from my CSA.
Life is good.