Aubergine Valentine

Hello dear,

So, valentine’s day, we somehow managed to spend it apart. It’s ok though, because I’m pretty sure we don’t need cards or chocolates or physical proximity to know how much we love one another, or ourselves. The excellent My New Roots made a lovely post about raw chocolate fudge and loving yourself. I decided to show myself and my smashing hostess Elise some love in the form of aubergines. Aubergines are one of my favourite vegetables. They are endlessly versatile, always delicious and I sometimes think I could just look at them and squeeze them for hours.

Sunday, Elise and I went to the marché Richard-Lenoir just next to Bastille. You’d think after three years here I would have found my way to this vibrant behemoth of fresh produce but no, I have been staunchly treading-water at my faithful Aligre. The place is enormous; a labyrinth of smells and colours and textures and sounds. I had a ball, diving into piles of herbs and munching on samples of fruit. I even wangled some free coriander. Elise introduced me to her favourite cheese people, and we bought a hunk of comté fruité that disappeared at an alarming rate once we introduced it to some bread. But most excitingly of all, we found some large and gleaming aubergines that were just screaming out to be made into parmigiana. I couldn't wait to get them home and have my way with them.

Aubergine parmigiana is one of my weaknesses. My mama introduced me to it a few years ago and we have been deeply in love ever since. When she found out she was gluten intolerant, Italian restaurants became torturous; a no mans land of gut-knotting wheat-based pasta and pizza. This is where parmigiana comes in; often overlooked or crammed in with the starters on the menu, I always seek it out. If I go to an italian restaurant and it isn't on the menu, I have been known to pack up some breadsticks and leave. Layers of melty golden aubergine, rich tomato sauce and salty parmesan, covered with mozzarella and baked until they all sing together. No wheat, no meat; just pure sex in a bowl. Warms the soul and fills the belly like nothing else.

I remember that rainy afternoon when you and I were drifting down rue oberkampf, having a bad hair day for two and looking for something to shake us up. We stumbled into an Italian deli and all they had left was parmigiana. A steaming bowlful with a glass of red wine and some crusty bread and we were off again, ready to take on the world. I think aubergines probably have magical powers. Anything this shiny must be packing some good stuff.

Dr Weil agrees with me, even if he does call them 'eggplants';

Food as Medicine

Rich color in vegetables usually indicates abundant heart-healthy antioxidants, and deep-purple eggplant is no exception. Eggplant is a particularly good source of an antioxidant called chlorogenic acid, which is among the most potent plant-based free-radical scavengers ever discovered.

Jolly well done aubergines, please go on protecting our cell membranes and being delicious. We salute you.

So after a long day of work, I got back to the new digs, rolled up my sleeves and got to work. Parmigiana is a fiddle, especially when you run out of Parmesan halfway and have to improvise with… gulp … cheddar. I’m sure I sent some Italian mamas turning in their graves with that little cheat, but I care not, it was good. Knee-weakeningly so. It’s a nice sort of rhythmic thing to potter at in the kitchen, I fried and grated and layered along to some jazz and before I knew it Elise was home and it was ready. I roasted a head of garlic at the same time so we had something to nibble on with bread while we waited for it to bake. That was awesome too but probably a good job neither of us had hot valentines day dates…

I have included a red pepper in my parmigiana because Elise convinced me to and I’m very glad she did. It really worked in something extra-special, a subtle smokiness in the sauce, but feel free to leave it out, or add other things, you really can’t go wrong with this one.

Sexy Valentine's Parmigiana
serves 4

1 red pepper (optional)
3 medium aubergines
5 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of basil, stalks reserved
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
3 good fistfuls of grated hard cheese (preferably vegetarian parmesan, but use whatever you have handy)
1 ball of mozzarella, sliced
Olive oil, lots of

Slice the aubergines into 1cm(ish) slices, salt them and whack them in a colander while you prepare the sauce.

If you are using the red pepper, slice it into thinnish slices and chuck it into a hot frying pan with just a smidge of olive oil. Move them about from time to time until they are completely softened and nicely browned all over. Put to one side.

