Glazed "Spicy" Japanese Eggplant - part IV of the eggplant madness series
October 23, 2007
Gustavo Arellano, the syndicated columnist from the OC and author of Ask A Mexican, was asked why Mexicans call all Asian people "chinos" even when they aren't from China (and aren't all men for that matter!). His response, is both satirical and academic, and certainly got me thinking about how groups tend to "other" each other. Food is one way we essentialize and stereotype people - and strangely enough, it is also the most common way we encounter other cultures. 
But I only illuminate this phenomenon to point out that this Mexican loves eggplant, and I especially love eggplant in garlic sauce I order from Chinese restaurants. Oddly, this "Chinese" dish (if it really is Chinese, I have no clue), uses Japanese eggplants! (Why are they Japanese and not Chinese since the Chinese restaurant I go to uses them too, I am not sure).
Despite my admiration for the humble eggplant dish however, I have never really been able to find a recipe for that tangy, spicy brown garlic sauce.
To my surprise while looking up recipes for eggplant in my new Good Housekeeping cookbook given to me by my boyfriend's mom, I came upon the Glazed Japanese Eggplant recipe. I was skeptical, but the ingredients sounded a lot like those found in garlic sauce, and after eating the eggplant, I can say it tasted to me a lot like the Chinese eggplant dish I always love to order. So, I give you Glazed "Spicy" Japanese Eggplant (as I cannot call it garlic sauce), with my own additions from this spicy American.
You will need:
- 6 washed and sliced Japanese eggplants
- 1/2 white onion, sliced
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp freshly minced ginger
- 1 tbsp vinegar (I used red wine vinegar because I ran out of rice vinegar)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp sesame seed oil
- 2 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp garlic chile oil
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 5 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 c water
Special tools recommended for this dish are a wok and wooden spoon. I also ate this dish over a bed of Thai Red Rice, but any rice will do.
Step One: In a bowl, combine half of minced garlic, all of the ginger, chile, crushed red pepper, cornstarch, brown sugar, vinegar, sesame seed oil, olive or vegetable oil, soy sauce, and water. Stir until the cornstarch is completely incorporated into the mixture and set aside.
Step Two: Sprinkle salt on eggplant and onions and set aside until ready to cook.
Step Three: In a wok over medium-high heat, place 3 tbsp of wok oil or any other cooking oil. Once sizzling hot, add your eggplant and onions. Toss vigorously and let cook until eggplant begins to brown slightly. Cooking time is about 4 minutes over a wok, and will increase if you use a saute pan instead.
Step Four: Add the sauce to eggplant and let simmer for another 3-5 minutes until sauce thickens.
Eat the eggplant over a bed of rice.
Wok cooking is fast cooking, so cooking times will vary if you don't have a wok. Also, prepare your rice ahead of time because your eggplant will turn to mush while you wait on the rice otherwise.
But I only illuminate this phenomenon to point out that this Mexican loves eggplant, and I especially love eggplant in garlic sauce I order from Chinese restaurants. Oddly, this "Chinese" dish (if it really is Chinese, I have no clue), uses Japanese eggplants! (Why are they Japanese and not Chinese since the Chinese restaurant I go to uses them too, I am not sure).
Despite my admiration for the humble eggplant dish however, I have never really been able to find a recipe for that tangy, spicy brown garlic sauce.
To my surprise while looking up recipes for eggplant in my new Good Housekeeping cookbook given to me by my boyfriend's mom, I came upon the Glazed Japanese Eggplant recipe. I was skeptical, but the ingredients sounded a lot like those found in garlic sauce, and after eating the eggplant, I can say it tasted to me a lot like the Chinese eggplant dish I always love to order. So, I give you Glazed "Spicy" Japanese Eggplant (as I cannot call it garlic sauce), with my own additions from this spicy American.
You will need:
- 6 washed and sliced Japanese eggplants
- 1/2 white onion, sliced
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp freshly minced ginger
- 1 tbsp vinegar (I used red wine vinegar because I ran out of rice vinegar)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp sesame seed oil
- 2 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp garlic chile oil
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 5 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 c water
Special tools recommended for this dish are a wok and wooden spoon. I also ate this dish over a bed of Thai Red Rice, but any rice will do.
Step One: In a bowl, combine half of minced garlic, all of the ginger, chile, crushed red pepper, cornstarch, brown sugar, vinegar, sesame seed oil, olive or vegetable oil, soy sauce, and water. Stir until the cornstarch is completely incorporated into the mixture and set aside.
