Librari[d]an

Having recently sworn off my favorite Middle Eastern restaurant, I thought it was about time to rev up my fancy new Cuisinart for another misadventure. Two eggplants and a lemon later, I was ready to embark on some culinary Orientalism. (According to Liz, I was caught on film returning from the store à vélo.) Not knowing where to look for rockin’ recipes - dearest kittee didn’t have anything on her website or blog and I have not yet signed up for Epicurious - I settled on an ingredient list from [the internet?] and a methodology supplied by my Food Network arch-nemesis: Rachael Ray.

:: Baba ghanoush ::

1 eggplant
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sesame tahini
2 tablespoons fresh basil
1 (4 ounce) can green chili peppers
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pinch ground cumin
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prick the eggplants all over with a fork and place on a baking sheet.

2. Bake, flipping once, until skin shrivels and flesh softens, about 35 minutes. Let cool, about a half-hour or so. Remove and discard the stems and skin. Cut eggplant into large chunks and drain any excess liquid.

3. Using a food processor, puree the eggplant, parsley, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, chili peppers, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and add more lemon juice to taste.

4. Transfer the baba ghanoush to another container and refrigerate.

Yeah, so I didn’t really follow the measures all that faithfully. I cut down on the amount of olive oil and tahini, eyeballed the spices using the cheap dry stuff, refused to add any salt, and doubled the eggplant. I also didn’t let it cool, because it was easier to get the skin off the piping hot eggplants.

Despite this, it turned out very nice. I was a bit heavy handed with the cumin, but other than that it tasted rather good.

Post script: I recently made Lisa’s sweet and spicy nuts and chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate chips. (I put a few walnuts on some instead of adding chips.) Because neither recipe resulted in a gastronomic cataclysm, they have been omitted from this cycle of recipes.

:: Bibliography ::

“Car Crimes Reported In Pittsburgh Neighborhood“. 4 February 2008. WPXI. Accessed 4 February 2008. <http://www.wpxi.com/news/15218029/detail.html>.

Pearson, Liz. Baba Ghanoush recipe - Every Day with Rachael Ray. June 2007. The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. Accessed 4 February 2008. <http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/appetizer-side-dish-recipes/baba-ghanoush/article.html>.