sweet italian sausage stuffed chinese eggplant

I've had a weakness for pork lately. I ate wild boar bacon this weekend. I have a few packages of cured meat in the fridge right now. I ate a pork belly bun at momofuku this weekend and then proceeded to buy some sweet italian sausage with fennel from an italian deli right afterward. I usually avoid it because I try to eat mostly plants and I have some trouble digesting meat but lately it hasn't been an issue. The pork sausage with fennel seed is a stand-out component of this recipe. I wouldn't change anything about this dish. I'm not a huge fan of cooking eggplant but I enjoy eating it when it's cooked right. I've actually only eaten purple globe eggplants that are so common in supermarkets. (I'm pretty sure the only way I've eaten them is à la eggplant parmesan) They sometimes require a couple hours of salting and squeezing to get the excess water and bitterness out. Until today! I bought some chinese eggplant in chinatown over the weekend after reading that it's more sweet and tender than globe eggplant. It's so true. I baked it for only 15 minutes and it was perfect. It's an excellent vehicle for this sweet and savory sausage, tomato, herb, onion, garlic and feta mixture. This recipe was inspired by Emeril Lagasse's 'Greek Stuffed Eggplant' dish. Enjoy this as a dinner for two or double it for four people.

You'll need:

1 long, firm chinese eggplant

olive oil 

1/4 to 1/3 of a pound of  sweet italian sausage, removed from casing and crumbled
(w/ fennel seed if you can find it, you can also add in a few crushed fennel seeds)


1 small yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/3 of a red or green bell pepper, small dice

2 Tablespoons of italian breadcrumbs

1/2 teaspoon of Emeril's Essence spice blend (you can find it in any grocery store)

1 Tablespoon of tomato paste (I use the kind in the tube, it's double concentrated and resealable)

1/4 cup of crumbled goat's milk feta (or cow)

salt and black pepper for seasoning

1 Tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley

1 Tablespoon of chopped fresh oregano


Preheat the oven to 350°. Slice the eggplant vertically in half and scoop out the flesh leaving at least 1/4 inch thick shell. Chop up the scooped out eggplant and set aside. Rub eggplant shells with olive oil and bake for 10 minutes on a baking sheet. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Keep oven on.

Drizzle some olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook sausage crumbles just until browned and then transfer to plate. Lower heat to medium and add in onion and a dash of salt. Stir frequently and cook until softened, about four minutes. Add in bell pepper, eggplant and garlic and cook for two minutes more. Add in garlic, the Essence spice blend, parsley, oregano and tomato paste and cook for two minutes more. Turn off heat. Add in cooked sausage, feta and breadcrumbs. Taste to check seasoning. Add a little salt and pepper if desired. Fill eggplant shells with the sausage mixture and bake for five minutes. Serve with a salad or cooked greens and some fresh bread.

velvety roasted butternut squash bisque

Winter squash season is here! From October through March I eat LOTS of butternut squash. I use it in place of an english muffin for eggs benedict, diced and roasted with sea salt and olive oil, in savory tarts, blended with creamy cheese on top of toast, risotto and especially, bisque. Creamy squash bisque is warm, comforting and so delicious. It's so easy to make too. This soup can be made ahead and it gets better after sitting for a day or two. Use this recipe to serve a crowd or keep it in the fridge to eat throughout the week. It freezes well too! It's very filling and rich in fiber and nutrients, especially vitamin A and C.

Serves 6-10

You'll need:

A blender or food processor

A large saucepan or stockpot (8 quarts)

About 4 pounds of butternut squash

sea salt

black pepper

1 cup of half and half

2-3 cups of vegetable or chicken broth

2 tablespoons of butter

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

a handful of sage leaves, torn into small pieces, a few whole leaves reserved for garnish

Preheat oven to 400°.  Slice squash in half or into quarters and spray or rub with oil. Bake for 45 minutes or until flesh is tender and pierced easily with a fork. Wait until cool enough to handle and then discard the seeds and gooey pulp from the center. Scoop the flesh from skin into stockpot. Add in 2 cups of broth. Working in batches add squash and broth into blender or food processor and blend until smooth. If mixture is too thick add in more broth. Remember, you'll be adding in another cup of liquid later. Add blended mixture back into stockpot. Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add in butter. Add in onions and a dash of salt and cook (stirring often) until softened, about 4 minutes. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add in cinnamon, cayenne, and sage and cook for one minute more. Transfer onion mixture to blender and add in about a cup of the pureed squash. Blend until smooth and then add to pot. Simmer on medium heat until warm, add in salt and pepper to taste. Finally, add in the half and half and return to a simmer. Serve hot with crusty bread and a sage leaf on top for garnish.

harvest moon cocktail

this combination of liquids is brilliant! my girlfriend and i took a mixology class at sideBAR last tuesday and we learned the recipes for several delicious, fall themed cocktails. this one was my favorite and tonight i tried it out at home for a group of friends. it tastes like cinnamon apple pie but with hints of juniper (from the gin). when we made this drink at the bar we used absolut pear vodka which i think was equally delicious. apparently this drink is even better served warm! i'll have to try that soon. you might want to double or triple these measurements, this drink is smooth, sweet and tantalizing.

harvest moon for one

you'll need:

a cocktail shaker with a strainer

ice

martini or tumbler glass

shaved nutmeg or ground cinnamon for garnish

pear vodka OR dry gin ( I used bombay) -  1 and 3/4 oz

cinnamon simple syrup (see recipe below) - 1 and 1/2 oz 

apple cider - 2 oz

lemon juice - 1 oz


To make the cinnamon simple syrup (about 4 oz) :

Combine 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of water and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a small saucepan. Boil until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to two months.


To make your cocktail:

Fill shaker 3/4 full with ice, add vodka or gin, simple syrup, apple cider and lemon juice. Shake until well chilled. Strain into glass and garnish with freshly shaved nutmeg or a sprinkling of cinnamon.