Step Two: Sprinkle salt on eggplant and onions and set aside until ready to cook.
Step Three: In a wok over medium-high heat, place 3 tbsp of wok oil or any other cooking oil. Once sizzling hot, add your eggplant and onions. Toss vigorously and let cook until eggplant begins to brown slightly. Cooking time is about 4 minutes over a wok, and will increase if you use a saute pan instead.
Step Four: Add the sauce to eggplant and let simmer for another 3-5 minutes until sauce thickens.
Eat the eggplant over a bed of rice.
Wok cooking is fast cooking, so cooking times will vary if you don't have a wok. Also, prepare your rice ahead of time because your eggplant will turn to mush while you wait on the rice otherwise.
Labels: Eggplant, Garlic Sauce
Eggplant Tart (part III of the eggplant madness series)
October 15, 2007
Goodness, I sure have eaten a lot of eggplant this month. Every bite has been delicious. October ends the peak period for eggplant - so take advantage while you can. In making this tart, I finally followed the original recipe in Once Upon a Tart for tomato and eggplant tart. The tart has a subtle smokey flavor from the roasted eggplant, and the orange heirlooms I used were sweeter than the red ones they used in the cookbook.This recipe calls for two steps - making and baking a tart shell, and preparing the filling. The good news is that the tart shell is rather easy, and the recipe makes plenty for 2 tarts (I have a large tart tin so I made two). You can always freeze one lump of dough and save it for a day you are feeling like having a tart but too busy to make another batch of dough. I find that the dough lasts about 3 weeks in the freezer.
For the tart:
1 batch of Crunchy Savory Tart Crust
I substituted 1/2 cup of wheat flour in the original recipe for added texture.
For the filling:
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 c cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 small eggplants, sliced
- 3 vine ripened tomatoes
- 1/2 c fresh grated parmesan
- handful of basil, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Step One: Sweat eggplant slices by tossing in salt and letting them rest for 20 minutes. Bake the eggplant in the oven for 10 minutes or until golden. Take them out of the oven to cool. Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees.
Step Two: Slice the tomatoes and let them drain in a colander while you prepare the other ingredients. I salt the tomatoes at this stage as well.
Step Three: Prebake your tart shell as directed in the tart preparation blog.
Step Four: In a blender or food processor, combine olive oil, parmesan cheese, and basil. Scrape mixture out and spread it on the bottom of the prebaked tart shell. Arrange the roasted tomatoes and eggplants on top of the cheese as shown in the picture.
Step Five: In a bowl, combine eggs, cream, salt and pepper with a wire whisk. Pour the custard over the eggplant and tomatoes. Bake the tart at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until the center stops jiggling.
Eat the tart warm out of the oven and watch your friends drool. Mmmmmm.
Labels: Eggplant, eggs, heirloom tomatoes, tart
Eggplant Madness part deux - Ragu
October 09, 2007
Eggplants and tomatoes - like peas and carrots, these tasty vegetables go hand in had. I tried a recipe from one of my many Jaime Oliver cookbooks, and altered it slightly to reflect the produce I bought. For instance, I chose to substitute the canned tomatoes for the fresh heirloom variety I purchased at the Farmer's Market. I also used shallots in lieu of white or yellow onion, and adjusted texture by adding tomato paste. The sauce was delicious - I can't wait to make it again.Ingredients:
- 4 small eggplants, small chop (each eggplant should be no bigger than a baseball) or substitute one large eggplant
- 1 16 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes, chopped with liquid (or substitute 2 large ripe tomatoes, diced, + 2 tbsp tomato paste in 1/3 c of water or white wine)
- 3 small shallots, minced (or 1/2 medium yellow or white onion)
- 4 cloves of garlic
- handful of fresh basil, with stems, chopped
- Salt, pepper, crushed red pepper - to taste
- 1/4 c fresh cream
- Pasta of your choice
Step One: Chop the eggplant into small bite sized pieces. Saute the eggplant in 4 tbsp of olive oil; cook in a pot over medium heat for 7 minutes. Add the onions and garlic; add more olive oil if necessary. Stir pot frequently to prevent sticking.
