Taste the Love: Fried Eggplant

When I was a kid, I didn't like sour cream, and I'd never tried eggplant. The very name made my nose wrinkle. Eggplant sounded gross.

I'm not alone for dismissing eggplant just on the basis of the name, according to The Kitchen Survival Guide.

Fried Eggplant

The only trouble with eggplant is its unfortunate name. If it were called purple melon or Fatima's Passion, then stores wouldn't be able to keep the bins stocked.

Eggplant has a mild, appealing taste. It can have a variety of appealing textures and shapes depending on how it is cooked, and it is economical. Hell, it's cheap. It lends itself to different cuisines, from Italian to Middle Eastern. Give it a try. As Mom would say, "Would I feed you something bad?"

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: about 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Can be made ahead? No.
Can be frozen? No.
Can be doubled? Yes. But don't crowd the slices in the frying pan. It's better to make in several batches.
Good for leftovers? A bit on the soggy side, but yes. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Eat cold, or add to a salad or the top of a baked potato or an omelet. Or reheat, wrapped in foil, in a oven or toaster oven, or in plastic in the microwave.

2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
2 medium eggplants, peeled and cut crosswise (you want rounds) into 3/4-inch slices
Approximately 2/3 cup vegetable oil

Break the eggs into a shallow bowl, add the salt and pepper and beat briefly with a fork. Place the bread crumbs in a shallow pan or on a piece of waxed paper. Dip both sides of each eggplant slice in the egg mixture, then coat with the bread crumbs. Continue until all the slices have been coated.

Heat about 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet and when it's hot, add a few slices of eggplant. Cook for about 5 to 7 minutes on each side over moderate heat until brown. Drain the slices on paper towels, then stack on a cookie sheet in a 250°F. oven to keep them warm. Repeat with the remaining slices, adding more oil as necessary, until all the eggplant is cooked.

The first time I ever tried eggplant, I realized how much tasty time I'd lost. I was on Long Island, and a friend got me a slice of pizza topped with very thin, very lovely fried eggplant. I was hooked.

Is eggplant more widely consumed in countries where it's called something less...eggy? Do Brits enjoy it more because it's "aubergine"?

I love that Lora Brody says "hell" in this recipe. Her recipe writing style makes The Kitchen Survival Guide more than just an okay purchase.

I must say, though, it took every bit of my self control to not change "a oven" to "an oven" when typing this out.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things: Noodles with Sour Cream and Cottage Cheese

People are often surprised when I say what my favorite food is. I guess they expect me to say seared foie gras, or lamb in a coffee, chocolate, and pinot noir sauce, or some such rich and beautiful thing. It's true, I do love those things, but if I had to choose one favorite food it would be...

...noodles.

Noodles. Noodles of all kinds. I adore noodles! They are perfection. So, when The Kitchen Survival Guide pairs noodles with two other loves of mine, I have to stand up and shout "huzzah!"

Noodles with Sour Cream and Cottage Cheese

This is a traditional Sunday night supper in our house. You can throw it together in 5 minutes (not counting the time it takes to cook the noodles). Substitute plain yogurt for the sour cream and use low-fat cottage cheese, if you wish.

Preparation time: 15 minutes, including the time to cook the noodles
Cooking time: approximately 10 minutes following the directions on the noodle package
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Can be made ahead? No.
Can be frozen? No.
Can be doubled and tripled? Yes.
Good for leftovers? Okay.

1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces wide egg noodles
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream or plain yogurt
1 cup (8 ounces) creamy style or low-fat cottage cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot with 2 quarts of water and the salt to a boil. Add the noodles, and stir for a moment to separate them. Cook for the minimum time recommended on the package.

While the noodles are cooking, empty the sour cream and cottage cheese into a serving bowl and mix together. When the noodles are cooked drain them, then mix them gently with the sour cream/cottage cheese mixture. Add salt and pepper as desired.

It's official: I want to live at Lora Brody's house. At least on Sundays around dinner time.

Egg noodles and sour cream always get me to thinking of beef stroganoff, but this gem of a recipe is much more likely to be pantry cooking for me than stroganoff. I just don't keep fresh mushrooms in the house all the time, nor, frankly, beef. I shop for those for specific recipes. But, creamy yummy dairy goods? Always in the fridge! Egg noodles? Always in the pantry!

There's not a thing about this recipe that doesn't make me think "warm," "cozy," "homey," or "soothing." I can't imagine it being good for leftovers...

...mostly because I can't imagine leaving any to be left over.

After The Dining Hall: Banana Bread

Back in college, I lived in the dorms. I lived in the dorms, I cooked in the dorms, I baked in the dorms. My first year, that mean trekking to one of the updated dorms -- Anderson Hall was a notorious pit -- to find an oven. It was worth it, though, for the pies, the cookies, the 1,000 calorie slightly alcoholic cream puffs... And, with this recipe from The Kitchen Survival Guide, the quick breads.

