The*Empress
New Member
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2005
- Messages
- 6,903
- Reaction score
- 3
I was watching FoodTV, and the host was talking about Eggplants, and
I don't remember ever eatting Eggplants, I wonder what they taste like.
Is it bitter, salty, or taste like squash or what?
***************
Eggplant is a fruit we consume as a vegetable. Technically a berry, eggplant comes in a wide range of shapes and sizes, from spherical to cylindrical, and from tiny to enormous, from 2 to 12 inches in length. There are creamy-white, egg-shaped eggplants, thin Japanese eggplants, small grape-like green Thai eggplants, rosy pink and white striped eggplants and purple and white striped eggplants and most commmon in the U.S., pear-shape variety with a smooth, glossy, dark purple skin.
An eggplant or aubergine is either of two species of nightshade, Solanum melongena and S. esculentum, bearing large pendulous purple or white fruit. The raw fruit has a spongelike texture and somewhat disagreeable taste, but on cooking becomes tender and develops a rich, complex flavor. It is especially useful culinarily owing to its ability to absorb great amounts of cooking fats, making possible extraordinarily rich dishes.
The variety that closely resembles a chicken egg in both size and shape is commonly known today as Indian eggplant. The varieties cultivated in The West today are of similar shape but both larger and darker. Chinese eggplant is shaped like a cucumber. Both Indian and Chinese eggplant usually has a color gradient, from white at the stem to bright purple to deep purple, but albino varieties also exist.*******************
My mom doesn't want eggplants, but I will try to cook some eggplants
someday.... cause I am curious.
Maybe I should try this recipe:
Sephardic Meat and Eggplant Lasagna: Meginah Recipe courtesy Judy Bin-Nun
Show: Calling All Cooks
Episode: Passover
Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 16 to 20 servings
2 pounds ground turkey
2 pounds ground veal
4 tablespoons ground cinnamon, or to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
2 pounds fresh mushrooms (button, cremini, or shiitake), sliced
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 large eggplants, peeled and diced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
6 cloves garolic, minced
16 thick, unbroken matzo crackers
4 to 6 (16-ounce) liquid egg cartons
6 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1/4 cup sugar or honey
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large frying pan, brown ground turkey and veal, approximately 10 minutes. Once brown, drain, then sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cinnamon onto mixture, and set aside.
In another large frying pan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil and saute diced onions until browned. Add sliced mushrooms to onion mixture, and saute together with seasoning, pinch of salt and pepper, until cooked. Place cooked mixture in large bowl and set aside.
Using the same frying pan (do not wash), add remaining 1/4 cup oil and saute with pinches of salt and pepper, diced eggplant and garlic, until soft. Add these ingredients to onions and mushrooms in the mixing bowl. Add minced parsley, salt, freshly ground pepper, and remaining 2 tablespoons of cinnamon.
Add 2 cans of tomato sauce to vegetable mixture.
Combine browned turkey and veal with vegetable mixture; adjust seasonings. Add 1/4-cup sugar or honey to taste, and set aside.
Cover counter top with heavy-duty paper towels. Use 2 aluminum roasting pans, 1 for matzo-soaking process, and 1 for egg dipping process.
Fill 1 large aluminum roasting pan halfway with almost boiling water. Add matzos, 1 at a time to this "bath" and soak until wet through, not falling apart, but pliable. Remove and lay on paper towels. Place more towels on top of matzos to soak up excess water, if necessary.
Fill second large aluminum roasting pan with about 3 cartons of liquid eggs. (You will dip the softened matzos into egg mixture, 1 at a time as you layer.)
Grease 2 (9-1/2 x 13 inch) glass baking dishes lightly with olive oil. Open remaining cans of tomato sauce, pour into mixing bowl, and set aside.
Start layering in Pyrex baking dish. First with a thin amount of tomato sauce on bottom, then with 2 to 2 1/2 egg dipped matzos (these are used similarly to lasagna noodles), then with filling mixture, then several dollops of tomato sauce, continuing to repeat process until each baking dish uses 6 to 8 matzos. Finish with a layer of matzos brushed lightly with tomato sauce. (Note: each baking dish has 3 matzo layers total)
Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes, until top is firm and golden.
or try that one....
