Eggplant Caponata

I’m on an eggplant kick this week.  Eggplant is definitely a Mediterranean  vegetable. You will see this vegetable in Sicilian, Greek and Middle Eastern dishes. When I was a kid I wouldn’t even look at an eggplant, let alone eat it.  There was just something about it that was completely unappealing.  But I finally tried it. The following recipe was given to me by a friend years ago and I made  it and actually LIKED IT.  There are many variations of this recipe. It’s basically a Sicilian vegetable dish that is used as an appetizer.  It’s great served room temperature with “crostini”, toasted bread with olive oil, or crackers.  I have also served it hot over pasta.

There are many variations of this recipe.  Try using celery or fennel and/or green olives.

Enjoy

                                                    EGGPLANT CAPONATA

1 large eggplant

1/3 cup chopped green pepper

l medium onion, chopped

3/4 lb. of fresh mushrooms or 1 14 oz canned mushrooms, drained

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup olive oil

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

1/4 cup of water

2 Tablespoons balsmaic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup stuffed olives

          1.  Peel and cube eggplant.

          2.  Combine eggplant, green pepper, onion, mushrooms, garlic and olive oil in skillet.  Cover and over low heat cook for ten minutes. Stir for an additional 2-3 minutes.

          3.  In bowl, combine remaining ingredients except olives and add to skillet.

          4.  Simmer for an additional 30 minutes.

Serve Cold with crackers or use as an antipasto at dinner or over hot pasta.

Melanzana alla Romana

A little bit about this recipe. Well actually a lot about this recipe. This recipe was sent to me by Kathy M.  It was a recipe given to her by my mom years ago.  I first met Jim and Kathy M over 40 years ago when we were all QUITE young. (That’s all I m going to say!) We met when we were students at the Loyola Rome Ceneter. Jim and Kathy came to Chicago to do their graduate work at Northwestern University. They visited my folks often and were guests for dinner on many occasions.  Since then, we have remained the best of friends and have been part of each others’ lives.  Anyway…………  My mom made these croquoettes when Kathy was visiting us and she gave Kathy a copy.   Kathy in turn just sent it to me.  I am sharing it with you now. And more about Jim and Kathy later.

Melanzana alla Romana 

2 large eggplants (about 3 pounds)

2 eggs, beaten

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

1 clove garlic, minced

3/4 to 1 cup fine bread crumbs

3 T. grated Romano cheese

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup flour

oil for frying

Peel eggplant, cube and boil in salted water for 10  minutes. Drain and cool.  Squeeze out as much water as possible.  Chop very fine or put thru food chopper.  Add beaten eggs, seasonings and as much bread crumbs as necessary to make a mixture of good consistency to form croquettes.  Roll croquettes in flour and fry in 2-inch deep hot oil until golden color.  Serve as a side dish.

Dom, I have this recipe in your mom's handwriting.  I think it must be from 1969 or 1970!

Eggplant Parmesan OR My mom's Mulignan

I had to call Frank to find out how to spell "Mulignan", the Neopolitan dialect word for Eggplant.  I am going to phonetically spell the word as we say it.  MULLINJOHN.  As long as I could remember, there was never a Christmas where my mom didn't make her Mulignan. As she got older, I took over the tradition of making it.  It was a staple whereever Christmas Eve was spent.

Here is the recipe my mom developed.  You will find it quite different than others you seen.  It is more involved perhaps than others, but the results you will find are worth the effort you put into it

                                       EGGPLANT PARMESAN

1 large eggplant

1 cup vegetable oil

1 large egg

1 cup flour

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons of minced garlic

Black Pepper to taste

1 large can tomato sauce (28 oz.)

1 tablespoon Oregano

1 tablespoon Basil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

3/4 lb. shredded mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees

Peel and cut eggplant into ¼ " slices

2.   Place the eggplant in a large colander and sprinkle with kosher salt (regular salt will work too).  Let

      stand for 30 minutes.

Use a paper towel or a cotton dish towel, wipe the salt off and pat the excess moisture from the

eggplant.

