Eggplant: The Great Salting Debate

Many eggplant recipes recommend that the vegetable — well, it's actually a fruit — is salted before cooking. The process involves slicing or cubing the eggplant, placing it into a colander, and leaving it for 30 minutes or so*. Before cooking, rinse off the excess salt and pat the pieces dry. The eggplant will be thoroughly seasoned, and you don’t need to add anymore salt.

Okay, I may have over stated the title of this post. It may not be a "great debate," but there certainly are varied schools of thought about the value of salting eggplant before cooking it. Salt draws out the excess moisture. The major claims by both sides are:

• The pro-salters say, salting removes bitterness from the eggplant and changes the texture, making it more dense and chewy
• The non-salters say, eggplant is just fine the way it is
  

Where do I stand? Eggplant is not too bitter when it is not salted, but I prefer the texture when it is. Also, I think salted eggplant is easier to cook. Non-salted eggplant tends to burn on the outside before the interior is cooked enough.

Last night I roasted eggplant slices along with some zucchini, red pepper, and onions. We ate it with fresh whole-wheat sourdough and an arugala salad with lemon and shaved Parmesan. It was delicious and a reminder that meat-free meals can be perfectly satisfying.

* I’ve been known to leave my eggplant “salting” for up to 24 hours. I haven’t ever read a recipe the recommends salting for this long, but it was absolutely fine.

Roasted Eggplant, Zucchini, Red Pepper, and Onion

1 eggplant, sliced into rounds, salted, and dried (see above for salting procedure)
2 zucchinis, sliced on the bias
1 red pepper, sliced into 1-inch strips
1 red onion, quartered
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup grated mozzarella
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Toss eggplant with 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil and pepper. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toss other vegetables with the remaining olive oil, salt, and pepper. Please in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Roast for 20 minutes, flip vegetables, and roast for an additional 15 minutes, until golden brown. Arrange veggies on a place, sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Spaghetti Combonara

I love spaghetti carbonara. With a sauce of bacon, eggs, and cheese over spaghetti its the best breakfast has to offer, without actually eating breakfast for dinner. The problem with spaghetti carbonara is that it tends to be a bit heavy.

Last night I attempted to lighten up the dish a bit. I don't use cream in my carbonara and only had one egg. Also, instead of using bacon I used Black Forest Ham.*

After adding spinach and topping it with fresh tomatoes and pine nuts, which could stand up on its own as a self-respecting pasta dish, I came up with the name “combonara.” The resulting dish was lighter then normal carbonara, yet still hearty and satisfying.

* Traditional German Black Forest ham more closely resembled prosciutto then what is passed of as Black Forest Ham in the US. Check out recipetips.com to see pictures of American vs. German Black Forest ham.

Spaghetti Carbonara With Spinach and Tomato

1/2 pound spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 slices Black Forest Ham,* cut into 1/2 in squares
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cup cooking liquid from pasta
1 egg
1 teaspoon butter
2 cups spinach, chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 small tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Salt and pepper

Put a large pot of well-salted water on to boil. When the water reaches a rolling boil add pasta and cook. Remove pasta from boiling water when it is still a little less done then you like it. The pasta will finish cooking in the pan with the sauce.

Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan with olive oil. Add onions and garlic. Cook until translucent. Season with pepper, but not salt. You'll get enough salt from the ham, cheese, and pasta liquid. Add ham and cook until crisp. Add balsamic vinegar and cook until the liquid has almost fully evaporated. Deglaze the pan with half a cup of cooking liquid from the pasta. Then add another half cup of cooking liquid. Reduce heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half.

Before draining the pasta, set aside 1/4 cup of cooking liquid, which will be used to temper the egg. Add drained pasta to the pan with the sauce. When the cooking liquid has cooled slightly, add the egg and mix. Pour the egg/water mixture over the pasta and toss, allowing the egg to cook without forming curds. Turn off the heat and add butter, spinach, and cheese. Toss pasta, allowing the spinach to wilt.

Place in pasta bowls, sprinkle some Parmesan and fresh pepper, and garnish with tomatoes and pine nuts.

* Black Forest Ham can be replaced with bacon, prosuitto, or – for a vegitarian version – tempeh bacon.

Shopping-Day Curry

Growing up, my mother used to make a dish known in our family as shopping-day soup. Contrary to what the name implies, it wasn't a soup made with all of the newly purchased vegetables. Instead, to make room for the new supplies, shopping-day soup was how she used up all of the veggies left at the bottom of the crisper.