Meanwhile, warm some more olive oil in a saucepan. Crush up the garlic cloves and c hop the basil stalks into small pieces, add them to the oil. Cook over a gentle heat for about 5 minutes, or until the garlic is softened. Add the tinned tomatoes and the peppers and turn the heat down low. Cover and leave to cook away gently while you prepare the aubergines, stirring from time to time until it is thick and sweet. Roughly chop the basil leaves and throw them in, taste and season with salt and lots of black pepper.

Heat the oven to 190 degrees C. Wipe off the pan you used for the peppers and heat about a finger's depth of olive oil over a medium heat. Rinse off your aubergine slices then pat them dry with a clean tea towel. Add them to the oil and fry them in batches until they are golden on both sides and perfectly soft. Have some kitchen towel handy to drain them off, these babies soak up oil like it is going out of fashion.

Grab a large baking dish and spoon in a thin layer of tomato sauce, scatter over a small amount of cheese and t hen make a layer of aubergines. Continue layering like this, finishing with sauce. Cover with your mozzarella slices, and any leftover cheese. Give it a good go with the pepper grinder and pop it in the oven for about half an hour, or until everything is golden and you just can't take the agony of waiting to eat something that smells this delicious...

Serve with crisp salad, crusty bread and wine for a very Peckish valentine.

librairie Gourmande

Dear Ella,

I just discovered the most perfect bookstore by accident! I was in the metro (line 3) on my way home from work. I was a bit distracted, trying to come up with a decent text-message for a boy...) and missed my stop! I realized just as the doors were closing. So I was forced to find my way home from Bourse, about a ten minute walk, following the rue montmartre. And once again, it seems that everything in life happens for a reason. Because right there, on number 92, the Librairie Gourmande popped up! Yes, closed. But it looked promising!

Two days later I discovered just how great it was. Two stories, completely packed with books on food, divided into every category you could possibly think of. Weather you are looking for the great chefs, French family kitchen, molecular cooking or kiddy cooking, it's all there! I was personally very interested in their vegetarian section, which turned out to be very satisfying.

I went home with just one book, Mon premier diner végétarien by Alice Hart (you'll be introduced to her recipe's shortly), but I could easily have left with much more! A great field-trip for everyone who is into cooking!

Go check it out!

Love,

Josee

Green/red 'curry party' curry

Dear Ella,

I remember that evening. It was so cold! Those mushrooms saved our lives.

I wanted to tell you about a little tradition me and my colleagues hold very dearly. We call it 'curry party'. And yes, it is as simple as it sounds. We get together, somebody makes an insanely spicy thai curry which we try to eat and wash down with a lot of thai beers. It is always such a great success. Sharing the experience of peppers brings people closer together. Also I've noticed that it invites people to talk about their own spicy food experiences, usually coming from far away countries. You end up hearing the most beautiful travel-stories. Do this with people you don't know very well and you will know the most interesting things about them when the plates are empty!

Here is my recipe for thai red curry. The secret, I must admit, comes from a can. But not just any can. The small asian supermarkets at metro mabillon sell tiny cans of curry paste called

'MAESRI'. They look a little bit intimidating. Here is how to handle them.

Ingredients:

1 can of MAESRI curry paste, green or red

500 ml coconut milk

vegetables you like. I used:

chickpeas

plantains

green beans

pumpkin, in cubes

onion

red chili's (optional)

fresh coriander

oil

Salt

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a big sauce pan. When it's hot ad the onions and let them simmer for a couple minutes. When they have gotten a bit soft, add the rest of the vegetables. (If you use things like green beans or broccoli cook them before putting them in the with the other vegetables.) Let the vegetables saute for about 5 minutes. Then add curry paste. Be careful not to put in the whole tin at once (rookie mistake!!) Let the curry paste heat up and work its magic, while stirring. All of this is happening on high fire. After about a minute, add the coconut milk. Again not everything at once. Turn the heat down, and have taste. This is the moment to decide exactly how spicy you want your curry to be. Add as much coconut milk or curry paste as you want.

Serve with thai rice, cold beers and a lot fresh coriander. And invite plenty people, this will serve about 10!