Eggplant Caponata

1-2 lg. eggplants, cut into cubes

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup olive oil

1 big yellow onion

4 celery stalks

1/2 cup dried currants

3/4 lb. tomatoes

3 tbsp capers

1/2 cup red-wine vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

pepper to taste

Dice eggplant, let "sweat" in colander with thin layer of salt for 20 min. Saute cubes with 2-3 tbsp olive oil in heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat, stirring occasionally, 5-10 min until they start to soften. Lower heat and cook 8-10 min. until soft. Transfer eggplant to bowl. In saucepan saute onion with half remaining olive oil over medium heat until tender 10-15 min. Scrape onion atop eggplant. Repeat with celery. Return onion and eggplant to pan with celery. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer, uncovered, 45-50 min.

 It was probably one of the most complicated recipes I've yet done (mostly due to the eggplant). At one time in my life, I would have greeted eggplant caponata with a gag reflex, and it's undeniable that the texture won't appeal to many. Though the feel, once it's finished cooking, is very thick and rich (particularly the taste--sweet, sour, and salty all at once), the texture is indisputably slimy and could conceivably be an acquired taste. Mine was probably especially so as I had to approximate an amount of currant preserves rather than dried currants. I had it straight and it was fine; my throat didn't rebel once. It was much better, though, paired with an opposite--something relatively bland but with a thick, chewy texture--in this case chicken (and delicious organic Amish chicken at that, which is relatively cheap if you get it frozen at Hiller's). I understand it's good with toast or pork as well.

And...

Mole Verde

3 cups chicken broth 

2 cloves garlic

1 can plum tomatoes

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro

1 tsp vegetable oil

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1 small jalapeno, seeded

2 serrano peppers, seeded

3 romaine leaves

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch cumin, pinch pepper

salt to taste

Toast pumpkin seeds, stirring occasionally, until browned (c. 5 min.). Cool, then mash in blender or food processor until powdery. Mix in 1 cup broth, remove from blender. Drain canned tomatoes and toss in empty blender with chilies. Add lettuce, onion, garlic, cilantro, cinnamon, pepper, cumin. Blend until smooth. Heat oil in heavy-bottomed saucepan then heat broth sauce c. 5 min., stirring until thick and dark. Add veggies and stir. Gradually add 2 cups broth, depending on thickness, and simmer 25-30 min. Season with salt.

 Mole was fun, and looks and tastes delicious. I made it myself when I worked at that high-end restaurant last year, although I had to go through the somewhat toity step of straining the solid bits through a fine chinois--which didn't quite take as long as shredding and grating horseradish, but it came pretty close. I'm generally wary or disdainful of excessively sensual descriptions of food and cooking, not necessarily due to hostility but because they've become such a hipster cliche. It's hard to avoid, though, when talking about mole. You get to smell the toasting seeds and thrill as they pop like corn kernels from the heat. The pumpkin seed broth made at first looks and smells after a while like cafe mocha or cafe au lait, and stirring the broth/veggie mix is a real pleasure. I tweaked it a bit--adding arugula with the romaine for added pepper, and making up the difference on the pumpkin seeds (I don't think I had quite half a cup) with green pepper seeds. It was fantastic--like caponata, it went very well with a relatively bland but chewy food like chicken, and even better with a gorgeous, lazy Friday evening, a few bottles of Pacifico, a couple of Sweeney episodes, and Ratatouille.

And here's the election boiled down, by the way.