Since Wednesday is the day that I pick up my weekly Gemüse Tüte, Wednesday has also become my de facto shopping day. And since my fridge is smaller then the average American dishwasher, I have to empty out the micro-crisper in order to make room for the fresh produce. Yesterday, that meant that dinner had to include a head of broccoli, a green pepper, half a package of mushrooms, two carrots, a couple stalks of celery, a handful of spinach, and an inch-long piece of ginger.

I started out making a veggie stir fry, adding half an onion and two cloves of minced garlic to the mix. The stir-fry turned into a vegetable curry when, to spice things up, I added a couple of teaspoons of Thai red curry paste and coconut milk. I used rest of the can of coconut milk to make coconut rice, to which I added a handful of chopped almonds. The meal was topped by crispy fried basil-tofu. And it was good enough that, when Kevin said a co-worker was going to drop him off, I was happy to invite him to join us for dinner.

Speed Demons

Germans pride themselves on being one of the world's most environmentally conscious countries. They recycle everything, compost, and hang clothes to dry to conserving water and energy. Wind turbines dot the landscape. You'll see them along the autobahn.... Well, that is if you're not traveling at break-neck speeds.

Despite finds that prove that driving slower emits less greenhouse gas, most Germans balked at the idea of imposing speed limits. Driving is to the German people what the second amendment is for many Americans: controversial, dangerous, and inalienable. Though more then half of the autobahn is governed by speed restrictions, you know when you're in a limitless zone.

This morning I had to drive to Frankfurt, which is about 180 kilometers from Bonn. I consider myself a conservative driver, but in the speed-limit free zones, I averaged about 150 K or 93.2 miles per hour. I think this is pretty fast, but other drivers regularly smoked me.

When driving on the autobahn the left lane has two purposes. Its official use is for cars to enter it briefly to pass another car. The unofficial use is home to high-performance vehicles. If you see a BMW, Audi, or Mercedes approaching in your rearview mirror, get out of the way. They will pass you, normally traveling at least 200 K (125 miles) per hour. If they flash their lights, it means you should have been out of their way 10 seconds ago.

Tea for Two

After a long day of shopping, what better way can a girl fortify herself then with a spot of tea? And when in London, that means more then just a cup of Earl Gray.

Offered at most of the city's nice hotels, some restaurants, and teahouses, Afternoon Tea is a veritable institution in London. Served between three and five, the meal consists of a variety of small finger sandwiches, scones, and sweet pastries or petit fours.

The tradition of having Afternoon Tea dates to the 1800s, and its invention is credited to the Duchess of Bedford. Because her lunch was served around noon and dinner around 8:00 PM, the Duchess found herself hungry in the afternoons. What started as some bread and butter with a cup of tea, soon turned into a social event. Though often used interchangeably, Afternoon Tea differs from High Tea. High Tea is served later in the day, is akin to supper, and typically includes meat or fish.

Learn from my mistake: If you know in advance that you want to have Afternoon Tea, make a reservation. If you didn't make a reservation though, you may not be at a total loss. We went to The Lanesborough Hotel to have tea but the restaurant, The Conservatory,* was fully booked. The staff, however, was very accommodating and served us Afternoon Tea in the hotel's library.

With its dark wood paneling, fireplace, and plush sofas I can't imagine that the restaurant could have been any better. The sandwiches – salmon on mini brioche, cucumber, egg, tuna, and coronation chicken salad** – were perfect and delicious. So were the scones, which were served with clotted cream, jam, and lemon curd.

* The Conservatory, The Lanesborough Hotel, Hyde Park Corner, London SW1X 7TA. For reservations call, (44)(20) 7259 5599.
** Coronation chicken salad — a curried chicken salad with almonds and raisins — was created in honor the crowning of Queen Elizabeth II.

Marketing Strategy

With over 40 open air markets, London is a great city for anyone who loves to wander, brows, and shop. From organic produce to designs by emerging artists, high-end antiques, and bric-a-brac, all sorts of treasures are just waiting to be found.

Among the city's – and the world's – most famous markets, Portobello Market rambles along the two miles of Portobello Road in Notting Hill. It began as a fruit and vegetable market in the early 1900s. Then, antique dealers and sellers of all things vintage started setting up businesses in the 1960s. Shops are opened six day a week, but the real action is on Saturday mornings when vendors also open stalls on the streets.

Visited by locals and tourists alike, the market is big, crowded, and packed to the gills will all sorts of goodies. To navigate more then one block in a morning, we needed to focus our adventure this Saturday. Our criteria: vintage items (excluding clothing) that were small enough to pack in a suitcase.

Skipping furniture, fixtures, and frocks, we still only managed too make it half way though the market before our stamina and budgets gave out. Prized loot: antique wall paper samples, a silver plated toast caddy, sailor trading cards, and a glass eyeball that we nicknamed "The London Eye."

