La Platicona Habla: Tastes, Passions and Pursuits

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.

Labels: Eggplant, Garlic Sauce

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.

Labels: Eggplant, eggs, heirloom tomatoes, tart

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.

Labels: Eggplant, pasta, ragu

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.

Labels: Eggplant, kabob

Eggplant "Sorrentina" (I don't really know the proper spelling for this region in Italy) is a dish that I enjoyed every Sunday at the Cafe Pertutti in NYC. The chef would never share the recipe until one day I got lucky and talked to a different cook in the kitchen who gladly gave me the secret ingredient I couldn't figure out that would horrify any kosher eating vegetarian: prociutto. Eggplant Sorrentina was served at this restaurant and only this restaurant (believe me I ate at nearly every Italian restaurant in Little Italy, the Upper Westside, and the old school Upper Eastside Italian hood) with a side of penne and vodka sauce. Sorrentina is named so for the style of cooking. The eggplant is lightly fried on each side in a bit of olive oil (after being coated as listed below), and served stacked with layers of vodka sauce, prociutto, and cheese. If you hate eggplant, you must give it one more chance, and let it be Sorrentina. If you hate it, I'll eat a frozen dinner.

You will need: one eggplant sliced 1/4 inch thick long ways; 1 c shredded mozzerella; 1/2 c shredded parmesan; 2/3 c flour with 1 tsp salt mixed in, place on a plate; 2 beaten eggs in a large bowl; 6 slices of prociutto (very thin); 1 jar of vodka sauce (get a high end brand because the consistency will be better); olive oil for cooking. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

This picture shows the process of stacking the eggplant before baking in an oven. This recipe makes three little stacks.

Step One: Heat 1/4 c of olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat.

Step Two: Take your eggplant slice, dip it into the egg mixture and then the flour mixture, dust off, and fry on each side until golden brown. (note that the eggplant should not swin in oil, you need just enough to cook each side). Place on paper towels to drain. Repeat this step until all eggplant is cooked.

Step Three: In a baking pan, layer the ingredients as follows: 1 tbsp of vodka sauce; cooked eggplant slice; prociutto; 1 tbsp vodka sauce; pinch of chopped Italian parsley; sprinkle of 2 cheeses; repeat up to 3 times. For final layer, add a healthy handful of cheeses on top.

Step Four: Bake in an oven at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes. Turn oven to broil and cook for another 2 minutes or until the cheese begins to bubble and turn brown. Remove from the oven and serve with a side of penne pasta and vodka sauce. If you can't eat wheat, substitute flour for rice flour and eat this with a refreshing salad of organic field greens and balsamic vinegar dressing.

Labels: cheese, Eggplant, sauce