Eggplant Parmesan

There was a time when nothing about eggplant was appealing to me. If it was part of a meal, either on the table or a menu, I avoided it. I don't know that I had ever really tasted it so it was just ignorance that kept me from trying. This all changed in 2005 when one of my best friends, Adelle, cooked eggplant parmesan. I did not want to be rude so I knew I was going to have to eat it. It was with that first bite that I fell in love with this dish and began to appreciate the beautiful, richly colored vegetable.

Adelle learned how to make eggplant parmesan when she traveled abroad to Florence while in college. They taught her well and her version of this meal was nothing short of authentic. I was able to enjoy her rendition of this dish for years. Once she moved away from San Diego, I tried others' versions here and there but nothing came close to being as delicious as hers. Though I missed it, I never tried making it myself. Until now.

Rediscovering The Cook's Encyclopedia of Italian Cooking has been such fun for me. When I read through their eggplant parmesan recipe I was inspired to try it. Since then, I have made this meal twice. Both times it has been a success. For me, it brings back memories of a great meal with some of my best friends.

Eggplant Parmesan

Serves 4

2 lb eggplants (I use 2)
Flour, for coating
Canola or vegetable oil, for frying
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 cups fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded
salt and freshly ground pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Homemade Tomato Sauce

4 tblsp oliver oil
1 medium onion, very finely chopped
1 - 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1lb. tomatoes, fresh or canned, chopped with their juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh basil - few springs coarsely chopped
Italian parsley - same as basil
2 bay-leaves

Wash the eggplants. Cut into about 1/2 inch rounds, sprinkle with salt, and leave to drain for about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce: heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until it is translucent for about 5-8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, basil, parsley, and bay leaves. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until all flavors have blended together. Once ready, puree in a food processor.

Pat the eggplants dry with paper towels. Coat each round lightly in flour. Heat a little oil in a large, non-stick frying pan. Add one layer of eggplant and cook over low-medium heat with the pan covered for about 3 minutes on each side. The eggplant should be soft, but not necessarily fully cooked through. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining slices.



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a wide, shallow baking dish. Spread a small amount of the sauce on the bottom of the pan. Spread a little tomato sauce in the bottom, Cover with a later of eggplant. Sprinkle with a few teaspoons of parmesan, season with salt and pepper, and cover with a layer of mozzarella. Spoon on some tomato sauce. Repeat until all ingredients are used up, ending with a light covering of tomato sauce and a sprinkling of parmesan. Drizzle a little olive oil on top and bake for about 45 minutes.

Splash

San Diego is not short on wine bars, and I am not complaining. I am lucky to have met a close group of treasured friends who all enjoy three of my favorite things: wine, cheese, and talking. The excitement I feel when first walking into the chosen establishment to meet these lovely ladies is palpable. So when asked what I wanted to do to celebrate my birthday, it came natural to suggest a girls' night at a new wine bar. My specific request was that the setting be new and mellow but also fun. Jody, who has her finger on the pulse of San Diego, found Splash Wine Lounge.

Set in the up and coming North Park community, Splash sits among an electic street where recently opened boutiques and restaurants sit next to a payless shoe store. It is the combination of old and new that makes this small San Diego neighborhood intriguing.

Their concept is simple and unique: Self-serve machines that beautifully display close to 100 wines from around the world. So, how does this work? You purchase a pre-paid card for any amount you choose. You then browse the many wine stations (shown below) and choose from which you want a "splash", or one ounce taste. With some splashes costing as little as .99, $20 can take you on a long and spontaneous journey.



Compared to simply purchasing a full glass or bottle at the typical wine bar, Splash makes the process interactive and social. The layout seems deliberate and genius. The round wine stations are strategically centered throughout the bar - from the entrance to the back. Couches and tables are set to the sides. There is enough space where you do not feel crowded, but close enough that when you look up there are people standing and sitting throughout the long and narrow room. Browsing for your wine forces you to move about the room, thus the opportunity to interact with others.

To balance the wine, there are small bites to eat. We ordered the goat cheese boat. You cannot go wrong with warm goat cheese, topped with olive oil, pesto, and sun-dried tomatoes. This appetizer was served with warm bread and each bite was more flavorful and fulfilling than the last. The flat-bread pizzas also do not disappoint, and neither does this entire experience.

Splash stands out among the Wine Bar genre as a hip, yet modest establishment that is well worth a visit and highly recommended.

Potatoes Baked with Tomatoes

During a conversation with one of my Italian student's about lasagna I learned there is a difference between what she refers to as "Italian food for Americans" and authentic Italian food. She explained, "The-ah lasagna should-eh not have-ah mozzarella or ricotta. Only Béchamel and very little Parmesan-ah on de top-ah." With an accent like that, how could I not be enticed? I rushed home that day and looked in my only Italian cookbook: The Cook's Encyclopedia of Italian Cooking. To my amazement, both lasagna recipes in this book were true to Benny's word. It was at this moment that I decided that this cookbook is legit.

