Sometimes I get inspired by my own blogging-how  self-centred is that?  My eggplant post of last week spawned two delicious meals.  The first was the same night as the post when I recreated the Sicilian grilled dinner.  We actually didn’t have any eggplant in the house and so my husband used the closest thing-zucchini.  This (along with grilled asparagus that we just cannot get enough of at this time of year) is one of our favourite barbeque staples.  We toss both in a plastic bag with olive oil and Clubhouse Vegetable Seasoning-so simple and so divine. 

Where was I? Ah yes.  The second meal became many dinners.  I took a single eggplant to make Eggplant Parmigiana and it fed my husband and I on Friday evening, Daughter #1 and I on Saturday evening and then she had leftovers for Sunday lunch and I had leftovers for Monday lunch.  Now that is cost effective meal planning!

I always thought that because the dish was called Parmigiana it would have Parmesan cheese in it but it is so named because of the city of Parma.  But because the recipe centres around the use of tomatoes and mozzarella, it is said to have originated in the south, not anywhere near Parma.  Confused? And to make matters worse-we like a lighter version of the classic and use Parmesan instead of mozzarella!

I cut the eggplant into discs so as not to have any piece on the edge that gets thrown away.  It is often soaked in salt at this stage to extract bitter juices but we like it just fine including these so called “bitter” juices.  Then I dipped it into a milk wash, a flour dusting, an egg wash and finally coat it with breadcrumbs (this is also the process that I use for pork cutlets, chicken fingers and many varieties of fish).  In the mean time, I make a sauce of  what ever fresh herbs I have on hand with a can of tomatoes and plenty of chopped garlic and onion.  While that is simmering I brown the eggplant in plenty of olive oil.  The assembly starts with a generous layer of sauce on the bottom of the baking pan.

Kath’s quote:“…in a well regulated kitchen nothing is ever wasted, but with careful preparation even the ‘rough ends’ of a beef steak may be made into a wholesome, tender and appetizing dish; that ‘stale bread’ may be used in the most delicious ‘desserts’ and ‘fancies,’ and ‘left-over’ food from the day before need not be thrown in the trash-box, but may be made into an endless variety of wholesome and nutritious dishes.”-The Pica Creole Cook Book (1901)

My Papa was a foodie before the word was ever uttered.  One winter (40 years ago) he tried to perfect flat crust pizza dough.  Another time he spent months experimenting with the qualities and flavour varieties of sesame oil. 

His own palate was quite simple- grabbing a plain bun and a piece of sausage for lunch, biting into a ripe pear and not gulping down his coffee until it had reached room temperature.  The only food I ever knew him not to like was celery. 

My habit of making “refrigerator soup” i.e stirring up a pot of whatever is in the fridge comes from my Dad.  He would make amazing hams with intricate marinades and glazes from whatever he found when scrounging around the fridge; one time using up my Mom’s chokecherry jelly, the next time starting with maple syrup. 

He loved steaks pan-fried in butter and would cook one up on a Saturday afternoon for his lunch.  My twin brother and sister and I would sit across the table like little birds waiting for the parent to drop food into their mouths.  Daddy would cut a big bite off for himself and then shave a tender one for one of the open mouths.  It was his turn next and then one of ours after that.  And so it went until the treat was done.

My Dad went to heaven to meet up with his two little brothers in 1997.  I still remember the aromas of his cooking, his crisp and dapper look as he left each morning for the office, his easy ability to cry and the simple and yet eloquent motto he always repeated- “that’s okay.”  It has been 13 Father’s Day’s without you on earth but you are with me every day.  I love you Daddy.

Kath’s quote:  “The fact is that it takes more than ingredients and technique to cook a good meal. A good cook puts something of himself into the preparation — he cooks with enjoyment, anticipation, spontaneity, and he is willing to experiment.”-Pearl Bailey

D and I once drove from Quebec City to Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts.  Our first night was in Rockport Maine.  We were very excited about our first feed of seafood and chose a restaurant way out on the end of a pier.  The restaurant was an octagon shape like a gazebo and everyone including us, had a view of the sunset. When it was time to order, we were intrigued by what the menu highlighted as their house specialty –crab rolls.  When we inquired with our server what these were, here’s how she described them; “Oh, it’s like a crab salad on a hotdog bun. I don’t know what the big deal is”.  Needless to say, we made another selection.  I don’t remember if we stopped again for seafood along the way, but it wouldn’t have mattered because we were just not tempted to try a crab salad on a hotdog bun.

On one of last days on the Cape, we went whale watching.  It was about noon and we decided to order something for lunch on board.  The selection was poor (a can of tomato soup), so we dashed off the boat, as it was still loading and went to a little stand near the pier.  No-all they have are crab rolls!  We begrudgingly ordered one each.

OH MY GOODNESS!  They were one of the tastiest seafood meals we had on our two week trip.  The crab was so fresh it felt like it would dance in your mouth and the bun was just baked and soft and sweet, but the outside was crusty and chewy.  We thought we had died and gone to sandwich heaven.

