Fuck is she talking about? I put it in the oven first because of the moisture. Otherwise it will water down any sauce you use. But, it won't taste bad. You just get watery sauce. Where's she get this shit? Bitter juice? I had a bushel basket of eggplant last summer, great big ones. I had to use them. They were not bitter, no bitter juice to sweat. I ate a piece raw and they taste like nothing. But, if you dry them a bit, they become a sponge. Many possibilities there. Anyhow, I'm not a cook and I know that. I think she really IS a bull shitter. Does she expect RR to believe she didn't have a recipe, a clue? The internet? WTF? Was Ray secretly laughing at her? You'd have to, wouldn't you?
Rachael Ray may not be Julia, but, she can do, in 30 minutes, what Goop can't seem to do in a lifetime of websites, videos and cookbooks...make something people can eat. I wonder, if we stuck Goop in an oven, could we sweat out the bitterness?
10 comments:
I see such suggestions in old cookbooks, when it seems they were more likely to cook a veggie to death. We slice them into half inch rounds and broil with cheese on top... can't say I ever thought they were bitter.
I'm a third generation Italian and I learned from both grandmothers who learned from their mothers off the boat, that you slice the eggplant, and layer it with papertowels and a little bit of salt between each layer. Put a heavy book on top of the whole pile and let sit in frig overnite before you fry the eggplant. Old school possibly, but I cant imagine doing it any other way.
laurajean
P.S. that's not to say that shmoopy ain't an asshole, she is.
laurajean
Some eggplant can be bitter and will mess up the whole pot. I like to cube my eggplant and smother it with onions and GM. Some juice is good but you don't want too much. I will even eat it over rice. (Different ways for different areas.) I slice my eggplant and put it in a pot with salted water---weighted down with a plate. Leave it like that for an hour or so and then put it in a strainer with the plate back on top to push out extra water. I do this because I don't want to take the chance of messing up the dish. A little extra work to insure a feast. I love fried eggplant.
I love really nicely done eggplant parmesan. I have never tried to make it, but have made a tomato eggplant quiche in the past, and I remember baking the eggplant whole, before cutting it up for the quiche. It deflates and loses some of the liquid, if I remember right.
I like her in the Ironman movies. Well, the first two, anyway. Otherwise I think she is a pretentious asshole. It does crack me up a little that she made some dinner that was so bad everyone was puking, though. When compared with the way she represents herself now, that is some funny stuff.
Christina
Lisa, that's so true. The only cookbooks I read are those antique ones, they crack me up.
laurajean, hell to the yes. That's the best way, for sure. I don't have any countertops and the table is usually piled with stuff, so I put them in the oven. Man, you have to be careful though, you can over dry them so easily. Your way is the best.
Jane, I've never had a bitter one and this wasn't my first time growing them. But, if you say so, then I believe it. I'll probably take a small taste of each one now before I include it.
Christina, I've really never had eggplant parm. I guess I'll have to make it. It sounds like real cooking though. I'm not into cooking. I usually just make eggplant lasagna. I use the eggplant like a noodle. I love the texture of the eggplant. I like it medium thick so I get sort of a, 'squeeky' bite. LOL. I'm the only one here who eats it, so fuck it.
DD, the good thing about being the only one to eat the lasagna is that it's all yours and you don't have to feel bad when you eat the last bite. And you can always freeze what's left.
The good thing about growing your on eggplant is that you can pick it before it gets old and bitter. I've given up on my dead soil. I will just have to go container gardening.
Jane, I know! I make a large pan and eat it for days. Happy. Are old, big eggplants the ones that get bitter? So, should I pick them before they get huge? I really don't know anyone around here who grows them or eats them. I grow them in tall flower beds because they're pretty. But, I hate to waste them, so that's how I learned that I really like them.
ps..I don't think you should give up on your soil. Can you get someone to bring a load of compost or semi-compost? Like some horse person? They usually just pile it or spread it somewhere far from the house. I'd bet you could get it cheap. I piled ours on a bad clay spot once. Left it alone for a year and it was the best garden I ever had.
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