Needing a break from meat, I found this recipe which Jason has dubbed a "poor man's lasagna". I tend to agree. There are layers, cheese, tomatoes and you can buy the main ingredients for under $10. While intended as a side dish, I thought it would be hearty enough to serve as the main dish with a side of salad. It turned out very flavorful and I recommend eating it on its own, as a side, or over rice or risotto.

Potatoes Baked with Tomatoes (Patate e Pomodori al Forno)

2 large red or yellow onions (I used on of each)
2-3 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
3-4 fresh tomatoes (the freshest and most flavorful you can find)
A few leaves of fresh basil
6 tblsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup of freshly grated Parmesean
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup of water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush a solid amount of olive oil on the bottom of a medium-large baking dish. Arrange a layer of onions on the bottom of the dish. Next, arrange a layer of potatoes and then a layer of tomatoes on top of that.



Pour olive oil, salt, and pepper on top of all of it. For the final layer, overlap potatoes and tomatoes (ratatouille-style). Garnish with torn pieces of basil, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and the remainder of the oil. Pour on the water and bake for 1 hour or until all layers of potato are tender. The top should be lightly browned and have crisp edges. Buon Appetito!

Caprese Fusilli

Our vegetable garden gave us beautiful vegetables and herbs this summer. Of them all, the yellow-gold cherry tomatoes was the best. With so many bite-sized, subtly sweet tomatoes, I had enough to last a couple of months. I wanted to use them for something other than salad, but still within a cool and light meal for our hot summer nights. The result was this spin on a caprese salad.

Caprese Fusilli

1 lb. Fusilli pasta (or your favorite pasta)
2-3 cups yellow cherry tomatoes
1-2 handfuls of fresh basil
Shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (the better the olive oil, the better this will turn out)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Red pepper flakes

Slice tomatoes in half and place in a large bowl. Coarsely chop basil and add to the tomatoes. Add a good amount of mozzarella - the amount is ultimately your choice. I like things cheesy so I add a lot. Add the salt, pepper, and a few shakes of red pepper flakes on top. Drizzle the olive oil over the mixture and fold ingredients together. Taste this mixture and ensure that the olive oil, salt and pepper dressing has a bold enough flavor to coat the pasta. Cover while cooking the pasta.

Fill a pot with water and add a dash of kosher salt and a few drops of olive oil. Bring water to a boil over high heat and add pasta. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until al dente. Strain pasta in a colander but do not rinse the pasta with water! Shake the colander back and forth to drain as much water as possible. White still steaming hot, pour caprese mixture over the pasta and toss.

Enjoy!

Summer Fruits

Since I was a little girl, one of the first signs of summer that would always excite me is seeing summer fruit for sale. Watermelon, peaches, plums, berries, and cherries! Because I grew up on the East coast where there are four distinct seasons (that I miss very much), our produce was also seasonal. One of my favorite childhood memories is our summer day trips to the berry farms to pick our own raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries. We would pick pounds and pounds of berries and it was so much fun!

Recently, we had a large amount of strawberries that had become slightly bruised and too ripe. Rather than throw them away, I thought that this batch of ripened red berries would make a delicious jam that could accompany our bread and butter for weeks. After all, why waste and when you can reinvent?

Typically, I only post recipes that I LOVE. Although I would have changed a few things (I have already amended the recipe below based on my desired changes) this recipe is so simple I had to share it. Adding to my excitement is that this was my first attempt at making jam. I very much look forward to trying this again with other varieties of fruit and replacing my store bought preserves with homemade jars.

Strawberry Jam

1 cup sugar
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3 cups fresh, ripe strawberries, hulled and quartered

Combine the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over very low heat for 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved. Add the strawberries and continue to cook over very low heat for 20 minutes, until the strawberries release some of their juices and the mixture boils slowly. Cook until a small amount of the juice gels on a very cold plate (keep plate in freezer for testing). Pour into clean glass jar of your choice and keep refrigerated.

Lemonade

To me, homemade lemonade should be tart and gently sweet. I really dislike overly sugared lemonades that leave me more thirsty than satisfied. This recipe is made with agave nectar as a replacement for refined white sugar and the combination is a delightful balance.

Homemade Lemonade
Makes 5 cups

1.25 cups freshly squeezed lemons
1/4 cup light agave nectar
4 cups cold filtered water
Mint and/or lemons for garnish

Squeeze about 10-12 lemons to make one and a quarter cups of lemon juice. Set aside. In a small sauce pan heat a cup of water and add the agave nectar. Once the nectar has completely blended with the water take it off the heat. In a pitcher, combine the lemon juice, sweetened water, and cold filtered water. Taste and add lemon juice or sweetener as needed. Chill for about an hour and pour over a tall glass of ice. Garnish with your choices of fresh mint leaves and/or lemon slices.

Food with Friends

For a recent family dinner at Jason's family's cabin, I wanted to cook a something new and challenging. Next to homemade Persian food, Italian is my favorite, so naturally I thought of Lasagna. Who doesn't enjoy multiple layers of noodles with homemade meat sauce and three types of melted cheese?!