Later that afternoon, when we got off the whale watching boat, we went back to the stand and ordered two more for our dinner.  I think we came back the next day for lunch too.  If you work in the hospitality industry…take note.  It may be a boring, old sandwich to you but to a tourist or new customer, it may be their little taste of heaven.

Kath’s quote: “There was an Old Person of Hyde,
Who walked by the shore with his bride,
Till a Crab who came near,
     fill’d their bosoms with fear,
And they said, ‘Would we’d never left Hyde!'”-Edward Lear  (1812-1888)

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 My friend Laura brought this recipe unassembled to my place for a  summer lunch and we showed the rest of our co-workers how to form and steam the dumplings.  This dish is expensive to make and very time consuming and it is worth the investment of both.

Friends & fellow foodies-Allan and Laura

1 ½ lb. live lobster

6 c loosely packed spinach leaves (about 8 oz.)

1/3 c chopped jicama

2 whole green onions, minced

½ lb ground chicken

1 T finely mined fresh ginger

2 T thin soy sauce

1 T dry sherry

¼ t freshly ground white pepper

40 won ton skins, preferably round

Cornstarch for dusting

Sauce:

2 c whipping cream

½ c white wine

2 t dark sesame oil

½ t salt

Large pinch saffron

1 T very finely minced fresh ginger

Garnish

¼ c Thai chilli sauce

½ c chopped fresh cilantro

Over highest heat, bring 4 inches of water to a vigorous boil in a large pot.  Add the lobster, head first, then cover the pot and steam until the lobster turns bright red, about 6 minutes.  Remove the lobster from the water and cool to room temperature,  cut the lobster in half lengthwise with a heavy knife or poultry scissors.  Remove all the meat.  Cut the lobster meat into pieces small enough to fit inside the dumpling.

Thoroughly wash the spinach leaves.  Ina 2 ½ qt. saucepan, bring 1 inch of water to a vigorous boil,  Add the spinach and turn it in the boiling water until it wilts, about 20 seconds.  Transfer the spinach to a colander to drain, then rinse with cold water and drain again.  Using your hands, press all of the water from the spinach, then mince.  In a large bowl, combine the lobster, spinach, jicama, green onions, chicken, ginger, soy sauce, sherry and white pepper.  Mix with your fingers until thoroughly combined.

Within 5 hours of cooking, fold the dumplings: if the won tons are square, trim into circles.  Add 2 t filling the centre of each won ton skin.  Moisten the edges with water and fold the won ton in half over the filling., then pinch the edges together firmly.  Moisten each end of the dumpling , then touch the ends together so that the dumplings look like caps.  Place the dumplings in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with non-stick cooking (parchment) paper and dusted with cornstarch.  Refrigerate uncovered.

Make the sauce: in a small bowl, combine the cream, wine, sesame oil, salt and saffron, then refrigerate.  Separately set aside the ginger and garnishes. 

Last minute cooking: Bring 6 litres of water to a vigorous boil,  add the dumplings and give them a gentle stir.  When the dumplings float to the surface, after about 3 minutes gently tip them into a colander to drain.

While the dumpling water is coming to a boil and the dumplings are cooking, place the sauce in a 12 inch sauté pan.  Bring to a rigour boil over high heat and cook until the sauce thickens enough to lightly coat a spoon, about 2 minutes.  Stir in the mined ginger.  Taste & adjust seasonings, especially for salt & pepper.  Transfer the dumplings to a bowl, add the sauce, and toss gently.

Place the dumplings and sauce on a heated platter.  Garnish the edge of the sauce with dots of chile sauce.  Sprinkle on the cilantro and serve at once.

Kath’s quote: “A truly destitute person is not one without riches, but the poor wretch who has never partaken of lobster.”-anonymous

This photo was taken on Hidalgo, no where near the restaurant.  But I like the shot because for me it kind of depicts the uniqueness of Isla Mujeres (check out the Sesame Street fabric on the dog).

One of my favourite restaurants on Isla is unique as well, to say the least.  A kind of haphazard decor, irregular service and one of the most basic kitchens I have snuck a peak at -BUT THE FOOD!

Chicken soup sounds pretty basic-it was divine.  The broth was bursting with flavour and the pulled chicken so fresh tasting.

This is empty lot next to the restaurant.  The first time I ate there in 2005 there were chickens living here-now that’s fresh!

Freshness continues to their papas fritas-upon ordering they peel and slice the potato and drop it into a shallow fryer.  The piece de resistance is the wedge of lime that comes with every order.  You’ll never want to eat your fries any way else.

Ophelia’s Chilies Relleno-nuff said.

On this day, my companion and I shared this lunch as we were trying to fit many food destinations into our final days.  I can’t specifically recall the price but I think we each put in the equivalent of $7. and we were stuffed.  We had to walk along the sea wall to wear it off.  Ahh Isla…..

Kath’s quote:

“Tropical the island breeze
All of nature wild and free
This is where I long to be la isla bonita”- Madonna