Spicy Lamb and Eggplant Lasagna Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 1998
Show: Emeril Live
Episode: Lasagna
Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 12 to 16 servings
30 slices of eggplant (1/4-inch thick), about 3 pounds
3 cups flour
3 eggs beaten with 2 tablespoons milk
3 cups fine dried bread crumbs
Essence, recipe follows
1 cup vegetable oil
1 recipe of Spicy Lamb Sauce, recipe follows
1 pound Feta cheese, crumbled
2 cups Bichamel Sauce, recipe follows
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a deep-dish (11 by 14) lasagna pan. Season the eggplant slices, flour, egg wash and bread crumbs with Essence. Dredge the eggplant in the flour. Dip each eggplant in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the eggplant in the bread crumbs, coating completely. In two large pans, over medium heat, add 1/2 cup of the oil to each pan. When the oil is hot, pan-fry the eggplant for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels. Season with Essence. Fry the eggplant in batches. To assemble, spread 2 cups of the lamb sauce over the bottom of the pan. Crumble 1/3 of the cheese over the lamb sauce. Lay 10 slices of the eggplant over the cheese. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients. Spread the Bichamel Sauce over the top and bake for 45 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with parsley.
Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
Yield: about 2/3 cup
Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.
Spicy Lamb Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground lamb
Salt
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
2 cups finely chopped onions
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 (28-ounce) can of peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
3 cups beef stock or water
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano
In a large nonreactive saucepan, over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the meat and season with salt and crushed red pepper. Brown the meat for 4 to 6 minutes. Add the onions, celery, and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk the tomato paste with the water and add to the tomatoes. Add the thyme, bay leaves, oregano, basil and red pepper. Mix well. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 2 hours. Stir occasionally and add more liquid if needed. During the last 30 minutes or cooking, reseason with salt and pepper and stir in the cheese. Remove from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
Yield: about 4 to 6 cups
Bechamel Sauce:
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly-ground white pepper and grated nutmeg
3 1/2 cups milk
In a saucepan combine oil and flour, stirring it to a smooth paste. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, 4 minutes, without letting the roux brown. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly, and season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. If sauce has any lumps, strain it before using.
I don't remember ever eatting Eggplants, I wonder what they taste like.
Is it bitter, salty, or taste like squash or what?
***************
Eggplant is a fruit we consume as a vegetable. Technically a berry, eggplant comes in a wide range of shapes and sizes, from spherical to cylindrical, and from tiny to enormous, from 2 to 12 inches in length. There are creamy-white, egg-shaped eggplants, thin Japanese eggplants, small grape-like green Thai eggplants, rosy pink and white striped eggplants and purple and white striped eggplants and most commmon in the U.S., pear-shape variety with a smooth, glossy, dark purple skin.
An eggplant or aubergine is either of two species of nightshade, Solanum melongena and S. esculentum, bearing large pendulous purple or white fruit. The raw fruit has a spongelike texture and somewhat disagreeable taste, but on cooking becomes tender and develops a rich, complex flavor. It is especially useful culinarily owing to its ability to absorb great amounts of cooking fats, making possible extraordinarily rich dishes.
The variety that closely resembles a chicken egg in both size and shape is commonly known today as Indian eggplant. The varieties cultivated in The West today are of similar shape but both larger and darker. Chinese eggplant is shaped like a cucumber. Both Indian and Chinese eggplant usually has a color gradient, from white at the stem to bright purple to deep purple, but albino varieties also exist.*******************
My mom doesn't want eggplants, but I will try to cook some eggplants
someday.... cause I am curious.
Maybe I should try this recipe:
Sephardic Meat and Eggplant Lasagna: Meginah Recipe courtesy Judy Bin-Nun
Show: Calling All Cooks
Episode: Passover
Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 16 to 20 servings
2 pounds ground turkey
2 pounds ground veal
4 tablespoons ground cinnamon, or to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
2 pounds fresh mushrooms (button, cremini, or shiitake), sliced
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 large eggplants, peeled and diced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
6 cloves garolic, minced
16 thick, unbroken matzo crackers
4 to 6 (16-ounce) liquid egg cartons
6 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1/4 cup sugar or honey
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large frying pan, brown ground turkey and veal, approximately 10 minutes. Once brown, drain, then sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cinnamon onto mixture, and set aside.
