Four pots, one baking pan, 3 dishes and about a million utensils later...

The title of my blog wasn't just an attempt at being clever. Even though I have shelves full of cookbooks, published by celebrity chefs to a pamphlet from nursing home fundraiser, I rarely turn to them for ideas. They are a great resource when I'm stuck looking for a substitution, an enhancement or a quick fix to a bubbling blunder on the stove. 

But when my creativity wanes, my 'fridge provides. 

There are about 20 pieces of paper on each clip!

Celebrity Chefs! 

Specialty cookbooks and nursing home fundraisers

Sometimes, though, I start in the garden, 
open the fridge, scan the counter top, 
forage through the  pantry. 

Sungold cherry tomatoes cooked 
down until all the fragrant liquid gold is released.

In today's garden, the Sungold cherry tomatoes and eggplant were calling to me and I suggested to my husband Jack, would he be terribly upset if I made eggplant Parmesan for lunch. 

And so, after extricating myself from his gleeful hugs, I proceeded to pull out three dishes - one for salting and draining the eggplant, one for the egg wash, one for the Panko crumb mixture. Four pots: for cooking spaghetti, rendering the cherry tomatoes down, a frying pan and a baking pan. 

Al dente spaghetti dressed with pesto 
and gold tomato water,
coated with a blob of butter and cream.

Here is the pot of creamy, herbacious spaghetti. Drained all but 1/2 cup of salty cooking water, added a frozen, hunk of pesto, about a cup of the liquid gold from cooked down tomatoes, two tablespoons of butter and a dollop of cream. Let the whole thing heat through until the spaghetti had absorbed all the flavor.

Eggplant, with pearls of 
(fresh mozzarella balls) and tomato sauce.

Here's the eggplant. I don't use a casserole dish. I use a small edged baking pan. Each delicious eggplant round is laid down in a pool of tomato sauce and topped with fresh mozzarella balls. This process allows for less baking time, less overcooked cheese, and eggplant that keeps its shape.

Left over egg wash and panko mixture with
shredded zucchini for tomorrow's lunch!!

 I never judge it correctly and either make too little egg wash or too much. Today was too much. So I combined the leftover egg with the seasoned Panko crumbs and added shredded zucchini. Fried them up as small veggie pancakes and tomorrow's lunch is in the fridge!

Five Suggestions for Eggplant Parmasan
Eggplant Parmesan is a simple dish. I hesitate to provide a recipe. But I will provide some suggestions that may help enhance your next Eggplant Parmesan.

1) Prepare your eggplant slices. Peel the eggplant. Slice into 1/2 inch rings. Salt them and place them under a weight to extract the bitter juices. Since my eggplant were freshly picked, they needed only 10 minutes (or the time it took me to get everything else out). The outcome is a sweeter eggplant taste.

2) Your egg wash is simply well beaten eggs. Well beaten (bears repeating)

3) Enhance the flavors by adding a touch of cumin, hot sauce, garlic, lemon zest and coarsely ground black pepper.

4) Use panko bread crumbs. You will end up with less of a battered eggplant slice and more of a light touch of breading. Eggplant on its own soaks up a lot of frying oil. You don't need to add a thick coating of breading to soak up even more! Panko provides a nice crunch even after it is baked in the sauce.

5) Don't smother the eggplant with either sauce or cheeses. Really. This is a dish about eggplant. Let it shine!

Lunch. Followed by more exuberant hugs  ;)