Extra Schmaltz!

I love this recipe in late summer, when the farmer's markets are full of Japanese eggplants and Thai basil. It's a sweet, gooey, savory treat that's as spicy as you want to make it and I love eggplant far too much. You can use normal European eggplant too in a pinch.   Serve on white rice.      Ingredients 1-2 eggplants depending on size, in thin slices (Japanese and European work fine, Thai would be weird) 1 red bell pepper (cut into small squares) 4 cloves garlic (smashed and roughly chopped) Thai chilis, to taste (minced) Small quantity of shallots or onions (thin sliced, optional, I like the sweet they provide) Protein of your choice, pre-cooked - I've been liking baked tofu, but chicken or pork work well Thai basil (to taste), remove the bigger stems and chop roughly.  Sauce 4 Tbsp soy sauce 1 Tbsp brown sugar (+palm sugar if available) 1 tsp dark vinegar, or white vinegar 2 Tbsp fish sauce  Optional: 1 Tbsp corn starch dissolved in 2 Tbsp co...

Ages ago I bought some szechuan peppercorns for a recipe, and haven't tried many recipes with them since. They're very strange - they have what can only be described as a floral, citrisy taste, a bit like lychees (but less floral). In this dish, based loosely on authentic szechuan chicken recipes, they lend a really nice counterpoint to the chilies, but you don't want to add too much and overwhelm things. Note that this is a fairly dry stir fry. I made this with Japanese eggplants, but if you only have normal eggplant, cutting it into cubes might actually be nice, since they'd be a similar shape to the chicken chunks. Ingredients 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (breasts reheat better for leftovers), cubed 5 Japanese eggplants, in slices 3+2 cloves garlic, sliced 1.5 teaspoons peeled sliced fresh ginger 1 heaping tablespoon szechuan peppercorn 3-8 Chinese-style dried red chilis, seeds removed 3 tablespoons dry sherry or rice wine 2 tab...

Accompanied by my illustrious photographer and culinary muse, JiJY, I present to you: Tom Kha. This fragrant soup is made with chicken and is bursting with flavor from the aromatic spices (and no curry powder/paste at all), and brought together with coconut milk and lime. Finished product, garnished with Thai basil and an egg. Photo by JiJY Thanwalee. Broth 1 chicken 4-5 quarts water 1 chicken boullion cube 3-4 stalks lemon grass 1 galangal root 6-8 kaffir lime leaves 4 large shallots or 1 red onion 4 cloves garlic 3 Thai chilies Simmering the broth. Scoop off the scummy bits so you get a nice clear broth. I accelerated the process by using a pressure cooker. Photo by JiJY Thanwalee. Place the chicken, aromatics, and water together in a large pot or pressure cooker. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 1 hour (or 35 min in pressure cooker). Drain the broth for use in the soup and discard the aromatics. Remove the chicken and when it is cool enough to handle, stri...

I got this recipe from a cookbook by Chef Ramzi , which contains a nice mix of Middle Eastern and international recipes. I have no idea if it's an "authentic" Middle Eastern recipe, but it uses ingredients and techniques from that region. It's also really easy, uses simple ingredients and is quite tasty. Ingredients 1 small onion, cut into thin strips 3-6 cloves crushed garlic (traditionally pounded in a mortar and pestle with salt) 2 zucchini, cut into circles 1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 1" cubes 2 medium tomatoes, cubed 1 c. water 1/2 tsp cumin (or to taste) 1/4 tsp cinnamon (or to taste) S&P Preparation In a heavy bottomed, wide sauce pan or dutch oven, saute the onion and garlic together on medium-high in about 3 Tbsp of olive oil until transparent, then add the eggplant and cook until it starts to get soft around the edges. Add zucchini and cook for another couple of minutes until they start to soften a little bit. Add the tomatoes and the spices, an...

