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Show pAVIS COUNTY CUPPER, DAVIS REFLEX JOURNAL, MARCH 27, 1985 What to cook, What to wear and How to work SECTION Wednesday Wnmnn FOOD Eggplant: Pla in and By Bonnl Mando eople generally adore or deplore eggplant. Its not a vegetable. What is surprising is the number of people who think they dont like eggplant but find that they do when it is carefully prepared. Eggplant cookery is not as straightforward as, say, cooking green beans, but once the techniques are learned, they are simple. And the results are wishy-wash- y - delicious. In the Middle East, in France, China, Thailand and other regions known for superb cuisine, eggplant is prized highly for its unusual texture, its delicate flavor and its ability to absorb spices, marinades and sauces. But anywhere, undercooked eggplant is a disaster tough, unyielding and guaranteed to ruin even the best recipe. Overcooked, it dissolves into mush. This dissolving quality may be used to good advantage, however, in recipes requiring long cooking, such as spaghetti sauce. Add peeled, diced eggplant at the beginning, and hours later, after much evaporation, the sauce will be richer and thicker for it. But there will be little trace of - eggplant. The challenge in preparing eggplant is to prevent it from absorbing inordinate quantities of oil or butter. The vegetable soaks up fat like a blotter, and poorly prepared eggplant can be greasy and unappetizing. The secret is to keep frying fat at a good, hot temperature. Or better yet, dont fry at all. Eggplant is extremely versatile, and may be boiled, blended to a puree or baked, as youll see in , the following recipes. To salt or not to salt this arises in question frequently regard to eggplant. The answer depends upon your mode of preparation. Salting and draining (or blotting) sliced eggplant rids the vegetable of excess water. In recipes like Ratatouille and Eggplant Parmesan, this reduction of liquid is beneficial (but not essential). In most recipes, pre salting is unnecessary. : : : - : -- : : : : : STUFFED BAKED EGGPLANT 7 medium eggplant soft butter or margarine I cup cooked rice (preferably brown) 1 tablespoon melted butter 3 cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters 3 tablespoons minced parsley 13 cup chopped walnuts 18 teaspoon each crushed basil and thyme Parmesan cheese : I I :; ' : : . ' . , . j " . I . -- i 3 1 1 v i I stuffing by combining rice, butter, tomatoes, parsley, walnuts and spices. Fill eggplant halves with this mixture and return them to oven until filling is hot about 15 minutes. Sprinkle tops with Parmesan cheese before baking. Serve with lemon wedges. Serves 2. EGGPLANT CHEESE BAKE 2 cups eggplant, pared and cubed cup boiling water 112 cups crumbled crisp crackers AUBERGINE 7 DI ITALIA 7 eggplant teaspoon salt 2 beaten eggs 2 tablespoons melted butter dash cayenne 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion 12 teaspoon each crushed basil and oregano 12 cup dry breadcrumbs 2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced 12 cup grated Cheddar cheese 14 cup grated Parmesan cheese paprika Peel and slice eggplant and 1 3 tablespoons tahini (sesame butter) or sour cream lemon to taste (if tahini is used, 2 tablespoons or more lemon juice may be added; if sour i ream is used, add only 12-- 1 teaspoon lemon juice) tablespoon olive oil (use only with tahini ) dash cayenne toasted sesame seeds Bake the large eggplant until soft at 350F it will take about an hour. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the pulp. Discard skin. Mash the 1 13 cup combined grated Swiss and Parmesan cheese Combine olive oil, garlic and herbs. Cut eggplant in half lengthwise. Use a grapefruit knife to cut around eggplant, making a thin shell. Then with a paring knife, cut the loosened center into cubes, leaving it all neatly in the shell. Brush cut surface with the herbed oil mixture, then sprinkle lightly with salt. Place the eggplants cut side up in a baking dish and water to the dish to a depth of 14 inch carefully and evenly. Place in a steamer and steam until pliable, about 10 minutes. Combine cheeses, egg and seasonings for Filling. Place about 2 tablespoons filling across the center of each eggplant slice and begin rolling at stem end. Spoon a bit of sauce onto the bottom of a 9 by 13 casserole and place eggplant rolls on sauce. Cover with remaining sauce. Bake about 30 minutes, covered, at 350F. Rolls will be fork-tendwhen done. Serves 4 to 6. er RATATOUILLE This famous dish is simple to prepare. Just layer vegetables in a Dutch oven atop sauteed onion and garlic; cover and simmer until done. Serve hot, at room temperature or chilled. tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 cup thinly sliced onions 3 2 12 cups diced eggplant (you may salt the eggplant, let it stand 20 minutes, then blot before dicing, if desired) 2 green peppers, cut in strips 2 medium zucchini, cut in half moons medium tomatoes, skinned and seeded, quartered 12 cup whole black olives, pitted 12 teaspoon oregano 4 Heat oil 12 cup minced onion 2 tablespoons minced parsley 3 tablespoons melted butter 34 cup milk 2 beaten eggs salt to taste (this measurement will depend upon the saltiness of crackers used) dash pepper 14 cup Parmesan cheese Pare and cube eggplant and place it in boiling water; simmer until tender and drain. Mix eggplant with all remaining ingredients except Parmesan. Place the mixture in a medium casserole, and with the Parmesan. sprinkle Bake 40 minutes at 350F. Serves 4 to 6. well-butter- ed place it in a shallow pan of boiling water with the salt. Boil, covered, 10 minutes; drain. Mash the eggplant and add eggs, butter, cayenne, onion, spices and breadcrumbs. Butter a shallow 11 casserole and layer half the tomato slices on bottom. Spread eggplant mixture over tomatoes, then cover with remaining tomatoes. Combine cheeses and sprinkle over all. Dust with paprika and bake 45 minutes at 375F. Serves 4 to 6. pulp thoroughly and add garlic, salt, tahini or sour cream, lemon juice and olive oil, if used, plus a dash of cayenne. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Dip crackers or pita bread. Makes about 2 cups. HERBED EGGPLANT AU GRATIN A simple yet elegant dish, this the half shell. is served on Allow one small-to-mediu- 7 LEBANESE 7 1 EGGPLANT DIP large eggplant to 2 cloves pressed 1 1 or minced garlic 34 teaspoon salt m eggplant for every two servings. small-to-mediu- m eggplant tablespoon olive oil clove pressed garlic 14 teaspoon each basil leaves and oregano leaves, crushed between the palms Cover and bake until tender, about 45 minutes at 375F. Remove cover and sprinkle with cheese mixture. Bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Eat from the shell. Serves 2. EGGPLANT CHEESE ROLLS medium eggplants cups ricotta cheese 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese 12 cup grated Cheddar cheese 12 cup Parmesan cheese 1 beaten egg 14 teaspoon oregano dash cayenne pepper 2 cups marinara sauce 2 2 Cut eggplants lengthwise into slices. Cut them 1 in a deep skillet with cover or a Dutch oven. Saute onions and garlic until golden. Layer other ingredients in order listed on top of onions, sprinkling salt lightly between layers. Drizzle with the olive oil and oregano. Simmer covered over low heat 45 minutes, or until almost tender. Then remove cover and cook another 15 minutes to reduce liquid. Serve plain, with Parmesan cheese or sour cream. Excellent with almond rice and crisp baked chicken. a tight-fittin- g Serves 6. EGGPLANT PARMESAN This classic dish is easy, but somewhat to prepare. First, peel and slice slices. eggplants into Sprinkle with salt and lay out on paper toweling for 20 minutes, then blot with paper towels to rid eggplant of excess moisture. time-consumi- 1 2 medium eggplants four beats:. mixed with 1 tablespoon milk dried breadcrumbs or wheat germ 1 4 teaspoon salt 14 cup olive oil 2 cups tomato sauce (rich type, 1 PROFILE Jennie Benton-Moth- er with vegetables) of 1'LAnd A Model Ann M. lemon wedges By Halve a medium eggplant and score the flesh to, but not through, the skin. Spoon out the scored flesh and reserve it for another recipe (such as Eggplant Cheese Bake or Aubergine Di Italia). For this recipe, use only the shells with about 12 inch of flesh remaining. Brush the inside of shells generously scooped-ou- t with butter or margarine and place shells face down in a casserole. Bake until barely tender, about 25 minutes at 350F, covered, Meanwhile, prepare a simple ennie Benton of 1 1 Coleman, Wis., is a I I professional model but II not a typical one. I I Unlike most models, Benton is only 5 feet 2 inches. And unlike most models who began their careers at an early age, Benton began modeling at the age of 40. She is married to businessman Wayne Benton. When asked how many children they have, she replied, Six daughters, paused and then added, and five sons. Eleven in all! She is also a grandmother. Vally n EGGPLANT: PLAIN & FANCY Although it is not unique for a model to be slender, it is unusual for the mother of children to have kept such a nice figure. She weighs only 100 pounds. Bentons background was of a the plain people Brethren, as she calls it. It is similar to the Mennonite Dunkard faiths. Her church felt the emphasis should not be on outward appearances, especially for Christian women. She resolved this conflict by realizing I felt my outward appearance was an encouragement to women in the world. 1 1 attended Yelm High near Olympia, Wash., where she won the Miss Posture title. Because the fashion industry was producing more fashions and patterns for petite women during her years, her home economics teacher encouraged her to model. But she postponed a career because she wanted to make my family a career. Prior to entering the modeling She School high-scho- ol field, Benton was an Avon representative and through that company, took special classes in makeup artistry. She graduated from the Rosemary Bischoff Studio of Career Modeling in n THE FAMILY DOG i People generally adore or deplore eggplant. Its not a wishy-wash- y vegetable. old Fido your child's companion or enemy? Attacks are sometimes by your old trusted friend. Is ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced thinly 34 cup grated Parmesan cheese 8 1982. She said, The reason I went into modeling at 40 was to show women that life doesnt stop at 40, but can be a new beginning. She has been involved in many other activities, including teaching a fitness course at the technical school, public speaking to womens groups and taking a a form class in of Karate, for fitness rather than self defense. In her public speaking to womens groups, she describes her speeches as advice from a practical as well as spiritual viewpoint. o, (continued on next page.) O Dip eggplant slices into flour, then mixture, then breadcrumbs. Saute in hot oil over high heat until browned, watching carefully. Add oil as needed, heating it well before adding eggplant. Drain on paper egg-mil- k towels. Pour 14 inch tomato sauce into a casserole and top with 13 of the eggplant, 13 of the tomato sauce, and 13 of the cheese. Continue layering eggplant, sauce and cheese until ingredients are used up. Cover and bake 20 minutes at 400F. Remove cover and bake 10 minutes more. Serve hot. Serves 6.B MODELING MOTHER Does a career in modeling begin at age 40? And can she survive being the mother of 11. |