The world's largest kitchen
Select Language
English
Русский
Español
日本語
Italiano
Language Preferences
Sign Up Now
Members Login
Home
Recipes
Chefs
Themes & Guides
Groups
My Pages
Menu Planner
Shopping List
Recipe box
Add Recipe
"It's the Sicilian version of Ratatouille; trust me, it's good."
by
The Crispy Cook
Current rating: 4.0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
click to rate
1 vote
| 393 views
0 reviews
|
0 comments
Pin It
Add to Menu Planner
Go to Menu Planner
Add the recipe to which day?
«
Today - Jun 02
»
Today - Jun 02
M
T
W
Th
F
S
Su
June 3 - 9
M
T
W
Th
F
S
Su
June 10 - 16
M
T
W
Th
F
S
Su
June 17 - 23
M
T
W
Th
F
S
Su
Please select a day
or
Cancel
Adding to Planner
Add to Shopping List
Add to Recipe Box
Print Recipe
You might also like
Discover Key Software Testing Models Today
Recipe
Reviews/Comments
Close this frame
Adding to Planner
Adding to Planner
%20pronounces%20that%20she%20is%20the%20love%20that%20he%20has%20been%20waiting%20for%20his%20whole%20life.%20There%20are%20some%20language%20and%20cultural%20barriers%20to%20hurdle%20over,%20but%20Marlena%20accepts%20her%20fate%20and%20moves%20to%20Venice%20to%20become%20his%20bride,%20after%20first%20selling%20her%20share%20of%20her%20St.%20Louis,%20Missouri%20cafe%20and%20her%20opulently%20appointed%20new%20house.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20enjoyed%20this%20tale%20very%20much.%20Marlena%20seems%20a%20larger-than-life%20character%20and%20has%20a%20bit%20of%20bravado,%20after%20suffering%20a%20tortuous%20first%20marriage%20and%20a%20%22grim%20childhood,%20scattered%20here%20and%20there%20with%20the%20hideous%22.%20As%20a%20fellow%20romantic,%20I%20rooted%20for%20her%20to%20make%20things%20work%20with%20Fernando%20and%20sighed%20with%20pleasure%20when%20they%20did.%20It%20was%20not%20a%20shudderingly%20violent%20sort%20of%20love%20affair,%20but%20one%20that%20was%20quiet%20and%20sure:%20%22Now%20all%20the%20doors%20are%20open,%20and%20there%20is%20a%20warm%20yellow%20light%20behind%20them.%22%20Ah.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAt%20Cook%20the%20Books,%20I%20and%20my%20fellow%20readers%20not%20only%20read%20and%20comment%20on%20our%20bimonthly%20foodie%20book%20selections,%20but%20we%20cook%20up%20a%20dish%20(sometimes%20a%20whole%20feast)%20that%20embodies%20our%20literary%20selection.%20While%20de%20Blasi's%20book%20provided%20some%20great%20recipes%20(Fresh%20Pasta%20with%20Roasted%20Walnut%20Sauce,%20Traditional%20Tuscan%20Tomato%20Porridge,%20Lemon%20Gelato%20with%20Vodka%20and%20Sparkling%20Wine,%20among%20others),%20I%20went%20to%20my%20late%20summer%20garden%20to%20gather%20up%20ingredients%20for%20a%20Caponata,%20that%20great%20eggplant%20concoction%20from%20Southern%20Italy.%20My%20harvest%20of%20tender%20white%20eggplants,%20parsley,%20tomatoes,%20garlic,%20onions,%20and%20basil%20just%20needed%20a%20few%20pantry%20ingredients%20to%20come%20together%20for%20a%20party%20dish%20to%20share%20with%20some%20friends.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMy%20host%20had%20not%20ever%20tried%20caponata%20and%20I%20tried%20to%20describe%20the%20recipe%20to%20him%20to%20his%20ever-furrowing%20brow.%20Finally,%20I%20just%20said%20%22It's%20the%20Sicilian%20version%20of%20Ratatouille;%20trust%20me,%20it's%20good.%22%20and%20that%20did%20the%20trick.%20I%20took%20my%20bowl%20back%20home%20in%20a%20scraped-clean%20state.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EHere's%20my%20contribution%20to%20this%20month's%20Cook%20the%20Book%20Feast:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ECaponata%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EGive%20all%20of%20the%20vegetables%20a%20rough,%20but%20uniform%20chop.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EHeat%20olive%20oil%20in%20large%20frying%20pan.%20%20Add%20onions%20and%20garlic%20first%20and%20lightly%20cook%201-2%20minutes.%20Add%20eggplant%20and%20celery%20and%20cook,%20stirring%20often,%20another%2010%20minutes,%20until%20soft.%20Remove%20vegetables%20from%20pan%20and%20reserve.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIn%20same%20pan,%20add%20tomatoes,%20vinegar%20and%20sugar%20and%20cook%20down%20about%2010%20minutes.%20Add%20olives%20and%20raisins%20and%20cook%20another%205%20minutes.%20Add%20in%20reserved%20cooked%20vegetables%20and%20cook%20until%20everything%20is%20heated%20through.%20Season%20to%20taste%20with%20salt%20and%20pepper.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAdd%20parsley%20and%20basil%20and%20remove%20from%20heat.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ELet%20cool%20to%20room%20temperature%20before%20serving.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ECaponata%20is%20great%20served%20at%20room%20temperature%20or%20chilled.%20It%20is%20wonderful%20on%20crackers%20or%20served%20in%20small%20endive%20or%20bell%20pepper%20%22cups%22.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EPlease%20join%20us%20in%20the%20next%20week%20back%20at%20Cook%20the%20Books%20for%20the%20complete%20roundup%20of%20all%20the%20posts%20and%20recipes%20celebrating%20A%20Thousand%20Days%20in%20Venice.%20Our%20next%20book%20selection%20is%20%22That%20Old%20Ace%20in%20the%20Hole%22%20by%20Annie%20Proulx,%20and%20new%20participants%20are%20always%20welcome.%20The%20deadline%20for%20the%20next%20round%20of%20Cook%20the%20Books%20is%20December%202,%202014,%20so%20there%20is%20plenty%20of%20time%20to%20buy%20or%20borrow%20Proulx's%20book%20and%20read%20and%20cook%20along%20with%20us.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ECiao!%3C/p%3E){kind=link}