Don't Let This Nightshade Scare You

The image shown above is eggplant. Really! I just picked up these cuties this morning and look forward to cooking them over the weekend. Until recently, though, I would have never been excited about cooking eggplant. In fact, if asked to free associate on eggplant, my list of words would have probably been something like: "bitter", "stringy", "parmigiana", "Moosewood"

I may have added "useless" to the list, if it weren't for the parmigiana. (I simply love the dish, but have wondered if it could be made with thinly sliced sponges and still taste the same.)

How quickly things can change. Over the last four weeks or so, I've been running across all these gorgeous little eggplants that are now in season out here. I’ve seen white ones, orange ones, striped ones, thin ones, round ones and even a few of the big, dark purple ones that put me off the fruit -- yes, it is a fruit -- for years. So, early last month I broke a pattern and purchased a few of the mauve, Japanese variety. They were so darn pretty! How could I not?



While unpacking the day’s loot, it occurred to me that I probably hadn’t prepared an eggplant since 1994. No matter. During a call to Josey later that evening, I casually mentioned my purchase and she had some input. Her Grandma said that steam was the only way to go. You can eat them right after steaming, or fry them afterwards. (Apparently steaming eggplant first keeps them from soaking up too much oil.) “Steam them whole” I was told and I vowed to do just that.

The next night, I promptly sautéed my mauve lovelies -- I like to go my own way sometimes -- in olive oil spiked with a small amount of red pepper flakes and garlic that I didn’t allow to brown. (I also added some water rather than more oil to the pan when needed. This produced a nice, light result.) Served with thinly sliced chicken cooked with fresh ginger and some brown rice, the result forever changed my list: "creamy", "delicate", "clean", "satisfying"

Subsequent preparations allowed me to add “versatile” and “husband friendly” to the list and I am now officially a fan. (I highly recommend the purple-and-white striped ones…but I’ve always been a sucker for a nice print.)



So, what insights can I now offer Eggplant Avoiders? Well, first off, don’t be afraid of this nightshade. Eggplant can be much more than a meat replacement or something to bread, fry and cover with cheese. As always, buy them in season, which means August and September in the Northeast, and look for small ones with thin skins.

Keep the preparations simple to let the true flavor and wonderful texture really shine through. Should you come across some impossibly pretty variety, just go for it – you won’t be disappointed. And finally, if you wouldn’t mind, try steaming them whole and report back to me. Thanks a bunch!

Life on the Outside

It's been a little while since I've posted, mostly on account of weekly overnight trips to my office in the city. I love, love, love New York, but this week's trip was a little longer than usual: Four days in total, without a kitchen and not quite enough time to be overly picky about where and what I was eating. And so my story begins…

All was fine on day one: An organic hot dog with all the fixings for lunch was a little naughty -- but “everything in moderation” I say. The penne all’arrabiata and arugula salad I had for dinner that evening was lovely, as is almost everything at Via Quadronno on 73rd off Madison. (Stop in if you are nearby!)

Day two's breakfast bakery basket with way too much coffee was not fine, and by lunchtime I knew I needed to clean up my act. So I ordered a salad of rather nice looking red and yellow beets (an excellent source of folate, potassium and vitamin C) from a place I’ve eaten at many times before. From the first bite I sensed a problem. I couldn't seem to taste the beets. Additional nibbles confirmed my initial assessment: the beets had no flavor. I chalked it up to bad ordering and proceeded with my busy day.

But like a string of first dates when you are single and still hopeful, more disappointments followed: sautéed spinach that could have doubled for cooked rope, a thin crust pizza I am certain contained frozen vegetables and tomato paste in place of sauce, flavorless curried (!) cauliflower, and then the nagging feeling that the multigrain toast I'd been ordering for breakfast since day two’s sugar-fest may have been loaded with chemicals.

And then it hit me. After six weeks of eating almost exclusively local foods cooked in my own kitchen, I was having trouble adjusting to life outside my new little bubble. I had been institutionalized!

I didn’t see this as a bad thing at first. I was mostly eager to get home, where my very loving husband was busy making dinner. But then I realized what a fine point my trip put on this sad fact: most of the foods available to us simply don’t taste very good and we are slowly being conditioned to not notice.

I was no exception but I guess I am finding my way. To that end, I leave you with our lunch and dinner menus for today, all purchased at the local Farmer’s Market we have here every Saturday. Both menus generally take less than 45 minutes to prepare, exclusive of shopping time.

Lunch

• Fresh arugula with the heirloom tomatoes pictured above, red onions and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette
• Sautéed zucchini blossoms (see Chez Panisse Cooking by Paul Bertolli)
• Walter Hansel 2004 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir (OK, this we got at the local wine shop)


Dinner

• Fluke fillets broiled oh-so-quickly with a very light coating of brown sugar, red pepper flakes and soy sauce
• Baby bok choy sautéed with garlic and the gorgeous blue oyster mushrooms shown below.
• Brown basmati rice (It cooks faster than traditional brown rice but has that nutty flavor that stands up well to the bok choy.)
• Wine to be determined by my husband, probably while we are cooking our meal
• Dessert: fresh yellow watermelon (this I need to research, but it is awfully tasty)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Red Velvet Cake with Berries

Those of you NOT from the South probably never grew up eating red velvet cake. However, now with the advent of cupcake cafes & bakeries, the red velvet has become a mainstay. If you've ever had one, you'll know why. It is light and airy with a slight chocolate taste. Yes, the unnatural red color is a little unnerving, but you forget all about that after the first bite.

To keep the frosting white, you can use clear immitation vanilla instead of the pure stuff (sad, I know). Also, this is the best time of year to find amazing berries to top the cake. In addition to the usual blueberries & raspberries, I also used yellow raspberries and wild strawberries. You could also cut regular strawberries into quarters and garnish with a little mint for green. Either way, the frosting really makes the crimson color of the berries pop against the coordinating red cake.

For the Cake:

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 oz bottle red food coloring

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs

For the Frosting:

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 1/2-pint baskets fresh raspberries

3 1/2-pint baskets fresh blueberries

For cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Sift sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 3 additions.

Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 27 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely.

For frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over top of cake. Arrange 1 basket raspberries and 1/2 basket blueberries atop frosting, pressing lightly to adhere. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Arrange remaining berries decoratively over top of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)

Makes 12 servings or about 2 dozen cupcakes

This is a slight variation of the recipe that appeared in Bon Appétit June 2003, which was adapted from B. Smith.