August 9, 2013

August 9, 2013

A Thought for Today

All falls in life may be the starting point for self-realization.

                                                                                 EMM, 1957

A Piece of My Work

I wonder why I suddenly thought of making a horse in clay. And not any horse but the horse of Alexander Macedon, the Bucephalus. I wonder... I could not get rid of this idea and, with considerable difficulty for my artistic development, I made what I show here.

"The Horse Bucephalus"

 

A Recipe for Today

(From Jeff Smith’s book “The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Italian”)

Caponata 

 

Ingredients:

2 lb. eggplant (2 pc.)

2 tbsp. salt

5 tbsp. olive oil (or more)

2 c. celery, sliced in ¼” thick (~3-5 ribs)

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 c. canned tomatoes, crushed

2 tbsp. tomato paste

2 tbsp. pickled capers, drained

10 large pitted green olives, drained and sliced

4-5 anchovies fillets in oil, cut across in several pieces

1/3 c. white wine vinegar

1 tbsp. sugar

½ c. toasted pine nuts (pan-toasted with 1 tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat)

½ tsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper. 

Procedure: 

Dice eggplants in ½” pieces. Place them in a large colander and sprinkle with the salt. Toss thoroughly and place over a large bowl. Allow to drain 30-40 min.

 

Heat a large frying pan and add 2 tbsp. of the olive oil, the celery, and the onion, Sauté about 15 min. or until tender. Remove to a 4-6 qt. pot.

After the diced eggplant has drained, rinse well in cold water. Drain well and pat dry with a towel. Add some oil and sauté eggplant cubes in ~3 batches, for ~10 min. each. Add to the pot of sautéed celery and onion. 

Stir in the remaining ingredients except the pine nuts, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 15-20 min. Stir in the pine nuts, salt, and pepper. Allow to cool. Serve at room temperature or cold. 

It keeps refrigerated for 2 weeks. An antipasto spread, salad dressing, relish, or sandwich topping. 

Makes: 12 servings or more