After some searching on the internet, I found a blogger who dedicates his entire site to lasagna recipes. This passion and focus on only lasagna inspired me to use his recipe.

For my initial attempt, I followed his recipe with precision. The results were delicious. The second time I altered a few minor details to see how it would enhance the flavor. This time I invited some of my favorite girlfriends/food lovers over to enjoy a night of eating, wine, and talking. The results were even better than the first time and this recipe has become a new favorite!

Lasagna, Basil Pesto Garlic Bread and Fresh Romaine Garden Salad
Serves 6

The Sauce:



1 pound of mild Italian sausage
1 pound of ground beef (I used 80% lean. Yes, that means 20% fat)
1/2 cup chopped onions
4 cloves of garlic chopped
1 (28 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes
2 (8 ounce) cans of tomato sauce
2 (6 ounce) cans of tomato paste
1/2 cup of water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon fennel seed
2 teaspoons fresh Basil leaves chopped
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley chopped
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon ground pepper
A few shakes of red pepper flakes

In a large pot, on low-medium heat, begin by browning the onions, garlic, ground beef, and sausage together. Because the pork is in a casing ("sausage"), I push out the meat and pull it apart in small pieces, by hand, before it goes in the pot. After browned (about 6 minutes), add in crushed tomatoes, sauce, paste and water. Mix all together and give it a few minutes for ingredients to settle in to one another. Add the remaining ingredients and fold in to the sauce. Bring sauce to a low boil and then down to a simmer. Cover for one and a half hours, mixing/tasting once or twice. Adjust as you desire.

* I recommend making the sauce a day in advance because it tastes better when the flavors have more time to spend together. Also, because the meat I use is very fatty, I had to remove some of the grease once the sauce was chilled. Other options are to use a less fatty meat or to strain after browning/before adding all the tomato sauces in.

The Lasagna
1 box of lasagna noodles (the regular kind - not the no-boil kind)
23 ounces of ricotta cheese.
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1 egg
2 tablespoons fresh chopped Italian parsley
1 pound of grated Mozzerella cheese
1 pound of grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Have your sauce heated and ready to go. Use a 9 by 13 pan. Take your lasagna noodles and soak them in hot water for 12-15 minutes. While they are soaking, combine the ricotta cheese, grated nutmeg, egg, and fresh Italian parsley together. Take your noodles out of the water and lay them on a flat surface. They should not take but a few minutes to dry off. Begin to assemble in the following order:

1. A layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan
2. A layer of noodles (about 4 across)
3. Half of the ricotta mixture spread evenly over the noodles
4. A good amount of mozzarella and parmesan on the ricotta mixture (the amount is up to you...I use a lot)
5. Repeat that same order again (sauce, noodles, 3 cheeses)
6. Last layer of sauce and on top mozzarella and parmesan

Bake in the over, covered with foil, for 25 minutes. Uncover for another 25 minutes or until the top is completely melted and slightly browned on the edges.

Fresh Garden Salad



Romaine lettuce
Fresh basil
Fresh Italian parsley
Mini bell peppers (yellow, red, and orange)
Radishes
Yellow cherry tomatoes

Chop or slice and combine for a beautiful array of colors. For dressing, I mix olive oil, lemon, a touch of honey, salt and pepper. Whisk together and blend with salad.

Noon (Farsi for Bread)

On my most recent trip to New York City, I came across a warmly lit restaurant named Tamarind. From my view standing on the sidewalk of 22nd st., this small establishment reminded me of a quaint and quiet wine bar. I invited myself in and set my things down at the bar. After ordering a pomegranate martini, I walked towards the restroom in the back. This is when I realized I was not in a wine bar at all; rather Indian restaurant and bar. I was so excited!

The smells of the rich and flavorful spices used in traditional Indian cooking were overwhelmingly enticing. I noticed a large glass wall to my right and looked over to find the kitchen in clear sight. What I then saw through the glass was perfectly rounded dough sitting on top of a waist-high clay oven. Homemade bread!! Once back at the bar, I asked the bartender about their fresh bread. He told me they have an entire portion of their menu dedicated to Roti (Roti is the name for unleavened breads in India). He pointed out his favorite; Pudina Paratha: Mint flavored oven baked bread with a butter glaze. I could not resist. *Note - all employees seemed to be Indian and speak the same language, which adds to the authenticity for me.

The bread came out fresh from the oven, directly onto my plate. It was cut into small triangles and sprinkled with fresh, dried mint leaves with a light and savory butter glaze. In the center of my plate was a yogurt and tamarind dip that was a nice, subtle combination with the bread. I chose to pair this with a salad of fresh greens served with mango, pea shoots, red and green grapes with a lime and pomegranate dressing. I could taste the pomegranate in the dressing as if I was drinking the juice from the fruit itself.

Although this may seem like just bread and salad to some, for me it was so much more. The flavors of mint and pomegranate, in addition to the freshly baked flat bread, bring me right back to my Persian roots. I could not have asked for a more satisfying meal.