Crossing things off the to-do list.
Hey, how’ve you been? Good? Good. Let’s get back into it then, shall we?
If you’re like me you’ve got a large collection of bookmarked websites, ripped out magazine pages, recipe cards and scribbled notes from friends and family that piles up far too easily. So many tasty things to try, so little time in our busy schedules. A few days ago I decided I would make the time needed, and dug into my cooking to-do list. First up: a stuffed eggplant dish from Beatrice Peltre’s site La Tartine Gourmande, originally published in the Boston Globe’s Seasons column.
BK was into all of the fillings–eggplant, of course, as well as ham, tomato, coriander, and romano and ricotta cheese–but remained skeptical about one thing: “It doesn’t call for breadcrumbs?” he said. “Don’t you think it would taste better with a little breadcrumbs?” Undeterred, I waved him off (“No! Bah! Filler!”) and set to work.
It seems like ages since I’ve made a meal with more than 5 minutes prep time and it felt like a nice change to try something a bit more complex, thought I was rushing around a bit. Having an extra set of willing hands bashing coriander seeds while I chopped helped. And I did try to save time by skimping on the first “let it cool” directive, but wasn’t very successful. Lesson learned: when it says let it cool, let it cool.
How did it turn out? To me, every bit as delicious as hoped. It had that satisfying combination of warm and savory that I crave once the weather turns cold. And the leftovers the following night when I came home too exhausted to move? Equally delicious.
Eggplants stuffed with ricotta and ham: warm, savory, delicious.
Of course, never one to leave well enough alone, on the second night BK decided to gently stir in a small amount (about 1T) of breadcrumbs before he popped the eggplant in the oven to reheat. Begrudgingly, I admit: the contrasting texture from the resultant slight crust that formed on the surface of the filling was a nice touch. Though perhaps sprinkling the top with extra grated cheese might have done the trick, too. Humph.