I’m still on my eggplant kick, so here’s a crazy-simple recipe especially for those first-time eggplant cookers. This recipe and the whole style of “in potacchio” originates from Marche, the region where my grandfather Giuseppe was born and raised (until at age 22 he came to America, in 1911).

“In potacchio” is a method of frying-then-stewing (also called braising), using rosemary, olive oil, garlic and dry white wine. This recipe adds tomatoes at the end.

Continue reading Melanzane in potacchio at Our Italian Table.

As we continue our Calabrian adventures, I’ve been cooking with the aid of the excellent cookbook, My Calabria. This is a great source for all things Calabrian and has some wonderful stories beyond the recipes.

With it being summer, eggplants are everywhere. A lot of people are afraid to cook eggplant because of the amount of oil they can soak up. This is one of many many ways to make eggplant: fry it in hot olive oil to a crispy texture and then combine it with other ingredients to soften it up.

Continue reading Pollo con melanzane (Chicken with eggplant, tomatoes and pancetta) at Our Italian Table.

I have to confess that I have a guilty pleasure (ok, maybe more than one but only one that I am owning up to here) – I subscribe to the Italian version of La Cucina Italiana.  It costs me four times as much as the cover price as they need to ship it across the ocean to me although I am at a loss as to why it would cost SO much more but so be it, they had me at ‘SUBSCRIBE NOW’.  

Continue reading Polpettine di vitello in umido di melanzane (or ‘Cooking while lost in translation’) at Our Italian Table.

Due to all the rain earlier in the season, almost all my tomatoes ripened at the same time so I am wonderfully up to my ears in tomatoes…..how I wish the summer could go on forever!  So much to do with these little beauties.  I was in the mood for eggplant last evening and not wanting the heaviness of frying the eggplant, I opted for a roasted version of this gratin. 

Continue reading Gratin di Melanzane e Pomodoro: Eggplant and Tomato Gratin at Our Italian Table.