So many people I know don’t like eggplant. I didn’t like it as a kid either. But besides childhood pickiness, most people don’t like eggplant because they haven’t had it made correctly. It can be bitter and have a weird texture. But cooked well, it has a meaty and silky taste.

Caponata is best known as a dish from Sicily. There are many variations to this traditional version but this one is my favorite.

Continue reading Bruschetta with Caponata at Our Italian Table.

Slow-roasted flavor. Echoes of summer’s bounty of tomatoes.  This recipe is a super way to quell that craving for rich tomato flavor when the weather turns chilly.  It uses canned San Marzano tomatoes which can be found year round and the slow-roasting heightens the deep rich flavor of the tomatoes. 

I make batches of these from fall through spring when I can’t get my hands on good quality fresh tomatoes.  I slather them on everything from bread to pizza to pasta to fish to eggplant.  This is a very, very simple preparation – just requires quite a bit of oven time.

Continue reading A cold weather treat: Oven-roasted Tomato Bruschetta at Our Italian Table.