Ciambotta

I spent a fair amount of time planning the Savage Boleks' Christmas Eve dinner. The centerpiece of the dinner would be an Arista-Style Turkey with Tuscan Chestnut Stuffing. That recipe has become my signature dish; and I was looking for regional Italian dishes that could complement the meal. The focus was more on vegetable dishes, because I needed vegetables to balance the protein and the starch from the main course. 

As I was perusing a wide range of Italian dishes, I got to thinking about ratatouille.  That dish serves as an excellent example of la cuisine pauvre. It emerged during the 18th century, when peasants and poor farmers in Provence would cook what was left of their summer vegetable harvest for hours until they produced a chunky stew. Indeed, the name, ratatouille, comes from the Occitain word, ratatolha, which basically means chunky stew. Over time, the dish became popular among restaurants, first in cities like Nice and then across France and beyond. 

While I could make a ratatouille as a side dish for our meal, I began to wonder if there was an Italian version of the dish. Sure enough, the Italians have ciambotta. The dish parallels ratatouille on many levels. Just as ratatouille emerged as poor person's cuisine in the south of France, ciambotta similarly emerged among the peasants and poor farmers of Italy's southern regions. While its exact origins are unknown (unlike ratatouille, which emerged from area around Nice in Provence), much of the literature traces the dish to the region of Campania, where it goes by many different names, such as ciauliello in the town of Cilento, ciaurella in Sapri, ciamardola in Torre Orsaia, or, once again, ciambotta in places such as Campora, Roscigno, and Bellosguardo.

As one would expect with a dish that goes by many names, there can be many different variations of the dish. Yet, all of the variations are tied together by some fundamental basics. Every dish uses seasonal fruits -- like tomatoes, eggplants and peppers -- as well as the remainder of the summer vegetable harvest, such as squash, potatoes, and more. Basic fruits and vegetables because, regardless of the city in which it is prepared, it is a a subsistence dish. 

I found an excellent recipe for ciambotta from The Forked Spoon. This recipe not only drew its inspiration from southern Italian cooking, but it also incorporated some of the keys to making a good ratatouille. These keys include using equal proportions of bright, colorful vegetables and cooking those vegetables separately. This recipe incorporates a fair amount of the rainbow when it comes to (fruits and) vegetables: bright red tomatoes;  red/orange/yellow bell peppers; yellow squash; green zucchini and dark eggplant. Ciambotta also uses a "pesto" of fresh basil, oregano and garlic, along with some crushed red pepper if you like some heat, to help further brighten the dish. 

CIAMBOTTA

Recipe from The Forked Spoon

Serves 8

Ingredients (for the herb pesto):

• 1/2 cup fresh basil, packed
• 1/3 cup fresh oregano leaves
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Ingredients (for the ciambotta):

• 1 large eggplant, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• Salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2.5 cups water
• 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, with juice (tomatoes roughly chopped)
• 2 large fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 2 large zucchini, seeded and chopped
• 1 yellow squash, seeded and chopped
• 2 bell peppers (yellow, red or orange), stemmed, seeded and diced

Directions:

1. Make the herb pesto. Add the basil, oregano, garlic, olive oil and red pepper flakes to a small food processor and blend until finely processed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Set aside. 

2. Prepare the eggplant. Transfer the eggplant pieces to a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1-2 teaspoons of salt and transfer to a large plate lined with paper towels. Microwave, uncovered for 5-8 minutes or until the eggplant is dry to the touch and starting to shrivel. 

3.  Prepare the onions, potatoes and eggplant. Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and onions to the pot, mixing well to combine.  Add the potatoes and eggplant and cook, stirring frequently, for 4-6 minutes, or until the onions are softened and the surface of the potatoes are translucent (they will not be fully cooked. 

4. Add the tomatoes.  Push the potatoes and onions to the side of the pot. Add the tomato paste and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the other side. Cook the tomato paste, whisking continuously, until a brown fond forms on the bottom of the pot. This will take approximately 2 minutes. Still stirring, add the water scaping the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the canned tomatoes with their juice and the fresh chopped tomatoes. Mix well and bring to a boil. 

5. Simmer. Reduce heat and bring to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender and soft and the eggplant is broken down, approximately 25 minutes. 

6. Prepare the zucchini and pepper. While the stew is simmering, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet over high heat. Allow the skillet to get really hot before adding the zucchini, yellow squash and bell pepper. Sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until just softening. 