So the other day, while playing cards at my friend Rim's house, we got to talking about cooking, and I mentioned that I really don't know how to cook any Syrian food. She offered to show me how to cook some upcoming Friday(her day off). We ended up deciding to make it an iftaar, since we tried to invite our other friend Rasha (that didn't work, since iftaars are usually a family thing, and therefore she ended up eating with her family) and because Kathleen from my program is fasting. In the end, it was a bunch of Christians (and me) having an iftaar, but it was a lot of fun. Due to the chaos of the whole event, I didn't witness the cooking of everything, but I've listed the recipes for most of the stuff below. She also cooked some stuff the day before, and so I don't have the recipes for that stuff. I didn't annotate those dishes in the picture of the spread below: Here're the recipes: Maqluuba("Upside down") with meat Maqluuba is one of the Pa...

Here is a recipe from Alex: Stuffed Fried Eggplant This is actually something I made up, though I based it on something I ate in Turkey(this is actually much better). It may actually be identical to the dish "Imam Bayaldi," but it looks like there are many variations on that dish anyway. I only made one eggplant, since it was left over from another meal - it didn't take long at all, maybe 30 minutes. Ingredients: Little Mini Eggplants(I had just one - the more, the easier the whole thing is, obviously) - ie, about 4-6" long, not including stem.* Onions (enough to fill the hollowed cavities of the eggplants.) Garlic Hot peppers(to taste) Cumin Optional(but delicious): Pomegranate molasses("dabas rumaan")(Worth having in the house anyway- very good with salads, or drizzled on top of the baba ghanouj from Lillian's recipe. Available at nearest Middle Eastern grocery store, or ethnic food aisle. Different from grenadine, I believe.) Cut onions into thin str...

This recipe has countless variations, so I present the version that mom taught me. Some people add tahini, but I think that ruins it--I like the zingy flavor this version has. This recipe is best made in late summer, when you have the grill going. 2 or more pounds eggplant, preferably small tender ones 3 bell peppers, green or red 1/2 red onion, diced finely 1 lemon, juiced 1/3 c. good olive oil 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped finely salt and pepper - be generous with both 1/2 tsp. ground coriander pinch of sugar pinch of cayenne Place the eggplants and 2 of the bell peppers on the grill and roast until blackened all over. You can use a gas stove or a broiler, but make sure to pull the batteries out of the smoke detector! Remove from the grill and place in a plastic bag for several minutes until they're cool enough to handle. Remove the roasted skins from the eggplants and peppers, and chop them finely into a bowl. Rinse the onion in cold water to reduce its stinkiness, then add to...

Ok, for those not obsessed by pickling, here's a tasty recipe my housemate, Liliana made with the remaining eggplants. Oh and did I mention that she's Italian and loves cooking? Yes, we are lucky here at the Byway. I don't have a picture, but it's basically pasta with a reddish sauce. You will need: One box of linguine 2-3 small eggplants, diced 2 bell peppers of various colors, diced One large can of plum tomatoes, diced One medium onion, diced 1/2 c. kalamata olives (pits removed), and chopped coarsely 3 cloves garlic, minced An armload of fresh basil, washed and chopped 1/4-1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese + more to taste Set a pot of water to boil for the pasta, and salt well. Saute the onions for 2 minutes, then add the eggplant and peppers. Cook on medium until eggplant is mostly tender, then add the tomatoes and their liquid and the olives. Continue to cook until the eggplant is completely tender. (Meanwhile, cook the pasta al dente). Add the garlic to the eggplant ...

I cooked up a storm this weekend! I got a nasty cough/cold last week and even though I probably should have been taking it easy, I got bored and decided to mix up watching The Sopranos and hacking my lungs out with cooking. Also, I picked up the farm share on Saturday and had a ton of raw materials to work with. First, I made Lebanese Pickled Eggplant Stuffed with Garlic, from The Joy of Pickling. These little guys were just so cute at the farm that I took home a huge bag of them, knowing I'd find a way to use them. These ones are white with purple streaks and are smaller and more tender and mild than the ones we're used to. Also, the fresh garlic I've been getting from the farm is killer. It's a pretty simple recipe (makes one quart): Fresh and steamed eggplants 1) Wash and trim 1.25 pounds small (4-5") eggplants (about one quart) 2) Crush the cloves of one bulb of garlic into a dish, add 1 tsp. cayenne pepper and one Tbsp. of pickling salt. 3) Steam the eggplants...