(Dolen Perkins-Valdez, hardback). From the title you might think this is a book about the s-x word. It’s not. By a long shot. But the story, set in about 1852, is about a black slave woman, and her somewhat misguided “love” for her master. About the children she bore him, under the eagle eye of the master’s wife. But it’s all tied together with a yearly journey made to a place called Tawawa House, a rural inn of sorts in southern Ohio (a free State), that for some years allowed white slave owners to stay at the resort in rustic cottages with their black slaves, as couples. This place existed, according to the author’s afterword, and finally closed because some of the regulars (white couples who stayed in the main house) didn’t fancy this concubine business going on out in the woods. It’s about Lizzie’s relationships with the other slave women, about their desire to run to safety through the local underground, about them secretly meeting some free blacks, finding out more about abolition, and about the hardships all these black mistresses endured, and how little their lives were valued. A real stunning book. (I was sent this book as a perk from Harper Collins – because I had mentioned The Help. No strings attached – I could choose to mention this book, or not, here on my blog. I’m glad to because it’s a very good read.)
(Jamie Ford, on my Kindle). A poignant story about a Chinese-American, growing up in Seattle at the beginning of World War II. Henry falls in love with a young Japanese girl before her family is interned in a relocation camp. It a very secretive relationship because his parents would highly disapprove. The story goes back to the 40’s and forward to the 1980’s when Henry is in his 50’s and his wife (not the Japanese woman) has just died of cancer. The story pulls you in from the first page, especially when some artifacts are found in the basement of an old hotel which contain personal belongings from several Japanese families who were suddenly taken away back in 1942. You can see where it’s going, can’t you? I heard criticism of this book that it was just a little bit contrived. Halfway through I’m enjoying it very much.
(Kathryn Stockett on my Kindle, an excellent read); 
by Jetta Carleton (Kindle edition, eh); 
by Susan Richards (Kindle edition, good book); 
by Sally Gunning (Kindle edition, very good read)
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(Mario Batali & Gweneth Paltrow); 
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The other night when I made the Chicken Tikka Masala, I also had an eggplant in the refrigerator. I looked through my one and only Indian cookbook for some ideas and found a recipe for a combination of eggplant and potatoes. I didn’t have any potatoes, and was making rice for the chicken anyway, so I just made this dish with eggplant only and served it as a side vegetable. Indian food is traditionally very heavy with vegetables. I’ve enjoyed the vegetable dishes I’ve made at home better than ones at restaurants. Maybe they’re overcooked from a restaurant kitchen.
Anyway, I was very pleased with this rendition, from Easy Indian Cooking, by Suneeta Vaswani. Several years ago I attended a cooking class taught by the author. Sunetta’s family favorite, Pepper Chicken, I posted earlier this year. I’ve made it many times. I’ve learned to trust this cookbook when it comes to anything Indian, and this eggplant dish lived up to the reputation. I’d definitely make it again, even if it wasn’t an Indian-themed dinner. I liked the spice combo, and the vinegar-sugar (Splenda) mixture poured over the eggplant just at the end was delightful. There’s just a hint of sweetness, and really no sign of the vinegar. I simply couldn’t taste it at all – it gets absorbed into the eggplant completely. As is always the case with brown or beige food, this dish doesn’t photograph very well, but the taste was great.
Sweet, Sour & Spicy Eggplant (Indian)
Recipe By: Suneeta Vaswani’s cookbook, Easy Indian Cooking
Servings: 4
1 1/2 pounds eggplant
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger — grated
1/2 teaspoon fresh garlic — minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric — rounded
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3/4 teaspoon salt — or more to taste
1-2 tablespoons water added to eggplant
1/3 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sugar — or Splenda
1. Do not peel eggplant. Cut eggplant into pieces about 1 inch by 3 inches.
2. In a nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and sauté for one minute. Stir in ginger and garlic and sauté for no more than one minute (do not burn).
3. Add eggplant pieces, ground coriander, turmeric, cayenne and salt. Mix well, tossing pieces so they all have some of the spices on them. Cover and reduce heat to low and cook until the eggplant is tender, about 10-12 minutes. Shake pan (without opening lid) occasionally to prevent sticking. If necessary, add a tablespoon or two of water to deglaze the pan partway through the cooking.
4. Stir sugar (or Splenda) into the vinegar and water to dissolve. Pour over the vegetables (drizzle it over all the pieces, otherwise some will have it and other pieces will not), and toss gently to coat. Cook, covered, just until vinegar is absorbed, about 2 minutes. [I sprinkled some fresh mint on top.]
Serving Ideas: Can be served as a side dish, or if you make a large portion, serve with bread or pita bread as a vegetarian main dish. Also could be an appetizer.
COOK’S NOTES: If you would like to make this the traditional way, add about 3 potatoes, cut into similar sizes as the eggplant. Add to pan with the eggplant. Double all the spices. If you’re not overly fond of curry type spices, omit the turmeric. Be very careful not to burn the garlic and ginger – turn heat to low while the eggplant cooks. Eventually it softens and reaches a rich brown color.
Per Serving: 77 Calories; 4g Fat (40.2% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 405mg Sodium.
printer-friendly pdf
Toffeeapple
said on July 8th, 2008:
Love Brinjals, spicier the better!