7. Add the herb pesto. Create a well in the middle of the zucchini and bell pepper. Add the herb pesto and cook until fragrant before stirring to combine with the zucchini and bell peppers. Remove from the heat. 

8. Finish the dish. Once the potatoes are soft, add the zucchini and bell pepper mixture to the pot. Remove from the heat and mix well to combine. Cover and allow flavors to combine for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve with freshly toasted bread. 

PEACE.

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Afghanistan

I find myself challenged in more ways than one. My Around the World in 80 Dishes takes me to Afghanistan, which is also known as the "Graveyard of Empires." One foreign power after another -- the Greeks, Persians, Arabs, Mongols, Mughals, British, Soviets, and, most recently, Americans -- sought to dominate the country, from the southwestern plateau to the northern plains, and from the central highlands to the Hindu Kush.  Yet, if one were to go to Afghanistan, any tombstones that they would find will not have the names of empires. Rather, they would bear the names of the Afghans who have been victims of those empires. 

Today, a more appropriate name for Afghanistan would be the "Graveyard of Rights." In recent years, as the Taliban reasserted its control over the country, the extremist Muslim leadership have imposed restriction after restriction upon women and girls. The Taliban first limited the educational and employment opportunities for women. It then sought to limit their voice, imposing oppressive restrictions upon women raising their voice in public. The restrictions even prohibit women from signing or laughing in public. The Taliban are literally oppressing the voice of women and girls. 

Hence, the challenge. Typically, I spend time researching the post, delving  not only into cooking, but the cuisine and culture of those who prepare the food. I could write a post about the Pashtun people, who constitute a plurality of "Afghans," and their cuisine. I could also write about the other "Afghans" -- such as the Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks, Aimaks, Turkmen, Balochs, Nuristanis and Pamiris -- and their cuisine. But, how can I ignore the plight of women in Afghanistan, a plight that crosses ethnic lines. 

Afghan women (Source: Wikipedia)

The answer is that I don't. This post will feature a challenge to prepare a main course of Afghan cuisine, but I will do so while explaining the plight of women, contrasted with their undeniable contribution to Afghan society and their unquestionable right to be free from arbitrary and capricious legal restrictions.

I want the women of my country to know that they are equal to men in the eyes of religion, of civil laws, and humanity. God created them equal."

-- Lina Rozbih, Journalist and Poet

Unlike most of the empires that passed through, the United States engaged in nation building, with a focus on establishing governmental institutions. In 2004, Afghanistan adopted a new constitution. A product of 500 delegates representing Afghan men and women who met at the Constitutional Loya Jira, Article Twenty-Two declares "[a]ny kind of discrimination and distinction between citizens of Afghanistan shall be forbidden. The article further provides, "[t]he citizens of Afghanistan, man and woman, shall have equal rights and duties under the law. 

During the twenty or so years that the United States worked in Afghanistan, opportunities opened for women. Indeed, at the time the Constitution was adopted, women constituted twenty-seven percent (27%) of the lower legislative house (compared to women constituting only 25% of the U.S. House of Representatives). Those women, along with their male counterparts, enacted laws prohibiting a range of crimes against women, including domestic violence and forced marriage, as well as established other prohibitions, such as preventing women or girls from going to school or preventing women to own property. 

Female students (Source: United Nations)

By 2020, women made substantial strides in Afghanistan. Over three million girls attend school, and, at the university level, girls are 25% of the students. The literacy rate had tripled for women (although even with that progress, it was only 30%). Women were 19% of the doctors, 40% of the nurses, 35% of the public school teachers, 27% of the government employees, 12% of judges, 10% of attorneys and 20% of provincial council members. Considering that women had been persecuted for years and decades prior to 2001, the gains over the two decades marked considerable progress. 

"Because of the Taliban, Afghanistan has become a jail for women. We haven't got any human rights. We haven't got the right to go outside, to go to work, to look after our children."

-- Faranos Nazir, 34 year old woman in Kabul

In 2021, the United States withdrew from Afghanistan, creating a power vacuum that the Taliban quickly filled with the Second Islamic Emirate. Much like the First Islamic Emirate, which was the Taliban's rule between 1996 and 2001, the government moved quickly to strip women of not only the progress they made over the previous two decades, but also of their fundamental rights.  The damage is substantial. The Taliban have banned girls from attending secondary school (that is, up to Grade 7), thereby significantly limiting their educational opportunities. For those women attending universities, the Taliban has imposed numerous restrictions upon them and their education. The government first banned women from pursuing certain degrees, such as agriculture, mining, civil engineering and journalism. Thereafter, the Taliban banned women from universities altogether.

The loss of rights extends beyond the educational system, it includes stripping women of their legal rights. The Taliban went so far as to invalidate thousands of divorces that had been decreed between 2001 and 2020.  It dissolved the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, but established a female moral police department. 

Afghan women after 2021. (Source: United Nations)

The Taliban also stripped women of employment opportunities, ordering women to stay home rather than go to work. It also banned women from many occupations in the legal system, government, and private sector. 

Finally,  the Taliban issued a series of decrees that greatly restricted the movement of women outside of their homes. Indeed, women cannot leave their home without a mahram, which is a close relative. Even if a woman went out on her own, the Taliban imposed rules prohibiting many -- from health centers to coffee shops -- from providing goods and services to them. 

MAIN COURSE

For this particular challenge, I wanted to focus on a particular ingredient ... the tomato. While the tomato may be native to South America, it has its place in Afghan cuisine. This main course -- Kofta Challow -- features lamb or beef meatballs cooked in an onion-spiked tomato sauce. 

KOFTA CHALLOW

Recipe adapted from Afghan Yummy Food

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the rice):

• 3 cups basmati rice
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
•  2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 teaspoon cardamom

Ingredients (for the meatballs):

• 2 cups coriander (cilantro), minced
• 1 green pepper, minced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 onions minced
• 1 pound ground beef or veal
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 
• 1.5 tablespoon coriander powder
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 cup tomato sauce

Directions:

1. Prepare the rice. Rinse the rice and set aside for a few hours before cooking. Boil water in a pot. Add the rice and boil for a few minutes or until the rice is soft and long. Drain the water from the rice.

2. Continue preparing the rice. Heat a pan on high heat and add vegetable oil, boiled rice, salt dissolved in warm water and the spices. Mix well. Make holes with the back of the spatula. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel and place it on the pot. Cook on low heat for at least 25 to 30 minutes. 

3. Prepare the meatballs.  Add coriander, green pepper, one onion, garlic and mince in a food processor. In a big bowl, add the meat and spices. In a large saucepan, add the oil and heat on high heat. Add the second onion (minced), and sauté. Add the tomato sauce. Add water and leave on high heat until it comes to a boil. Make small balls form the meat mixture and add to the sauce. Leave it on low for 30 minutes to cook. 

4. Finish the dish. Serve with basmati rice or naan bread.

SIDE DISH

The tomato sauce continues onto the side dish, Banjan Salat. This dish is a simple one, consisting of eggplant, tomato sauce, and some spices. It is also different in terms of presentation insofar as it is served either at room temperature or cold. As I am not a very big fan of eggplant, I was a little apprehensive about a cold dish. I did like the spiced tomato sauce, but I still need to work on my liking of eggplant.

BONJUN SALAT

Recipe from Recipeland

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 3 medium eggplants
• 2.5 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 cup corn oil
• 1.5 cups tomato sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or minced fresh chiles
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon mint leaves

Directions:

1. Prepare the eggplant. Slice the eggplants crosswise into 1.5 inch thick pieces.  Sprinkle them with 2 teaspoons of coarse salt and let stand for 15 minutes. Rinse the eggplants under cold water, which removes the bitter taste. Rinse and dry well on a towel. 

2. Brown the eggplants. Heat the oil in a skillet and lightly brown the eggplant slices over moderate heat for 5 minutes.  Remove and put in a serving bowl to cool. 

3. Prepare the sauce. Put the tomato sauce, pepper, chile, cinnamon, mint and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a pan. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, which is long enough to integrate the flavors.

4. Finish the dish.  Pour the sauce over the eggplant, refrigerate until ready to use. The salad can remain in the refrigerator for several days. Serve cold or at room temperature. 

*    *    *

In doing a challenge to prepare a main course from Afghanistan, it is impossible to ignore the plight of women in that country. Extremist religions of every kind often subordinate (or subjugate) women, depriving them of important and necessary opportunities to learn and seek better lives. The Taliban is depriving women of their fundamental rights, as well as denying the undeniable: namely, women have a lot to contribute to the political, economic and social success of Afghanistan. While I think I succeeded in making Kofta Challow, my mind will always look to a possible future where women could once again contribute to the future of the country.

PEACE.

Lahmajoun (Lahmacun/Lahmajo)

This post has been a long time coming. The spark of inspiration goes back years, perhaps more than a decade. I was sitting at home watching Anthony Bourdain eating with someone at a small restaurant in Turkey, most likely Istanbul. He and his guest were eating a flatbread that had a layer of minced lamb and vegetables. Tony identified the flatbread as "lahmacun." Ever since that day, I have wanted to make that flatbread. However, a lot of days went by. Then the years passed. I still wanted to make this recipe, but I made a lot of  other ones instead (as this blog will attest). 

Perhaps the one obstacle in my mind was making the dough. Sure, I make pasta, but I don't really do a lot of baking or working with dough. Thoughts of how long it would take to make the dough, or what would happen if I screwed up the dough, became difficult to overcome. However, I recently decided that, on some time off from work, I would take the time to make the dough. Then other obstacles got in the way. It seemed that more days, weeks and years would go by without me making this flatbread. That was, until I had a batch of thawed pizza dough in front of me. That batch served as the springboard with which I would finally make lahmacun.

Or is it lahmajoun or lahmajo? There is a serious debate in which these two words -- lahmacun and lahmajo -- are at the very heart.  The debate asks the question of where did this flatbread originate? Was it Turkey, where it is referred to as lahmacun? Or, was it Armenia, where it is referred to as lahmajoun or lahmajo.

As it turns out, the answer requires some explanation. The original name derives from Armenian, in which lahmajo means "meat with dough." One account traces the dish back to the city of Aleppo, Syria, where Armenian merchants settled from areas such as Aintab, Urha and Cilicia. The Armenian community in Aleppo began preparing the dish, and local cooks offered it to customers as "lahmajoun." The dish became very popular throughout Syria and Lebanon (where it is called lahm bi ajin), as well as in Turkey, where it took on the name lahmacun. 

Of course, those in Turkey disagree with the above account. The Turkish version traces the flatbread's origin to the southern Turkish cities of Urfa and Gaziantep. (It should be noted that there were significant communities of Armenians who lived in both cities until the end of the nineteenth century.)

Setting aside the dispute over its origin, I decided to make the recipe for myself. The batch of pizza dough made the preparation of this dish a lot easier for me. I could just focus on preparing the spread. I relied upon a recipe from the World Central Kitchen cookbook, which came from a Lebanese chef (which, for this reason, I will refer to it as lahmajoun). I made only one change to the filling. Instead of using a mixture of half beef and half lamb, I decided to use all lamb. There were two reasons. First, I think lamb is more traditional (although there could be some debate about that). Second, ground lamb comes in one-pound packages and I did not want to have to buy a separate package of ground beef. 

In the end, I think that this was a very good first effort at making lahmajoun. I think when I return to this recipe, I will try some of the regional variations, as well as incorporate other ingredients. Hopefully, it won't take a decade for that to happen.

LAHMAJOUN (LAHMACUN/LAHMAJO)

Recipe adapted from Jose Andres, World Central Kitchen Cookbook, page 85

Serves 4-6

Ingredients (for the topping):

• 1 batch store-bought, fresh pizza dough
• 16 ounces ground lamb
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon ground allspice
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Armenian red pepper paste or finely chopped roasted red peppers
• 1 2/3 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 pound plum tomatoes diced
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 medium garlic clove

Directions:

1. Make the topping. In a medium bowl, combine the beef, lamb, tomato paste, allspice, salt, red pepper paste, and paprika. Gently mix in the diced tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, parsley and garlic until well distributed - avoid overmixing. 

2. Prepare the oven. Heat the oven to the highest temperature, preferably with a pizza stone or foil lined sheet pan inside. 

3. Prepare the flatbread. On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 12 pieces (to do this, cut the ball of dough in half, then half again, then divide each quarter into 3 pieces). Roll each piece into a round about 8 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick. Put 3 to 4 tablespoons of filling in the center of the round and use a spoon to spread it out nearly to the edge, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch border all around. 

4. Bake the flatbread. Depending on the size of the stone or baking sheet, bake the lahmajoun in batches until they start to brown but the dough is still soft enough to fold over - the meat layer will be completely cooked by the time the dough is done. There are no rules for the time and temperature. The hotter the oven and stone, the shorter the baking time and the tastier the lahmajoun. In a home oven that can reach 500 degrees Fahrenheit, it should take 6 to 8 minutes. While the flatbread is baking, you can grill long pieces of eggplant over an open flame until smoky, and season with sea salt.

5. Finish the dish. Serve warm. Lahmajoun are served folded over, sometimes with a squeeze of lemon, a yogurt dip or the traditional Armenian Ayran yogurt.  

PEACE.

Monkfish with Ratatouille

Imagine a lazy predator who lies underwater covered in muck and mud.  When it gets hungry, it dangles a lure to attact small fish and crustaceans.  When those small prey get close enough, the predator opens its cavernous mouth to swallow the unsuspecting fish or shrimp.  

That lazy predator goes by many names: anglerfish, goosefish, frog fish, molligut, and sea devil.  Most people know it as the monkfish. 

For a very long time, the monkfish was considered a trash fish.  Fishermen who caught the fish often threw it back, because, at one point, it would only garner about twenty cents per pound. For those who kept the fish, they often got an unexpected treat. The meat of the monkfish -- which comes from its tail -- had a special consistency, one that resembled the texture of lobsters.  That special texture is how the fish got another nickname, the poor mans's lobster.  

That nickname has become a misnomer in recent years. A pound of monkfish goes for much more today than twenty cents per pound. If you were to go to a grocery store, or a seafood market, you would most likely find monkfish for anywhere between $8.99 to $18.99 per pound.  The poor'man's lobster is now a delicacy that graces the plates of fancy restaurants.  As it grew in popularity, the demand put stress on the monkfish populations.  That has led some countries, such as Norway, to place restrictions on the fishing of monkfish to ensure the stability of its population.   The United States also places restrictions on the commercial fishing of monkfish. 

I guess this dish is my attempt to create a fancy dish using monkfish.  The fish is baked in the oven, and served with a rater simply prepared ratatouille.  Perhaps this dish is a nod to French cuisine, whose chefs and cooks have prepared the fish in a varety of ways.  This simple preparation was very tasty and a great waty to enjoy the fish and get your daily requirement of vegetables.  

MONKFISH WITH RATATOUILLE

Recipe from Epicurious

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 medium-lrge zucchini, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 large bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 onion, cut into 1 inch pieces

4 teaspoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped or 1 teaspoon dried

Vegetable oil cooking spray

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

Tomato sauce (14 ounces)

3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

2 tablespoons drained capers (optional)

Directions:

1.  Roast the vegetables.  Heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Toss eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper and onion with 2 teaspoons of oil in a bowl.  Add the thyem, season with salt and pepper and toss again.  Coat a shallow baking pan with cooking spray.  Arrange the vegetables on pan and roast until tender, about 20 minutes.  Stir in garlic and tomatoe sauce. Cover loosely with foil and roast for 10 minutes more.  Remove pan from oven.  Stir in chopped basil.

2.  Bake the fish.  Rub the fillets with the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Nestle the fish in the vegetables cover loosley with foil.  Bake until the fish is just cooked through, about 10 minutes.  Top with basil leaves and capers. Serve immediately.

ENJOY!

Ratatouille, Disney-Style

Anyone can cook.  Those three words define the Disney movie Ratatouille.  As someone with a love of cooking, it seems only natural that I would also love the movie about a rat who can cook in a famous and fancy French restaurant.  I have watched that movie several times, and, each time, I become particularly entranced with the scenes where the characters are actually cooking.  Now, I am not sure whether I am prepared to make Sweetbreads a la Gustauve, but I did decide to try making Ratatouille in the style that Remy did to win over the critic Ego.

It helps to have a recipe and I found a recipe for Ratatouille, Disney Style on Allrecipes.  This recipe begins with an immediate problem, one that is never addressed in the movie itself.  The recipe calls for the use of eggplants, red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, and zucchini.  All of these ingredients will make a fine ratatouille; however, the key to the Disney ratatouille is ensuring that the individual slices are all the same size.  If you go back and watch the movie, as I did when I made this dish, the slices are identical in size.  This makes for great Hollywood, but it presents an obstacle in a real kitchen.  To overcome this obstacle, I cut the bell pepper slices in half and arranged them in a way that it appeared they were the same size as the eggplant. I also used two slices of zucchini in an effort to make it appear larger than it really was.

These modifications worked, to a certain extent.  However, the final product did not look anything like the ratatouille in the kitchen.  The end result was still a very eye-pleasing array of colors that could be somewhat stacked on a plate for service.  The dollop of marscapone at the end adds a richness to the dish that would otherwise be lacking.  

RATATOUILLE, DISNEY-STYLE

Recipe from All Recipes

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 can of tomato paste (6 ounces)
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 tablespoon of olive oil
3/4 cup of water
1 small eggplant, trimmed and very thinly sliced
1 zucchini, trimmed and very thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cored and very thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, cored and very thinly sliced
3 tablespoons of olive or to taste
1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves, or to taste
3 tablespoons of mascarpone cheese

Directions:

1. Prepare the ratatouille.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spread the tomato paste into the bottom of a 10x10 baking dish. Sprinkle with onion and garlic and stir in 1 tablespoon olive oil and water until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and black pepper. Arrange alternating slices of eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, red bell pepper, and yellow bell pepper, starting at the outer edge of the dish and working concentrically towards the center. Overlap the slices a little to display the colors. Drizzle the vegetables with 3 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle with thyme leaves. Cover vegetables with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside.

2.  Bake the ratatouille. Bake in the preheated oven until vegetables are roasted and tender, about 45 minutes. Serve with dollops of mascarpone cheese.

ENJOY!

 

Eggplant Caprese Napoleons

There is something about a recipe whose introductory remarks begin "[s]o simple, so fresh and so good for you."  This is a dish that I made for my beautiful Angel, Clare, as part of my effort to make nutritious dishes from the pregnancy books that I found.  The name -- Eggplant Caprese Napoleon -- caught my attention primarily because of the interesting combination of recipes that are brought together in this one little dish ... Caprese salads in the form of a Napoleon.

This recipe is more "Caprese" than Napoleon.  It draws from all of the ingredients in a classic, Neapolitan Caprese salad:  vine ripe tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil.  It even includes a touch that I often add to my own Caprese salads ... balsamic vinegar.  The salad ingredients are stacked as layers, which draws its inspiration from the classic French Napoleon, a dessert featuring layers of puff pastry and filling.

The Caprese salad is actually "sandwiched" between two slices of eggplant.  The recipe calls for the eggplant to be grilled.  However, it does offer the option of broiling the eggplant slices, which is the option that I chose on this particular occasion.  Broiling the slices worked well, but it does not leave the classic grill marks on the slices that would have definitely added to the presentation.  Next time, I'll grill the eggplant.

EGGPLANT CAPRESE NAPOLEONS

Recipe from Healthy Eating During Pregnancy, at pg. 68

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a little more to finish

1 clove of garlic, pressed or minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large heirloom or other flavorful, ripe tomato, 

     cut into 4 slices

4 ounces pasteurized buffalo mozzarella cheese, 

     cut into 4 slices

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

Freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

1.  Prepare the eggplant.   Preheat the grill or the broiler.  Slice off and discard the top and bottom of the eggplant and slice the remainder into 8 slices.  Season with the salt and let sit for 10 minutes.  Mix the olive oil and garlic in a small bowl.  Using a basting brush or spoon, brush the eggplant with garlic oil.  Grill or broil the eggplant until golden on both sides, about 8 minutes total.  If you broil the eggplant, make sure that it is not too close to the flame and watch it carefully to make sure it does not burn.

2.  Make the Napoleons.  On a serving platter, arrange 4 grilled or broiled eggplant discs. Top with a layer of tomato, a layer of mozzarella, and a final layer of eggplant.  Set aside.

3.  Make the sauce.  In a small saucepan over medium high heat, bring the vinegar to a boil and reduce to a syrup, watching carefully to make sure that it does not burn, about 4 minutes.  Carefully drizzle the syrup over the 4 napoleons, adding extra drops on the platter for decoration.  Sprinkle the basil atop the stacks and around the platter and sprinkle with salt and cracked pepper.  Serve immediately.

ENJOY!

Chef Bolek's Catfish "Curry"

My experience with curries comes primarily from eating them, not cooking them.  I love Indian curries and one of my personal culinary goals is to learn how to make various types of curries and to learn the differences between the curries of the different regions of India, as well as learn the differences between curries of India and other countries, such as Thailand and Malaysia.

For this particular recipe, I drew from my limited experience in making Lamb Korma.  I bascially borrowed the spice ingredients, with a few tweaks.  I made this dish for my beautiful Angel, who does not eat meat.  This led to the first change ... I made it with catfish instead of lamb.  The Lamb Korma recipe I made called for two masalas ... a curry masala and a garam masala.  For the second change, I used the garam masala, but used a sweet curry powder (with fenugreek and turmeric powders) instead of the curry masala.  The third change was the addition of some vegetables, like eggplants and bell peppers.  Finally, I decided to use Sanaam chiles, which are chiles from India, to provide a little heat to the dish.

Overall, this dish turned out well, but it falls short of being a curry.  It is more like a "Chef Bolek-ized" curry. Still, I have to start somewhere.  And this was a tasty starting point.

CHEF BOLEK'S CATFISH "CURRY"

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
1 pound of catfish, cut into even sized pieces
1 small eggplant or 1/2 of a large eggplant, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 large shallot, diced
1 cup of bell peppers, diced or thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, diced
1/2 tomato, diced
1 teaspoon of garam masala powder
1 teaspoon of sweet curry powder
1/4 teaspoon of fenugreek powder
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder
2 dry Sanaam chiles, ground into a powder
1 teaspoon of minced ginger
2 cups of water
3 tablespoons of non-fat yogurt

Directions: 

1.  Saute the vegetables.  Heat the vegetable oil in a deep skillet.  Add the onions and the shallots, sauteing the vegetables for about ten minutes.  Add the garlic and continue to saute for a minute.  Add the bell peppers and the eggplant, along with the garam masala and sweet curry powders.  Continue to saute for about eight minutes.

2.  Add the tomato and liquid.  Add the tomato and 1 cup of water.  Bring to a simmer and continue to cook for eight minutes.  Add the remaining cup of water, cover, and simmer for twenty minutes.

3.  Add the fish.  Add the catfish and continue to simmer for about five minutes or until the catfish is cooked.  Remove from the heat and stir in the yogurt.

ENJOY!

Spicy Swai with Rice Sticks

I have to admit that I need to learn how to cook Asian food.  Sure, it would be a great thing to learn how to cook Chinese, Japanese or Thai food.  However, I also want to learn how to cook some other cuisines, like Vietnamese, Malaysian or Korean.  This recipe is somewhat of an accident.  I really planned on making Bucatini with a Soft Shell Crab Sauce.  There is a seafood store that usually carries soft shells, even when no one else does.  However, when I went there, they did not have any soft shells.  So, I left dejected and wondering what I would make.  When I stopped at my local grocery store, I perused the small seafood counter and saw something that I had not seen before ... swai.

The swai, also known as the basa fish, is a species of river catfish from the delta.  The particular delta is not the Mississippi delta, but the Mekong delta.  For the most part, swai or basa are raised on commercial farms in southeast Asia, most specifically Vietnam and Thailand.  According to Seafood Watch, the swai have a "strong" potential to be a sustainable fish.  There are some concerns about the method by which farmers raise the swai, particularly the use of open cages.  There is some research that shows that the use of open cages may have an adverse effect on the environment, plus an increased possibility of disease amongst the fish and escape of the caged fish into the rivers or waters where the cages are maintained.  Still, in terms of sustainability, Seafood Watch rates the Swai as "good," although not as good as U.S. farmed catfish.

In making this dish, I wanted to try something different and push myself a little.  Given swai is a Vietnamese fish, I wanted to use my wok to make a stir fry.  As I strolled the aisles of the produce section, I picked up a couple red peppers, some baby eggplant, and some cilantro.  As I headed to the checkout aisle, I passed the Asian food section and debated whether I should serve this with rice or noodles.  I came across a package of "Rice Sticks," which are basically rice noodles.  Having never used rice noodles before, let alone in a stir fry, I thought I would give them a try.  I returned home and, with some ingredients out of the pantry, I created this dish off the top of my head.  And, while this dish will not win any awards, it actually turned out to be quite tasty.

SPICY SWAI WITH RICE STICKS

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
1 pound of swai fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 red peppers, diced
3 baby eggplant, diced
1 clove of garlic, finely diced
2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro, chopped
4 tablespoons of canola oil
1 teaspoon of sambal oelek
1 teaspoon of fish sauce
1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Lemon, juiced

Directions:

1.  Prepare the rice sticks.  Generally, you place the rice sticks in warm water for five to eight minutes until they have softened.  Drain the rice sticks and set aside until you are ready to fry them.

2.  Prepare the swai.  Salt and pepper the swai liberally.  Sprinkle the lemon juice over the swai and set aside.

3.  Cook the vegetables and spices.   Heat the canola oil in the wok on high.  Add the peppers and saute for about three minutes.  Add the garlic, saute for a minute more.  Add the eggplant and continue to saute for about five minutes.  While sauteeing the eggplant, add the cilantro, sambal oelek, fish sauce and dark soy sauce.

4.  Cook the fish. Add the swai and stir to make sure that the liquid covers the swai.  Cook for about five to seven minutes.  Add the noodles and continue to stir until everything is incorporated well.

While this may not have been my strongest outing, it was definitely a tasty dish.  I plan on tweeking this recipe a little to improve upon it.  I'll keep you apprised of any changes in the recipe.  Until then ...

ENJOY!

Raviolini de Pescatrice

Last year, I undertook an effort to make ravioli for the first time.  I came across a recipe for Ravolini de Pescatrice (Fish Ravioli) in a magazine and I thought it would be an interesting dish to make.  

This recipe was not your typical ravioli, with meat and cheese ground so finely that you have a hard time telling which is the meat and which is the cheese.  Instead, it involved the stacking of fresh ingredients -- eggplant, cheese, fish, and tomato -- onto freshly made pasta and then covering the pasta with another sheet to make the ravioli.  This is not an easy dish to make.  

While my first attempt was a success, my second attempt failed miserably.  Still, when properly done, it is a very tasty and different dish.

RAVIOLINI DE PESCATRICE
Adapted from a recipe provided by Saveur Magazine
Serves at least 4

Ingredients (for the pasta):
2 eggs
5 cups of all purpose flour
Hand crank pasta maker

Ingredients (for the Raviolini):
1/2 pound of halibut
1 small to medium sized eggplant, sliced thinly
1 small to medium sized tomato, sliced thinly
Mozzarella Cheese
Fresh Basil
1 garlic clove, diced
4 to 6 tablespoons of Olive Oil (at least)
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  The first task is to make the ingredients for the raviolini.  Heat about 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan at medium heat.  Slice the larger bottom end of eggplant into thin slices, trying to get as many same-size slices as possible. Salt and pepper the slices.  Add garlic and saute for a couple of minutes.  Add the eggplant slices and saute the slices until they become tender, which will take several minutes.  Remove and let cool.  Use a paper towel to remove any excess oil or moisture from the eggplant slices (this is important to minimize the amount of moisture of the contents of the ravioli to preserve the pasta).

2.  Slice the tomato into as many same size slices as possible.  Use a paper towel to remove any excess moisture from the tomato slices.  Also slice the mozzarella into as many same sized slices as possible. 

3.  Slice the halibut into evenly sized pieces.  Salt and pepper the halibut.  Add about 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to a new pan and heat at medium heat.  Add the halibut and saute until halibut is mostly cooked . Remove and let cool down.  Then use a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Put all of the raviolini ingredients in the fridge.

4.  It is time to make the pasta.  Take four cups of flour and make a mountain.  Then make a crater in the middle of the mountain with your fingers.  Crack two eggs into the crater.  Using a fork, begin to beat the eggs gently, occasionally mixing in flour from the rim of the "volcano" or its outside edges. Continue to add flour until the pasta starts to come together.  Once you can form it into a ball in your hands, place the pasta on a flat surface that is covered with flour.  Shape the pasta into a rectangle.  Begin to knead the pasta with the palm of your hand, adding flour to wherever it feels sticky.  After about ten minutes of kneading, check the pasta to make sure that there are no sticky spots.  Wrap the pasta in plastic wrap and let sit for about ten minutes.

5.  Set the pasta maker on the widest setting.  Split the pasta in half.  Run the pasta through a couple of times.  Then move the setting to the next setting and run the pasta through.  Move the setting to the next setting and run the pasta through.  Keep moving through the settings but stop before the last one.

6.  Now you should have two sheets of pasta.  And it is now time to start assembling the raviolini.  Place the ingredients in the following order: eggplant, mozzarella, halibut and tomato.   Make sure to leave a lot of space between each stack of ingredients to ensure that you will have enough pasta to complete the raviolini.  Then place the other sheet of pasta over top.  Gently press down around the edges.  Take a knife and make a cut to create individual raviolini.  Take a fork and press down along all of the edges of each raviolini.

7.  Put a pot of water on high heat.  When the water begins to boil, add the raviolini, one at a time.  Let the raviolini cook in the boiling water for about 5 minutes.  Remove the raviolini from the heat.

8.  To serve the raviolini, I would drizzle olive oil over them, and then grind black pepper over the raviolini.  If you have left over halibut, I would saute the halibut, break it up and sprinkle it over the raviolini. You can also add a basil leaf for garnish.

ENJOY.