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Saturday, 25 October 2008 |
Can’t get enough eggplant? Eat your last ones now, for the frost has abruptly ended the season for this hearty vegetable across the East Coast. Try this amazing recipe for Eggplant Parmesan from Epicurious if you want to truly savor every last bite.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 lb medium eggplants (about 3), cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick rounds
3 1/4 teaspoons salt
5 lb plum tomatoes
1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
20 fresh basil leaves, torn in half
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
5 large eggs
3 1/2 cup panko* (Japanese bread crumbs)
2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (2/3 cup)
1 lb chilled fresh mozzarella (not unsalted), thinly sliced
Preparation:
Toss eggplant with 2 teaspoons salt in a colander set over a bowl, then let drain 30 minutes.
While eggplant drains, cut an X in bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife and blanch tomatoes together in a 5-quart pot of boiling water 1 minute. Transfer tomatoes with a slotted spoon to a cutting board and, when cool enough to handle, peel off skin, beginning from scored end, with paring knife.
Coarsely chop tomatoes, then coarsely purée in batches in a blender. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then add garlic and sauté, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds. Add tomato purée, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and red pepper flakes and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
Stir together flour, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a shallow bowl. Lightly beat eggs in a second shallow bowl, then stir together panko and 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in a third shallow bowl.
Working with 1 slice at a time, dredge eggplant in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg, letting excess drip off, and dredge in panko until evenly coated. Transfer eggplant to sheets of wax paper, arranging slices in 1 layer.
Heat remaining 1 1/2 cups oil in a deep 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then fry eggplant 4 slices at a time, turning over once, until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain.
Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in bottom of a rectangular 3 1/2-quart (13- by 11- by 2-inch) baking dish. Arrange about one third of eggplant slices in 1 layer over sauce, overlapping slightly if necessary. Cover eggplant with about one third of remaining sauce (about 11/4 cups) and one third of mozzarella. Continue layering with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted and golden and sauce is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes.
Cooks' note:
Tomato sauce can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
*Available at Asian markets and some supermarkets, and Uwajimaya (800-889-1928).
-Serena
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Saturday, 25 October 2008 |
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 Kim White, a local to Los Angeles, knew what she was doing when she purchased an entire warehouse of unused car cloth years ago. Today, she is giving these discarded fabrics another chance by designing and manufacturing collections of handbags around them. What better way to make use of overlooked, now vintage upholstery?
-Serena
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Friday, 24 October 2008 |
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I.LOVE.THE OFFICE. I know, so does everyone else, but it really is, in my humble opinion, one of the best shows on tv right now. Well anyways, I was watching an old episode today (season 2's "Office Olympics" to be exact) and my ears perked up when Dwight was talking about his family's beet farm in Pennsylvania that sells their beets to restaurants and other local customers. I got so excited! The Office made a comment about local farmers and supporting them! Okay, maybe not totally, but at least that's how I interpreted it in my mind.  So if you want to go out there and emulate your favorite show, then support your local beet farmers! Who knows, they could be named Dwight or Mose! -Jess
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Friday, 24 October 2008 |
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Barron YoungSmith of Slate makes an environmental case against long-distance relationships. He calls out the hypocrisy of those who cut their carbon fooprint by eating locally but hop on an airplane regularly for love. We should, he argues, all attempt to be locasexuals when choosing a mate. In an attempt to launch a "date local" movement, YoungSmith urges: "Date Local's message is a simple one, in the best traditions of liberal
reform. All you have to do is date here. Date now. Date sustainably.
And if you absolutely have to date long-distance, do it via Amtrak." -Karen
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Jenny Hwa's soundbite about Loyale is:
