Appetizer Heaven - Caponata

Caponata, an Italian dish with eggplant, onions, celery, tomatoes, and olives, is one of my "go to" appetizers.  Whether I'm having a big party, need to bring a substantial contribution to a potluck, or just have a compulsion to "feed" my freezer, caponata fits the bill.  I got the original recipe from my friend Liz.  Although I have adapted the directions and certain ingredients, I think of her whenever I make it, which is often. 

Don’t be fooled when you read the ingredients – it isn’t ratatouille or tomato sauce.  Instead, caponata is a slightly sweet-and-sour, tangy mélange of vegetables that can be served with crackers or thin slices of Italian or French-style bread (baguette), as a condiment for fish or chicken, or even dabbed on pasta.  

Admittedly this recipe requires patience.  But for an investment of an hour of chopping and an hour of cooking (some of which is basically unattended), you'll be rewarded with a heaping bowl of intense homemade goodness.  Other reasons to love caponata:

1. It freezes well, so you can have it at-the-ready for that impromptu dinner party you’ve been “planning” forever, no matter when you finally make it happen.
2. Store-bought caponata is nowhere near as good and it costs a bundle.  Depending on the brand and location, I’ve find the commercially prepared versions for $3-4 for 7 ounces, which translates to $18-24 for the amount this recipe makes, compared to $6-7 for the homemade version.

If you aren’t a big fan of eggplant, don’t impose that memory of baked or fried eggplant dishes on caponata.  Here the eggplant is salted, rinsed, and dried into tiny, soft pieces that don’t overwhelm the dish in quantity, taste, or size.  Another surprise (at least to me) is the starring role that slow-cooked celery has in this dish.   The keys to this dish are the chopping (into small reasonably uniform pieces) and slow cooking stages; everything else is just commentary.

Liz's Caponata

Servings – About 5 cups (2 ½ pounds), plenty of appetizer for a crowd  Cost - $6-7 (without pinenuts, which are rather expensive)

Click to read more ...

My 15 Pantry Essentials

When I'm invited into a friend or neighbor's home, I always notice that the books and knicknacks tell much about their owner's personality and preferences.  Of course my favorite room is the kitchen, and that's where you really see how people live and what they are about.  

On the theory that I should let others look into my life if I want to look into theirs, I'm taking you on a tour of my pantry.  Rather than just aimlessly wandering though, I decided to figure out which pantry items are essential to the meals that I regularly prepare.  Initially I tried to limit myself to 10 items, but ended up with 15.  This list does not include my favorite herbs or spices (covered earlier) or refrigerated items, which I’ll cover soon in a separate post.  Several of the listed essentials are categories rather than single ingredients, but the list still gives you a sense for unrefrigerated ingredients I keep on hand for routine cooking and baking. 

My 15 Pantry Essentials

Click to read more ...

Cherry Tomato & Cucumber Salad

To me, ripe cherry tomatoes are like candy and that’s saying something, given my sweet tooth.  When I saw red and orange cherry tomatoes at the farmers market on Saturday, I eagerly grabbed both kinds.  I can eat them plain, popping them in my mouth with great abandon, but I also love them in salad.

This combination is appealing because it is simple, light tasting, and colorful.  I added yellow pepper for extra crunch and color; orange or red would work equally well.  I wouldn’t use green pepper for this recipe because it has a sharper taste than the other varieties.  If you like a slightly sharp edge, add a finely chopped scallion.

Click to read more ...