Wurst of the Week - 4/14

"Toads in a Hole" is a traditional English sausage dish. Here wursts are severed with Yorkshire pudding and potato-parsnip mash.

Answering London's Call

Friday's post, with bullets about why I looked forward to being in an English speaking country, neglected one hugely important point: In England I was able to chat with everyone.

Granted, I was traveling with an outgoing friend, whose energetic spirit encouraged friendly banter. But I think that even her personality was not soley responsible for the wonderfully warm and welcoming spirit of (almost*) ever Londoner we met.

Bar tenders were happy to give samples and recommendations. Venders at Portobello Market offered the providence of their wares, explain markings and techniques, and in one case regaled us with stories about famous clients. When we weren't able to get a table at one restaurant, the hostess looked up the address and information about other places that we should try. At the Lanesborough Hotel, they weren't able to seat us in the dinning room for high tea, but served us in their lovely library instead.

But perhaps the best example of the friendly experience we had was, after being allowed to use the restroom in a restaurant were we didn't eat or order a drink, a waitress came out on the street with us to give directions to the nearest tube stop.

* There was one horrible woman at dinner on Friday night who didn't have one nice thing to say about Germany, and an apparently crazy lady yelled at us for walking to slowly.

London Calling

Today I'm headed to London for the weekend. This will be the first time since October that I'll be in an English speaking country. I am looking forward to:

• Navigating the transportation system without making up crazy pneumatic devises to remember the stop
• Not feeling guilty about using English while ordering a meal or checking in to a hotel
• Ease dropping
• Reading the menu
• Not having to hand the taxi driver a card with the destination's address
• Movies and plays are an optional activity
• Newspapers everywhere

Hey Turkey

Here's something that surprised me about Germans: They eat a lot of turkey.

The way that it's consumed is different from in the U.S. It's not often sold whole, and I've only seen sliced turkey once. (Ham and salami are staples of sandwiches here.) But every day there are a variety of cuts available in any grocery store.

Turkey fillets. Turkey medallions. Turkey stakes. Ground turkey. Turkey roasts. Turkey loins. Even turkey schnitzel! I've tried them all.

I really like the turkey roasts, whole breast weighing between one-and-a-half to two pounds. I serve turkey for dinner one night, and then make sandwiches the next day or two. My only complaint was that the turkey is sold without its skin. When roasted, the meat dries out and the edges get tough.

I've been experimenting with ways to combat the problem. Until yesterday the best solution was to sear the turkey before putting in the oven. Last night I tried something else – I wrapped the roast with a layer of thinly sliced prosciutto. I cover the roast with foil and cooked part way, then removed the foil. The result was a wonderful, crispy outer layer and moist meat inside. As an added bonus, the prosciutto added great flavor.

Note: Want to read more about turkey? See My First Thanksgiving.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Turkey Breast With Fennel and Red Pepper

1 1/2 to 2 pound turkey breast
5 slices prosciutto
1 bulb fennel
1 red pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cut fennel into large chunks. Cut red pepper into 2 inch strips. Toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on the bottom of a parchment-lined baking pan.

Place turkey breast on top of the vegetables. Add salt and pepper. * Wrap the top of the turkey with a single layer of prosciutto, slightly overlapping each piece.

Cover with aluminum foil and cook for 45 minutes. Remove foil, baste turkey with remaining olive oil, and return to the oven uncovered. Continue to cook until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees. Remove from the oven and rest for 15 minutes. The internal temperature should rise to 180 degrees.

* Since the prosciutto is salty, add less salt then you normally would to a roast.

Endive Made Sunday Dinner

On a trip to France in 2000 I ate endive wrapped in ham and baked with cream. It was delicious. I've thought about that dish often but, for some unknown reason, never tried to recreate it. Never, that it, until this week.

I've always shopped pretty much daily, deciding what I'm in the mood to cook then picking up what I need. In New York it was easy – vegetables were literally downstairs, the health-food store within site, and a traditional grocery store two blocks away. I passed Trader Joes and Whole Foods on my way home from work. In Raleigh I was farther from the shops, but relished hopping into my Mini Cooper and zipping around the city.

During the week in Germany I can continue daily shopping, but the weekends are different. On Sundays, everything is closed. That means that on Friday or Saturday I need to make sure I have something in the house for Sunday's dinner. Sometimes I plan a menu plan but more often I gather up what ever looks good and wait and see what strikes my fancy.

This Sunday, my fancy struck when I realized that I had four heads of endive and four slices of ham. I'd never have a better excuse to try to pull together the endive au gratin. And though it was a little different then what I remember — I used skim milk instead of cream and added Greyer to the béchamel — but it was still delicious.