4.   In large skillet, heat oil

5.  Combine egg, flour, milk and seasonings to make a batter.

6.  When oil is hot enough dredge each slice of eggplant in the batter and fry until golden brown.

7.  Set on platter with paper towels to drain off excess oil.

8.  In large bowl, combine tomato sauce and seasonings.

9.  Spoon some of the tomato sauce on the bottom of an ovenproof platter, (an 8 x 8 cake glass cake         pan is a perfect size).

10.Layer slices of fried eggplant, and then add some shredded mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.

11.Repeat the process: tomato sauce, eggplant, cheeses, making sure you end with a last layer of tomato sauce.

12. Bake in oven for 30 minutes

Orange Biscotti

I have several recipes for biscotti but I think this is my favorite.  This recipe comes from a good friend of mine, Judee Perone. Actually, it's Bernie's recipe, her husband, and I am grateful he shared it with me.  If I bake cookies, this is the recipe I usually do.  Most biscotti recipes call for butter.  This one uses margarine. I once tried to subsitute butter in the recipe.  But it really didn't work as well.  When I mentioned this to Judee she said Bernie tried it and came to the  same conclusion that margarine works better in this recipe.

Biscotti literally means 'twice baked.  As you will note in the recipe below the cookie is in the oven actually twice.  The first time the dough is formed into a 'log' and baked.  Once it is cooled, the log is sliced diagonally, and baked on each side.

On Sunday, November 14th, Jon and Christine came over and spent the day with me. Jon and I sat in the computer room for over three hours where Jon patiently helped me to develop this BLOG.  When the movie rights are sold, I surely will make sure Jon gets credit!!!

I couldn't let Christine, my favorite student, remain idle. So I gave her this recipe, had all the ingredients laid out for her and let her make these cookies.  With minimal coaching from me, Christine did an excellent job!

In any case, here is the recipe!! Thanks Bernie!!  GO FOR IT.

ORANGE BISCOTTI

Ingredients

2 sticks of margarine, room temperature

2 cups of sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

6 teaspoons of Vanilla or 2 teaspoons of Vanilla and 4 teaspoons of triple sec liquor (you can substitute orange extract for the triple sec)

4 cups plus 8 tablespoons flour

3 teaspoons of baking powder

Dash of salt

The zest of a small orange, careful not to include any of the pith

Optional:      1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans or almonds

                   ¾ cup dried chopped cranberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

1.     In a large mixing bowl, beat margarine and sugar until light and sugar fully incorporated and creamy. It will be a bit grainy. 

2.     Beat in eggs and vanilla, then add orange zest.

3.     Add optional nuts and/or cranberries and stir to mix.

4.     In another bowl, put in flour, baking powder and salt and stir to blend.

5.     Stir flour mixture slowly in to creamed sugar.  Do not overmix.

6.     Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes, as dough will be too soft to handle.

7.     Divide dough in to four equal parts and shape each in a log about 12 inches long. 

8.     On a greased and floured cookie sheet, place each log and press until about 2 inches wide and about ¼ inch high.

9.     Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. 

10. Reduce oven to 300 degrees. 

11. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Carefully move to wire racks and let cool an additional 15 minutes.

12. On a cutting board, cut logs diagonally in roughly ¾ inch slices.  Place each slice on its side on the baking sheet.  Toast for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and turn each slice and return to oven for another 10 minutes

Making the Blog

We designed the blog today

Is There Really a Difference?

I just love the internet where you can just type in a question or phrase and actually come up with the answer.  With tools like this, we all should be geniuses.  But it’s all fun stuff we learn too.

I would classify the following as ‘fun stuff’.  It’s not earth moving or information that will make a great difference in your life, but it’s FUN.  A few months ago, Cousin Sandra, asked if I knew the difference between Baking Soda and Baking Powder.  Both are used in baking recipes as leavening agents.  So what’s the difference and can you use either in the same recipes. So I decided to look it up on the internet and found the answer.

Here is what I found!!    Take special note of the last paragraph

           

Question: What Is the Difference Between Baking Soda & Baking Powder?

Answer: Both baking soda and baking powder are leavening agents, which means they are added to baked goods before cooking to produce carbon dioxide and cause them to 'rise'. Baking powder contains baking soda, but the two substances are used under different conditions.                                          

Baking Soda

Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate. When baking soda is combined with moisture and an acidic ingredient (e.g., yogurt, chocolate, buttermilk, honey), the resulting chemical reaction produces bubbles of carbon dioxide that expand under oven temperatures, causing baked goods to rise. The reaction begins immediately upon mixing the ingredients, so you need to bake recipes which call for baking soda immediately, or else they will fall flat!