In another large frying pan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil and saute diced onions until browned. Add sliced mushrooms to onion mixture, and saute together with seasoning, pinch of salt and pepper, until cooked. Place cooked mixture in large bowl and set aside.
Using the same frying pan (do not wash), add remaining 1/4 cup oil and saute with pinches of salt and pepper, diced eggplant and garlic, until soft. Add these ingredients to onions and mushrooms in the mixing bowl. Add minced parsley, salt, freshly ground pepper, and remaining 2 tablespoons of cinnamon.
Add 2 cans of tomato sauce to vegetable mixture.
Combine browned turkey and veal with vegetable mixture; adjust seasonings. Add 1/4-cup sugar or honey to taste, and set aside.
Cover counter top with heavy-duty paper towels. Use 2 aluminum roasting pans, 1 for matzo-soaking process, and 1 for egg dipping process.
Fill 1 large aluminum roasting pan halfway with almost boiling water. Add matzos, 1 at a time to this "bath" and soak until wet through, not falling apart, but pliable. Remove and lay on paper towels. Place more towels on top of matzos to soak up excess water, if necessary.
Fill second large aluminum roasting pan with about 3 cartons of liquid eggs. (You will dip the softened matzos into egg mixture, 1 at a time as you layer.)
Grease 2 (9-1/2 x 13 inch) glass baking dishes lightly with olive oil. Open remaining cans of tomato sauce, pour into mixing bowl, and set aside.
Start layering in Pyrex baking dish. First with a thin amount of tomato sauce on bottom, then with 2 to 2 1/2 egg dipped matzos (these are used similarly to lasagna noodles), then with filling mixture, then several dollops of tomato sauce, continuing to repeat process until each baking dish uses 6 to 8 matzos. Finish with a layer of matzos brushed lightly with tomato sauce. (Note: each baking dish has 3 matzo layers total)
Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes, until top is firm and golden.
or try that one....
Spicy Lamb and Eggplant Lasagna Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 1998
Show: Emeril Live
Episode: Lasagna
Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 12 to 16 servings
30 slices of eggplant (1/4-inch thick), about 3 pounds
3 cups flour
3 eggs beaten with 2 tablespoons milk
3 cups fine dried bread crumbs
Essence, recipe follows
1 cup vegetable oil
1 recipe of Spicy Lamb Sauce, recipe follows
1 pound Feta cheese, crumbled
2 cups Bichamel Sauce, recipe follows
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a deep-dish (11 by 14) lasagna pan. Season the eggplant slices, flour, egg wash and bread crumbs with Essence. Dredge the eggplant in the flour. Dip each eggplant in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the eggplant in the bread crumbs, coating completely. In two large pans, over medium heat, add 1/2 cup of the oil to each pan. When the oil is hot, pan-fry the eggplant for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels. Season with Essence. Fry the eggplant in batches. To assemble, spread 2 cups of the lamb sauce over the bottom of the pan. Crumble 1/3 of the cheese over the lamb sauce. Lay 10 slices of the eggplant over the cheese. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients. Spread the Bichamel Sauce over the top and bake for 45 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with parsley.
Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
Yield: about 2/3 cup
Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.
Spicy Lamb Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground lamb
Salt
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
2 cups finely chopped onions
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 (28-ounce) can of peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
3 cups beef stock or water
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano
In a large nonreactive saucepan, over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the meat and season with salt and crushed red pepper. Brown the meat for 4 to 6 minutes. Add the onions, celery, and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk the tomato paste with the water and add to the tomatoes. Add the thyme, bay leaves, oregano, basil and red pepper. Mix well. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 2 hours. Stir occasionally and add more liquid if needed. During the last 30 minutes or cooking, reseason with salt and pepper and stir in the cheese. Remove from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
Yield: about 4 to 6 cups
Bechamel Sauce:
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly-ground white pepper and grated nutmeg
3 1/2 cups milk
In a saucepan combine oil and flour, stirring it to a smooth paste. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, 4 minutes, without letting the roux brown. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly, and season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. If sauce has any lumps, strain it before using.