Step Two: Once eggplant becomes soft, and onions translucent, add tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with chopped stem of basil. Cover and simmer for 8 minutes. Add crushed red pepper to taste
Step Three: When sauce becomes thick and vegetables begin breaking apart, add remainder of basil; add cream. Heat for another 5 minutes. Serve with whatever pasta suits your fancy (I prefer penne). Mr. Oliver suggests that you add pieces of fresh mozzarella to the pasta and then coat in sauce so that oozing, stringy bites dance around each fork full.
The sauce is very simple and tastes amazing. If you are skeptical of eggplant, I suggest you try eating it in this sauce where the eggplant is featured more in the background of flavors, and then moving on to something more bold if you dare - like Eggplant Sorrentina.
Eggplant Madness - Kabob
October 04, 2007
Now that I have about 4 pounds of varietal eggplants, I need to start eating them - quickly! My first feast on eggplant this week was on vegetable kabob. My grilling abilities aren't that great, so my boyfriend manned the fire.I cut up one eggplant of each variety we bought (Dourga or white eggplant, Japanese, and Belangere which is streaked purple and white, and is the size of a baseball), I then skewered about 6 pieces on each kabob skewer. I also made other vegetable kabobs with mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes.
The kabobs were brushed with olive oil, garlic, ginger, shallots, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. The skewers cooked for about 10 minutes and we devoured them in 5! If you don't have access to a grill, but still want the same yummy texture, I suggest tossing chopped veggies in the following marinade and placing on a roasting pan (or cookie sheet) to bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 425 degrees.
Marinade:
- 1/2 c olive oil
- 4 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
While whipping the olive oil with a wire whisk, slowly drizzle the balsamic in the bowl. Once incorporated completely, add remaining ingredients. Brush marinade on to kabob or toss veggies in marinade if baking. Cook over grill on high heat for 10 minutes, or in the oven on a cookie sheet at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until eggplant is tender and slightly crispy on the outside.
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1 shallot, minced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 thumb sized piece of ginger, minced
While whipping the olive oil with a wire whisk, slowly drizzle the balsamic in the bowl. Once incorporated completely, add remaining ingredients. Brush marinade on to kabob or toss veggies in marinade if baking. Cook over grill on high heat for 10 minutes, or in the oven on a cookie sheet at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until eggplant is tender and slightly crispy on the outside.If your eggplant has a lot of seeds and is larger than your hand, it may be bitter (the bigger the more bitter). My boyfriend will cut up eggplant and then dash kosher or sea salt all over it to remove the bitterness, allowing it to "rest" for 10 minutes prior to cooking. This really does work, so give it a try if your eggplant makes you squint when you eat it.
Can't thing of what to eat your veggie feast on? I highly suggest either a rice pilaf, or cous cous. As I've mentioned elsewhere on this blog, Near East brand cous cous is as easy and flavorful as it gets. I think the curry flavor goes really well with roasted vegetables, and pairs best with this easy-prep meal.
Farmer's Market
October 01, 2007
Fall is upon us and the harvest is at a farmer's stand near you. This weekend, I had the privilege to enjoy my local farmer's market. The height of the market may
vary where you live, but October is filled with an array of squash, potatoes of all colors, onions of all kinds, the beginnings of corn, ripe pumpkins, and the tailings of hot and sweet peppers. To my surprise, cucumbers and eggplants are also in full bloom, along with hearty heirloom tomatoes and "early girl" egg shaped tomatoes.
At my farmer's market, I found so much amazing produce (almost all of it organic and grown within 25 miles) that after purchasing lemon cucumbers, purple haze garlic bulbs, and yellow pear tomatoes, I decided to seek out one of the farms selling produce at the market -Abbodanza Organic Seeds and Produce.
Buying from your local farmer's market or roadside farmer's stand is not just about "buying locally" in the sense that you are supporting local growers and farmers, (a good thing) rather, I propose that purchasing power is really about modern-day social change.
Next time you eat, consider how far every item on your plate had to travel to reach your fork. One website shows a breakdown of certain produce and the miles it travels to reach markets in Chicago, Illinois. Pretty amazing to consider that a commonly consumed product lik
e apples travels an average of 1500 miles before you get to eat it (makes me cringe to think of my morning coffee and banana habit). Another article from the BBC explains in a much more in-depth way how your food choices impact the environment due to the energy it takes to transport.