Baking Powder

Baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate, but it includes the acidifying agent already (cream of tartar), and also a drying agent (usually starch). Baking powder is available as single-acting baking powder and as double-acting baking powder. Single-acting powders are activated by moisture, so you must bake recipes which include this product immediately after mixing. Double-acting powders react in two phases and can stand for a while before baking. With double-acting powder, some gas is released at room temperature when the powder is added to dough, but the majority of the gas is released after the temperature of the dough increases in the oven.

How Are Recipes Determined?

Some recipes call for baking soda, while others call for baking powder. Which ingredient is used depends on the other ingredients in the recipe. The ultimate goal is to produce a tasty product with a pleasing texture. Baking soda is basic and will yield a bitter taste unless countered by the acidity of another ingredient, such as buttermilk. You'll find baking soda in cookie recipes. Baking powder contains both an acid and a base and has an overall neutral effect in terms of taste. Recipes that call for baking powder often call for other neutral-tasting ingredients, such as milk. Baking powder is a common ingredient in cakes and biscuits.

Substituting in Recipes

You can substitute baking powder in place of baking soda (you'll need more baking powder and it may affect the taste), but you can't use baking soda when a recipe calls for baking powder. Baking soda by itself lacks the acidity to make a cake rise. However, you can make your own baking powder if you have baking soda and cream of tartar. Simply mix two parts cream of tartar with one part baking soda.

          

To Fry or Not to Fry

OK.  So I was teaching my cousin Christina Bella how to make meatballs.  She asked me do we fry or do we bake.  Because of the time involved in frying and the mess it can make, I told her we would bake.  Baking is so much easier. It is probably healthier because no fat is used in the pan.  I have even used cookie and cake racks in the baking sheets to allow the fat to drip down in the pan and separate it from the meatballs.  It is no doubt faster, because you can bake all the meatballs at one time and walk away from the oven while they are baking.  HOWEVER, are they better than if they are fried?  I guess I am going to have to confess that they are NOT.  Sorry all. But fried are better.  Frying allows the outside to 'sear' and make a harder shell and keeps all the flavors inside the meatball.  I can remember the Sunday morning rituals my Auntie Ang and my mother would go through to make Sunday "Gravy" and frying the meatballs was one of them.  I can still smell the aroma from their kitchens on Sunday mornings from the frying of the meatballs.  And, of course, not all of the meatballs made it into the 'gravy'.  And not all the meatballs that were put in the 'gravy' made it to the table.

Now the next question is when do you put the meatballs in the 'gravy'.  This is entirely up to the cook.  My mom preferred to place the meatballs in the 'gravy' as soon as they were cooked.  I preferred to put them in about 1/2 hour before being served. My mom and argued about this and the solution with which we came up was simply whoever made the 'gravy' put the meatballs in whenever he/she wanted.  Simple! Easy! Argument over!  Following is the recipe my mom used and I am sharing it with you.

ITALIAN MEATBALLS

1 lbs. lean ground beef, ground chuck or ground round

or ½ lbs. beef and ½ lbs. ground pork

1 egg

1 cup of breadcrumbs

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup of fresh parsley

1/4 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon of dried oregano,

Salt and pepper to taste

NOTE:  This recipe yields about 12 meatballs.  The ingredients can be doubled to yield 24 without changing the quality of the recipe.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1.  In a large bowl, mix beef, egg and bread crumbs

2.  Add parsley, cheese, olive oil and seasonings and mix together.

3.  Take a small handful of mixture the size of a golf ball and roll between the      palms of your hands.

4. Place meatballs in baking pan and bake in oven 20 to 25 minutes.

5. If frying the meatballs, add ¼ cup of corn or vegetable oil to cast iron skillet.

6. Heat oil on medium high heat until tiny bubbles appear or oil begins to smoke.  Turn down heat to medium.

7. Add as many meatballs as skillet will hold.  Fry for about 2 minutes, turn and fry and additional 2 minutes, making sure the entire meatball has been seared.