Banana Bread

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Yield: 1 loaf
Can be made ahead? Yes. The day before. Cool thoroughly and then wrap in foil. Store at room temperature or refrigerate.
Can be frozen? Yes. Cool completely, slice, then wrap in foil and store in a plastic bag. Defrost at room temperature, still wrapped. Toast before serving.
Can be doubled? Yes. Use 2 bread pans.
Good for leftovers? Yes. Will keep well wrapped in foil and in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 5 days.

3 very ripe bananas
2 eggs
2 cups flour, measured after sifting
3/4 sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pecans

Preheat the oven to 350°F. with the rack in the center position. Butter and flour a 6-cup loaf pan, knocking out the excess flour.

Use a fork to mash the bananas in a large bowl. Add the eggs and mix well. Sift the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda over the bananas. Stir well and mix in the nuts. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn the cake out ont a wire rack to cool.

Now, kids, it's wrong to steal from the dining hall. Even if your breakfast is costing you $12, and you couldn't finish all that healthful stuff you put on your tray. It's wrong. It's just wrong. And it's certainly not how I ever got bananas to make banana bread in college.

:shifty eyes:

I did find out that the tiny tiny freezer in the tiny tiny dorm fridge was just the right size to stash overripe bananas while waiting to have enough to make a loaf of banana bread. And eventually I figured out that I could hide a toaster oven behind some books, and never have to leave the room for some study break banana bread goodness...

That would be wrong, too. Always follow your dorm rules. Never have forbidden appliances. Or volatile liquids used for flavor in cooking...

:shifty eyes:

I like my banana bread sliced thick, and slathered in butter. I also like it as the base for chicken or ham salad sandwiches, or with sliced apples and brie. And I think I've made my position on pecans quite clear; I'd go for walnuts here.

The One That Matters; Hard-Boiled Eggs

For me, there's usually one recipe in any beloved cookbook that is the recipe, the one that matters. Believe it or not, here's mine for The Kitchen Survival Guide:

Hard-Boiled Eggs

Cooking time: 20 minutes
Can be made ahead? Yes. Shell the eggs while they are still hot and store in a covered glass or plastic container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Can be frozen? No.
Can be doubled and tripled? Yes. Make as many as you'd like. Just make sure you use a big enough pot to cook them.
Good for leftovers? Yes. Refrigerate for up to 4 day until ready to use.

It's best to use a Teflon-coated pan for boiling eggs, since a metal pan will become discolored unless you add a pinch of cream of tartar to the water.

Fill a saucepan two thirds full with cold water. Add as many eggs as you wish to cook (they should not be crowded) and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a rolling boil. Cover the pan, turn off the heat, and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 15 minutes.

Drain off the hot water and immediately run the eggs under cold water. Peel at once (it gets harder if you wait).

I'm serious. Every. single. time. I boil eggs, I reach for The Kitchen Survival Guide and turn to page 153. Chefly Husband has crossed out "15" both times it appears in this recipe and written in "12 per Mom." Another C.H. notation: "3 for Soft-Boiled."

So, cook your eggs this way, for 12 minutes, and then go one step further and ignore the peeling advice. Take your hard-cooked eggs, and dye 'em. For any holiday. For any non-holiday.

Yes, I said "hard-cooked." The recipe above may call itself Hard-Boiled, but the American Egg Board calls 'em by their proper name. If you want truly hard-boiled eggs, you'll boil them for their whole cooking time, and be stuck in the same trap I was stuck in before The Kitchen Survival Guide came into my life. For me, hard-boiled = usually over cooked and with the weird grey ring around the yolk; hard-cooked = perfection, with the most beautiful yolks ever.

Favorite things to do with perfectly hard-cooked eggs:

• dye 'em
• crack 'em competitively
• eat the whites with salt and give the yolks to Chefly Husband or dog
• make egg salad sandwiches (The Kitchen Survival Guide has a good egg salad recipe, with variation, if you don't have a favorite already)
• devil 'em

Saving Ourselves From The Deli Counter; Curried Chicken Salad

There was a long, long stretch of time when Chefly Husband and I would feed ourselves from the deli counter at Whole Foods. Our standing get list: lemon cappellini, and curried chicken salad. Leave it to The Kitchen Survival Guide to help us save ourselves from the deli counter.