If environmentalism is not high on your list of concerns because you are barely making ends meet, consider your pocket book. It is no secret that high fuel costs are driving up the cost of food and fueling inflation. Purchasing produce, meat, and dairy from local growers means your food has a lower price tag that excludes excess fuel costs. Cost benefit analysis is still part of the environmental equation, however. As a child, I remember my parents purchasing a quarter of a cow each year from a cattle rancher who corn fed his beef, and raised them not more than 20 miles from our house. The best part is that he butchered and packed the meat for us to enjoy all year long. My parents purchased meat this way, not to save the environment, but to save money. They were able to purchase a larger quantity of high quality beef and feed five children in a much more cost effective manner than buying meat each time they needed to prepare a meal - and who knew? They also reduced quite a bit of carbon emissions and prevented wasted packaging in the process.
vary where you live, but October is filled with an array of squash, potatoes of all colors, onions of all kinds, the beginnings of corn, ripe pumpkins, and the tailings of hot and sweet peppers. To my surprise, cucumbers and eggplants are also in full bloom, along with hearty heirloom tomatoes and "early girl" egg shaped tomatoes.
At my farmer's market, I found so much amazing produce (almost all of it organic and grown within 25 miles) that after purchasing lemon cucumbers, purple haze garlic bulbs, and yellow pear tomatoes, I decided to seek out one of the farms selling produce at the market -Abbodanza Organic Seeds and Produce.Abbodanza - literally "abundance" - is a Community Supported Agricultural co-op located in Lafayette, Colorado. The farm is supported by the community of Lafayette as part of an initiative where voters approved the leasing of open space for organic farming. Thomas Open Space, located at 1640 W. Baseline Rd in Lafayette between 95th and 287, is now home to Abbodanza farms for the next three years. The farm stand is open on the weekends, through Halloween, and features produce like none other. I purchased two large cardboard boxes worth of produce - everything from potatoes, to shallots, and pie pumpkins. The presentation of eggplants, however, is what really won me over. Every variety of eggplant I could name was on a table in front of me in the many shades of purple, green, and white it can be.
Buying from your local farmer's market or roadside farmer's stand is not just about "buying locally" in the sense that you are supporting local growers and farmers, (a good thing) rather, I propose that purchasing power is really about modern-day social change.Considering the impact your food has on the values you hold near and dear may rearrange your purchasing habits. For some people, religious values, or morals may dictate food choices, but for me, a consideration of the environmental impact my food choices have is what primarily dictates whether I'll buy strawberries out of season, or purchase shell fish (I'm land locked!).
Next time you eat, consider how far every item on your plate had to travel to reach your fork. One website shows a breakdown of certain produce and the miles it travels to reach markets in Chicago, Illinois. Pretty amazing to consider that a commonly consumed product lik
e apples travels an average of 1500 miles before you get to eat it (makes me cringe to think of my morning coffee and banana habit). Another article from the BBC explains in a much more in-depth way how your food choices impact the environment due to the energy it takes to transport.Produce aside, the environmental impact of meat production is quite scary. If you never considered vegetarianism out of ethical concerns, you may rethink your position if you are concerned about your "carbon footprint" or the emissions caused by the production and consumption of meat. One recent article from the Guardian (a British newspaper), "Meat production 'beefs up emissions,'" had this to say about meat production: "Producing 1kg of beef results in more CO2 emissions than going for a three-hour drive while leaving all the lights on at home, scientists said today."
If environmentalism is not high on your list of concerns because you are barely making ends meet, consider your pocket book. It is no secret that high fuel costs are driving up the cost of food and fueling inflation. Purchasing produce, meat, and dairy from local growers means your food has a lower price tag that excludes excess fuel costs. Cost benefit analysis is still part of the environmental equation, however. As a child, I remember my parents purchasing a quarter of a cow each year from a cattle rancher who corn fed his beef, and raised them not more than 20 miles from our house. The best part is that he butchered and packed the meat for us to enjoy all year long. My parents purchased meat this way, not to save the environment, but to save money. They were able to purchase a larger quantity of high quality beef and feed five children in a much more cost effective manner than buying meat each time they needed to prepare a meal - and who knew? They also reduced quite a bit of carbon emissions and prevented wasted packaging in the process.
If you've never been to the farmer's market, or wonder whether you'd like to rekindle those pre-school days of visiting the pumpkin patch and picking your own jack-o-lantern, I suggest you go to Food Routes to find local markets, stands, growers, and producers in your neck of the woods. Taste the difference, and let me know what fun places you find. For now, I'll be haunting Abbodanza until Halloween.
Labels: farmer's market, food, harvest, local, produce, shopping