8. Fry additional 10 minutes, turning the meatballs constantly to insure it is cooked thoroughly through. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on cookie/cake rack.

9. Repeat until all the meatballs are done.

Pumpkin Ravioli?

Are you kidding me?  Pumpkin Ravioli?  No such thing.  Ravioli is made with ricotta cheese and red "gravy".  But actually there is a recipe for Pumpkin Ravioli.  I was teaching a course in Fresh Pasta and wanted to try something different so I reseach the net and found this one. 

ENJOY

PUMPKIN RAVIOLI

Pasta Dough

2 cups of flour

1 large egg

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoon canned pumpkin

½ teaspoon salt

On a large flat surface, place flour and make a well.  Add egg and mix thoroughly. Add oil and pumpkin and salt and kneed for at least 5 minutes.  If dough is too dry, add a few drops of water and kneed until smooth and elastic.

If you have a food processor, place flour and egg in container.  Pulse a few times.  Add oil and pumpkin and salt and process until dough is mixed and falls away from sides.  Add a few drops of water at a time, if needed.  Remove dough and kneed a two minutes on flat floured surface.

Place dough in oiled bowl and cover.

Filling

1 cup of canned pumpkin

1 large egg

½ cup of Parmesan cheese

½ teaspoon of nutmeg or all spice

½ cup of crushed amaretto cookies (This is a hazel nut cookie you can find in many specialty stores or Italian delis)  If unable to find, trying using bread crumbs and add another ½ teaspoon of nutmeg)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thickness.  Spoon a mound (2 tablespoons) on dough at one-inch intervals.  Fold dough over and with your fingers, seal dough around filling.  Cut in one long strip away from dough and then cut into individual ravioli.  Crimp all sides of the ravioli and set on floured cookie sheet until all ravioli are formed.

Drop each ravioli in a large pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes.

Serve immediately with a light cream sauce.  (See Creamy Sage Sauce)

BUTTER SAGE SAUCE

Ingredients

6 tablespoons of butter

3 tablespoons of chopped sage

1 cup of heavy cream

¼ cup of Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in large skillet and add chopped sage.  Slowly whisk in cream. If you want a lighter sauce, use only ½ cup of cream.  Remove from heat and add Parmesan cheese.

A little goes a long way, so use sparingly on your hot pasta.

My First Adventures in Cooking

I was brought up Roman Catholic and all our Fridays were meatless.   I was a very picky eater and did like fish so cooking for me on Fridays was a chore for my mom.  She tried everything; fish sticks, tuna salad, lentils, pasta fagioli, salmon patties.  This list was endless and my poor mom tried everything to get me to eat healthy on Fridays.  Mustard sandwiches for dinner was not hacking it for her.

I don't know when it started or how she did it, but my mom "invented" Spaghetti and Tuna Fish.  It was Macaroni.   I doubt very much if she told me that there was tuna in this dish.  I think for several weeks she just served without telling me what was in it.

At some point I did find out what was it in. But by that time it was too late.  I actually loved it. It became my one and only dish I would eat on Fridays.  I think my mom was shocked that I actually liked it.  I am sure she didn't mind making it a Friday staple.

She went back to work full time when I was about 13 years old.  I was home by 3 every afternoon and on Friday's I did the cooking.  Spaghetti with Tuna became the first meal I cooked entirely on my own.

Here it is!! Enjoy

            SPAGHETTI WITH TUNA

2 cloves garlic

4 tablespoons of olive oil

2-6 ounce cans of tomato sauce

2-6 ounce cans of tomato paste

3 cups water

1 can tuna

1 lb. spaghetti

Oregano

Basil

Pepper

Garlic powder, optional

1.  In a large cold saucepan, add garlic and olive oil and Sauté until golden brown.  Do not overcook.

2.  Add tomato paste and tomato sauce.

3.  Add three cups of water.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.

4.  Add seasonings to taste.  If you like garlic add garlic powder to the sauce.

5.  Let simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hour or to the consistency you like.

6.  Fifteen minutes before serving add tuna to the sauce.  I prefer the chunky type but any kind will do.

7.  Boil spaghetti while the sauce is simmering and cook to until al dente.

Serve with fresh garden salad and garlic bread, if you like.  Serves 4-6.