UPDATE: I am starting that bread course today! Super excited!! :))
It was a rainy Sunday.
A day when hot chocolates and caramel swirls are the order.
A time for hanging in
, noshing and sipping great coffee while casually lounging and talking about worldly matters. Waiting in line for 20 odd minutes, in a 'gritty' joint, to inhale
in under 3 minutes.
Walking
under an umbrella bracing the dripping rain but letting it wash off the streets and marveling at how green the leaves seem.
Musing
why that group is dressed so formally and how can that hairdo stand up to the humidity.
That kind of unruffled amusement, hand-swinging ease of conversation and
abject wonder
of surroundings.
Yeah! It was a
nice, comfortable weekend
of digging for the little unknowns, sampling something new,
falling back into something old that yet seems reborn
. An act that unmasked itself anew, afresh in the soft glow of candle light.
I baked, cooked, set random tables, enjoyed the fruits of the season and my labor. I made plans, took little notes and was happy watching my calendar fill up and mind
working on a creative 5th gear
.
That's all. A lot and a little. Many
steps forward. All with a smile.
:)
I leave you with a recipe for a
Stuffed Eggplant Confit
, that is easy and filled with warmth and wrapped in comfort for that rainy day leading into nothing especial but perfect just the same in its familiarity.
Stuffed Eggplant Confit
10 small purple Asian eggplants
1/4 cup olive oil
For the Stuffing:
1-1/2 cup finely diced red onion
half head of garlic, minced
2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp coriander powder
2 T mild red chili paste (recipe below)
Salt to taste
Whole Spices to Roast:
2 tsp black mustard seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp whole cloves
Combine all the stuffing ingredient. Make deep x shaped slits in the eggplants making sure you don't cut all the way through. Using your fingers to hold the quarters apart, fill each eggplant with as much of the stuffing as you can make it hold. Gently lay it down on a plate while continuing to stuff the remaining. Reserve any remaining stuffing.
Heat a heavy bottomed pan, large enough to fit all the eggplants in one layer. Heat the oil until just hot enough. The best way to test the readiness of the oil is to drop a couple of the mustard seeds and see if they pop. If they do, they are ready. Add the rest of the roasting spices and fry on low heat until they release their fragrance, a minute or so.
Gently place all the stuffed eggplants into the pan in one layer. Sprinkle any remaining stuffing mix on top of the eggplants.
Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 30-40 minutes till the vegetables are cooked through and soft.
Serve with quinoa or flour wraps for a main or as a side for any poultry or pork dish.
Red Chili Paste
10 whole mild, dry, red chilies, broken by hand
1/4 cup vinegar
2 T water
touch of salt
Soak the chilies in the vinegar overnight. Drain the liquid and reserve. Puree the chilies to a smooth paste adding as little of the marinated liquid as needed.
Store refrigerated for upto a month.