Prepping and Cooking a Family Dinner Featuring Eggplant Embellished with Wine

“Never eat more than you can lift.”  ~ Muppet Miss Piggy

 

Getting Hungry?

     Eggplant is in season! Have no fear about the size.

“Wine can be considered with good reason as the most healthful and hygienic of all beverages.”  ~ Dr. Louis Pasteur

      My cookbook, Confessions of An Oenophile, urges the home chef to (1) cook with a sense of humor, (2) select fresh seasonal vegetables, and (3) use ingredients that are readily available in the pantry.  With good planning, no special trips to the market are necessary. Save time and conserve gas, too.

      There are two kinds of eggplant that your family and guests might like. There are the big, fat purple ones and those skinny Japanese- style varieties.

A Big Fat Eggplant

     Where some goof is by browning both sides of the eggplant with too much butter or olive oil. It is amazing how much a thin slice of eggplant can act like a sponge. So use cooking oil judiciously and turn the eggplant as soon as it starts browning.

      Hint: Add sliced sweet onion and garlic in the frying pan. It will add a lot of flavor!

      Once the sensitive prep work is done, lay out the eggplant in your baking dishes. Next, choose a red wine to give zing to the baking sauce. Mix the vino with either your favorite Italian tomato sauce or Mexican salsa. Add spices to taste. Spread it around this terrific vegetable.

       Hint: Top it off with your family’s favorite kinds of cheeses.

      Place the covered dish into the oven on a slow bake (310 to 325 degrees) for less than 45 minutes or so.  Enjoy!

 

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Copyright 2008

Confessions of An Oenophile – An American Family Cookbook

By D. A. Dailey