Curried Chicken (or Turkey) Salad)

This wonderful cold dish is the mainstay of many gourmet take-out shops. You can pay sixteen dollars a pound for theirs, or you can make your own and save a bundle. The main ingredient is leftover turkey or chicken. If you're craving this salad and ate all the leftover turkey or chicken, then go to the deli and buy some turkey breast. Smoked turkey breast would also be wonderful. Ask the clerk to slice it on the thick (1/2 inch) side.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Can be made ahead? Yes. Up to 1 day before.
Can be frozen? No.
Can be doubled and tripled? Yes.
Good for leftovers? Yes. Store in a covered plastic container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

2/3 cup plain yogurt (regular, low-fat, or nonfat), or mayonnaise
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 cups (approximately 8 ounces) cubed chicken or turkey breast
2 Granny Smith apples, cubed
1 small can pineapple chunks, drained
1/2 cup raisins
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1/2 cup pecans, or slivered almonds

Mix the yogurt or mayonnaise together with the curry powder in a large mixing bowl. Add all of the remaining ingredients and toss gently to cover with the dressing. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

So simple, really. A little bit of sweet. A little bit of crunch. A little bit of spice. And yet, together, it's amazing. I strongly recommend letting it meld in the fridge for a good chunk of time before serving, because it really improves the whole experience.

It's great in a sandwich, spread on crackers, topping a green salad, or even eaten right out of the mixing bowl. Spoon optional.

Easy Apps: Spiced Pecans

One of the things I love about The Kitchen Survival Guide is that it expects you not only to feed yourself properly, but your guests as well.

Spiced Pecans

Be sure to make lots of these as they will disappear fast.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Can be made ahead? Yes. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Can be frozen? No.
Can be doubled and tripled? Yes.
Good for leftovers? Yes, if there are any left over.

1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
10 drops Tabasco sauce (fewer if you want it less spicy)
12 ounces (approximately 2 1/2 cups) shelled pecan halves

Preheat the oven to 400°F, with the rack in the center position. Line a shallow baking pan with foil (to make cleanup easier).

In a medium mixing bowl combine all the ingredients, except the pecans, in the order they are listed. Mix well to combine, then mix in the pecans. Distribute the pecans and the sauce evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Then cool 15 minutes in the pan.

Pass the pecans while still warm in a bowl or on a plate. Or store in a covered container at room temperature until ready to serve.

Simple. Tasty. Good with drinks. I like the mixture of sugar and soy, mustard and cayenne. I wouldn't drop down the Tabasco, in part because I love spicy stuff, and in part because I think you need the heat to balance the sweet. Plus, if it's spicier, there's a chance you'll eat it more slowly...

Grandma Green always had a bowl of nuts on her coffee table; I remember being slightly disappointed when we didn't get a nut bowl and nut pick set for a wedding gift (I spent my early years very near The House of Myrtlewood, after all...). I don't remember having pecans much, though, until I moved east, so my instinct would be to substitute walnuts for the pecans.

The Kitchen Survival Guide, by Lora Brody; Applesauce

If you've never cooked much before, and want to start, or if you're sending someone off to school, away from home for the first time, you should pick up a copy (or three) of The Kitchen Survival Guide, by Lora Brody, published in 1992. Brody decided to write a kitchen guide and cookbook when she had a small pan fire, and her kids freaked out trying to figure out how to put the fire out. (Baking soda smothered it nicely.) The book will help you outfit a kitchen, stock your cabinets, make substitutions, and feed yourself (and your friends) well. Chefly Husband was given a copy by his mother when he went off to college (where we met... :swoon:), and we give copies to people whenever possible -- it's a great reference.

The first recipe in the book doesn't come along until page 77. Yes, 77. And then, it's a very basic recipe, following a page on how to read a recipe. Let's hop to it:

Applesauce

Preparation Time: about 40 minutes
Cooking time: 20 to 30 minutes
Yield: 8 to 10 servings, about 5 cups
Can be made ahead? Yes. Up to 1 week. Keep refrigerated.
Can be frozen? Yes. Up to 6 months.
Can be doubled and tripled? Yes.
Good for leftovers? Yes. Applesauce will keep for 1 week refrigerated in a sealed container.

8 to 10 large Cortland or McIntosh apples
1 1/2 cups water or apple cider
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Lemon juice to taste

Quarter the apples and remove the cores and seeds (leave the skins on). Place the apples and cider or water in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot. Cover, and cook over low heat until the apples are very tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the apples from the pan and reserve the cooking liquid. Purée the apples in a food processor or blender (if you use a blender, put in only a very small amount of the apples at a time, adding liquid to the blender as necessary to make a purée). Add the remaining ingredients, including about 1/2 to 2/3 of the cooking liquid. Purée until smooth. Add more lemon juice, if desired.

Brody writes recipes like I write recipes -- that is, she's pretty darned chatty. If you can say it two different ways to get your point across, it's more likely that someone can get the recipe to turn out.

Chefly Husband's mother also sent him off to school with a few treasured cans of homemade applesauce. He rationed them like they were the rarest treasure, and rightly so. My mother-in-law makes perfect applesauce.

It's the start of apple picking season here in the DC area. Homestead Farms in Poolesville reports that picking for Gala apples is great right now, and if you didn't know it already, Gala apples are fabulous for saucing. It's nearly autumn...it's time to comfort ourselves with apples.