Eggplant Parmesan

One of the first meals, and most desirable, that I learned to make is Eggplant Parmesan. This meal has its traces back to the old country (Italy) and can be found on many menus around the world. Some of you may be wondering how on Earth you make this delicious meal, others may already know. Regardless, I am providing you with the recipe I use when I make my Eggplant Parm. I’m convinced it is probably the best based on the reactions of friends and family. You may disagree. Either way, here you go:

Eggplant Parmesan

This is the recipe if you are planning to serve four, if you are serving two, cut in half

Ingredients:

1 largish eggplant

3-4 eggs

Olive oil (you will need kind of a lot)

2 cups of breadcrumbs (or however much you need)

Parmesan cheese/shaky cheese

Some mozzarella or provolone cheese (whatever you have or prefer)

Your favorite tomato or marinara sauce

Your favorite pasta (optional)

1. Cut the eggplant into thin slices

2. Coat the eggplant in egg, and dip into the breadcrumbs, put aside on a plate

3. Heat large pan with olive oil on medium, arrange eggplant on the pan, and let fry until they start to get oily/dark. You might want to check the underside. It should only take about two minutes, then flip and fry the other side. You may find that your pan gets dry, this means you need to add more oil, and otherwise the slices get too dry and will burn. You will need to add oil every time you fry a new batch of eggplant.

4. Coat the bottom of a baking pan with sauce; begin layering eggplant slices, with sauce in between each layer. On the top layer, sprinkle parmesan and mozzarella cheese.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes

6. Boil some pasta

7. Put eggplant over pasta you have a delicious Italian meal

This Weekend

I got to participate in Artist's Row at the Rochester Public Market Sunday thanks to my dear friend Fawn, who let me share her space with her. The turnout was great! I sold a few things, including one of my favorite pieces that I was a little partial to (above), but happy to know that someone will enjoy it as much as I have. It makes we want to just keep making more things...that's a good sign!

I also got to hear/take part in some great live music shows at the Rochester indie fest this weekend as well. I have so many talented friends. Overall, a pretty awesome weekend. It ended with seeing of Montreal in Buffalo, which I cannot even begin to describe...and now I am off to bed.

new art

These are some things I have been working on lately.

The Raven bird is made out of sculpey, painted with acrylic paint and varnished. The cathead guy is a collage where I took an old 19th century photograph (one the used to hang in good old Scrote Manor), and gave him a cat photo head. I played around with the background a lot...I guess I'm pleased with it now.

I will be making multiples of the ravenbird and finding more pictures to collage to make more of these animalhead people.

Peanut Sauce recipe

So, the other day I was craving Thai food and made some home-made peanut sauce. Since I really don't measure ingredients as I make things...this recipe will hopefully come out how mine did.

You will notice that I do a lot of halves of things. This is because I make food enough for two. I tend to make multiple meals out of one vegetable, or tofu instead of making heaping amounts and leaving it over.

Tofu, Vegetables and White Rice in Peanut Sauce

serves 2

1/2 red pepper

1/2 eggplant

1/2 brick of Firm Tofu

1 cup white rice

For the sauce:

1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter (just plain peanuts...no sugar and stuff added)

1/4 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup water

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon hot chili oil (or regular oil and then add sri racha or any chili paste)

1 crushed garlic clove

1 teaspoon rice vinegar (or whatever vinegar you have)

some shakes of chili flakes

lemon or lime zest

Stir it up with a wisk or fork or whatever. Stir a LOT to make it creamy. You want creamy, not weird chunky.

Make the rice. 1 cup rice to 1 1/2 cups water. Do this in a sauce pan or rice cooker. Bowl water, add rice and then simmer for like 20 minutes...or do it how you make rice. I'm still working on the rice on the stove top since I was spoiled with a rice cooker for so long.

Fry up the veggies in tofu in a wok (if you don't have a wok any old frying pan is fine).

When the veggies look pretty much almost done add in the sauce and stir fry for a few minutes. Put the rice in bowls with stir fry over it and serve!

Let me know if you try this...and I PLEASE encourage you to just put these ingredients together as you go...let loose. It's way fun. Just keep adding and mixing and tasting until it is just right for you.