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Vietnamese Pickled Eggplant These use tiny white eggplants that are nearly impossible to get here. I tried to grow them without success (this time). I did not have these so used unripe cherry tomatoes. Ingredients 2 lb eggplant (tiny white SE Asian types) or green cherry tomatoes. 1/4 cup salt 1 TBL galangal root 1 TBL ginger root 12 green chilies - thai peppers or serranos 6 cloves garlic 1/2 cup onion finely chopped 2 cup Granulated sugar 2 cup water 1/4 cup fish sauce 1. Rinse off eggplant and pierce with a knife - or cut in half if larger than 3/4 inch in diameter. 2. Put eggplant into jar and add salt - and water to top of jar. Cover with plastic lid and cover loosely. Let ferment for 7 days. 3. Take out eggplant and drain. Rinse with water. Put into jars again. 4. Chop ginger, galangal, chiles, onion, and garlic. 5. Boil water and sugar, add spices and onion, and heat for 5 minutes. Add fish sauce. 6. Pour over eggplants making sure the spices and onion get all around (might have to take out some eggplant and return). 7. Cover with plastic lid, and refrigerate. 8. Ready in several days. Will last a very long time in the refrigerator. Notes: Good alongside other SE Asian dishes, or even alone with rice. The green tomatoes are not the same texture as the eggplants, but are quite good. The eggplants are very crispy.

I thought my first post should be a recipe to share with you all. It is one of the most popular dishes on my website. Shopping list pinch of saffron (azafrán)1 tsp oregano or thyme (orégano o tomillo)4 cups fish or vegetable stock (caldo de pescado o verduras)2 tsp sweet smoked paprika (pimentón dulce ahumado)1 bay leaf (hoja de laurel)olive oil (aciete de oliva)1 onion (cebolla)1 red pepper (pimiento rojo)3 garlic clove (dientes de ajo)2 cups of paella rice such as 'bahía-senia' or 'bomba' (arroz bomba o bahía-senia)1 large tomato (tomate)1 large fillet of white fish such as haddock or cod (filete de pescado blanco)handful of mussels (puñado de mejillones)handful of clams (puñado de almejas)4-6 large prawns (langostinos)parsley (perejil)chives (cebollinos)freshly ground black pepper (pimienta recién molida negro)Method for Seafood Paella recipe Warm the saffron in a medium saucepan for about 30 seconds and then add 4 cups of stock, the paprika and a bay leaf. Simmer very gently. If using whole prawns, break off the heads, remove the shells and de-vein. Then add the heads to the stock (if using vegetable stock) and put the prawn bodies to one side. Tip: to prepare whole prawns, just break off the heads by twisting with your hands and then carefully pull the shells away from the belly. Once removed you will notice a thin black line along the prawn, this often contains grit and sand. Run a knife along this line and then remove the vein with the tip of the knife. Warm two tablespoons of olive oil in a paella pan and then add the very finely chopped onion, pepper, oregano and garlic. Soften for about 7-8 minutes. Tip: leave some longer strips of pepper for garnishing. Add the rice and stir well. Then grate the tomato into the rice so the flesh passes through the grater but the skin does not. Continue stirring until the rice starts to dry out. Drain the stock, add half to the rice and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, wash your clams and mussels, removing any grit and cutting off the beards. Then, add the clams, mussels and prawns to the pan, pushing down into the rice and then add half of the remaining stock and simmer for about 7 minutes. Cut the haddock fillet into small portions and fry in a splash of olive oil in a separate hot pan, skin-side down for about 4 minutes until the skin is browned and crisp. Remove and place to one side. Tip: when crisping the skin of fish, try not to move it while it is cooking as you will damage the skin. After about four minutes on a high heat you should be able to ease a palette knife under the skin and lift. Add the rest of the stock to the pan and simmer for 5 more minutes and then add the fish pieces, flesh-side down and continue to simmer for a couple more minutes until the liquid is all gone. At this point you should taste the rice and it should just be cooked. Season with pepper and then remove from the heat, cover with foil and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Finally garnish with parsley and chives and serve with bread and lemon wedges. This seafood paella recipe is perfect for sharing with friends and family and always raises a smile. Enjoy!

Duck Heart Gravy First, buy a peking duck, rinse out the inside, and simmer it in water for about two hours. Strain and skim, then throw it in the fridge to cool it down. While your stock is simmering, Take a whole bunch of giblets. I used nothing but duck hearts. Chop your internals up fine and cook them gently (medium low) in butter. When they're brown, add some flour and cook that gently until it too browns (nice and foxy). Now, add your peking duck stock as you stir, taking that roue and all of those giblets up into a starchy thick mass of down home goodness. Keep adding stock slowly and simmering to swell up all of that flour starch until you're happy with the consistency. Season, then consume. Throw it on mashed potatoes or on some french fries with cheese or biscuits. Or, why not, just put it in a bowl, sprinkle some chives, and call it soup. -Queso www.everybodyplayswithfood.com

here it is: 3 ears silver queen corn, scraped, milked and cobs cut into 3-4 pieces 2 cups heavy cream 1 vanilla bean 15 eggs yolks 1 1/4 cup sugar 3 cups full fat buttermilk, if you can find it generous pinch of salt -combine corn and heavy cream in food processor, quise till chunky. heat with vanilla bean til scalded -whisk yolks, sugar, and salt til pale and ribbon-y. temper with corny cream. I don't continue to cook, but this is your choice. -cool a bit, then add buttermilk. allow to sit at least six hours, preferably overnight -strain and freeze Peanut Butter and Bacon Blondies butter/flour a 9x13 pan 350 oven 4 slices of bacon 2 ounces soft butter 8 ounces natural peanut butter 1 1/4 cups brown sugar generous pinch of salt 2 eggs 1/4 heavy cream 1/2 T vanilla extract 1/2 t baking powder 1/4 t baking soda 1 1/2 c ap flour -slice bacon into thin strips and render til crispy. drain, cool, and chop fine. -cream butter, peanut butter, sugar, salt and bacon til smoothe ( it will look kinda gross) -add eggs, cream and vanilla -combine dry ingredients and add to mix slowly -press into prepared pan and bake till poofy and still soft in the middle -allow to cool before cutting I know this is off topic, but I couldn't resist: