Eggplant with Tahina and an Eggplant Blog Hop

Posted on Mar 10, 2012 | 70 comments In the Middle East there’s a saying that a woman is not ready to wed until she can cook an eggplant (i.e. aubergine) 1,000 ways. Before you start huffing and puffing about the gendered implications of this adage, I think the New York Times explained it well: “The saying is less about preparing women for marriage, though, than it is about the amazing versatility of the eggplant.”...
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Miso-Glazed Tofu and Eggplant

Posted on Jun 27, 2011 | 18 comments Miso is one of my favorite flavors. Sure, fermented soy beans don’t sound like they’d be good, but who can resist a steaming bowl of miso soup or salad dressed with bright, flavorful miso dressing? Typically I use miso when cooking fish – there isn’t a sea creature out there that doesn’t benefit from a nice coating of miso – but this time I used it in a...
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A Middle Eastern Spread

Posted on Mar 10, 2011 | 10 comments Next to the massive, leisurely breakfasts so famous in Israel, mezze is the next best part of any meal. This array of little dips and spreads often clutter the table at restaurants that specialize in meat skewers, but they also show up in any number of places and are favorites to make at home. The dishes are an illustration of the diversity of Israeli cuisine, with roots in Morocco, Libya, Egypt,...
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Cumin-Scented Eggplant with Pomegranate

Posted on Nov 9, 2010 | 0 comments Warning: this dish is addictive. The super savory cumin contrasts with the sweet pomegranate syrup and meaty eggplant for a killer vegetable side dish with bold Middle Eastern flavors. Since most of the cooking is done in the oven and the eggplant can be served at room temperature this is an easy side to make ahead for company. I served it with Butternut Squash and Sage Cannelloni, but it would...
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Baingan Bharta: A Tale of Pantry Desperation and Innovation

Posted on Nov 2, 2010 | 6 comments It did begin with me alone in the kitchen with an eggplant, but this wasn’t some lame attempt to recreate a Laurie Colwin essay. I was trying to come up with a quick meal using only the ingredients I had on hand that could be easily reheated. And considering I hadn’t been shopping all week, this was a particular challenge. That’s when I remembered the eggplant. Two of them....
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Sublimely Simple Eggplant Penne

Posted on Oct 3, 2010 | 0 comments Anyone who knows me knows I love pasta. It’s easy and quick to make, there are thousands of variations between the shape of the pasta and the ingredients you pair it with, and above all it tastes great. It’s the food I most often crave and definitely the one I most often make. It was time for dinner so I surveyed the ingredients we had on hand: pasta, eggplant, garlic, onions, grano padano,...
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