What are you planning to do in DC? That is a fun city. I have yet to go there and not lobby for something however.

I am going to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Creating Change conference, in Atlanta at the end of the month. I am on a committee and we will be meeting all week long. Cant wait. I get to hang out with 3,000 queers who are changing the world. Now that is a party that I need to attend.

Now that is some worthwhile travel... :) And it's Atlanta baby! I've always wanted to go there...it sounds like you will be in good company....wish we could go :(

U have to behave also!!! I don't mean badly. Just cuz bad behavior is still behavior doesn't mean it will give u a day trip ;)

I like oysters, just not the ones from NM.

Sun, you had posted a pic from the other day from FB of the eggplant yumminess, and I was curious, would you share the recipe here? That looked really good-- Please.

I made cookies -- just simple chocolate chip cookies w/ walnuts. But I use whole wheat flour and all organic products. MMM.

PS. I use to live in Alexandria, Va-- very close to DC. If you go, you should try going during Spring or during the cherry blossom time-- its perfect.

That sounds absolutely amazing!! I think we will all be waiting for details after that week away.

I found out about this cooking group (COMPLETELY by accident) at my favorite (since childhood) local produce place! It's called Savory Suppers. The prep work is done for you, you go and prepare however many entrees you want to (up to 12) and bring them home to cook or freeze. It's done with a chef so you make these amazing dishes that you never would think of at home. There's no clean up, no shopping. I'm thinking this will be an excellent thing for Teddy and I to do once a month. We can shake up our typical menu...and learn something new. :)

http://www.atkinssavorysuppers.com/

Yes please?! Haha. This morning especially this has me drooling. It would pair nicely with the coffee I also don't have, but crave.

That's so kind of you, thank you. Chocolate, coffee and creative flow are 3 of the best ways to start the day. Hahah. Talent isn't something to be scared of, I'm happy to hear she loves art. Encourage it so it's never lost!!

Recently I've been on a kick for the new blend of loose herbal tea I picked up this holiday season. It's called "Nutcracker blend" ; It smells like christmas and it's simply delicious. Essentially it's a black tea fused with apple, orange zest,currants, cinnamon, almonds, cloves & safflowers.

Ok

Here is my recipe for Eggplant Rollatini. I made 6 good sized rolls with this recipe and that used up about half of a large eggplant. You have to use your judgement on some of this because eggplants come in all shapes and sizes. The key is to slice the eggplant lengthwise, getting the longest slice that you can. Keep it thin but not too thin. You need to cook it and roll it. This is a recipe that I have tweaked over time but you can adapt it and make it your own as I always say:

Eggplant Rollatini

1/2 Large Eggplant - Sliced lengthwise and thin, 1/4"max
3 Eggs
1/4 C milk
1 Cup of Breadcrumbs. I prefer Progresso Seasoned Italian.
pinch salt
Tomato sauce 32 - 48 oz
16 oz. Shredded Mozzeralla cheese
16 oz Ricotta cheese
1/4 C good Romano Cheese
8 oz olive oil (blended, do not use EVOO it burns too easily)

Prep:

Peel and slice eggplant: sprinkle a little salt on both sides of each piece and let rest on paper towel to remove bitterness.

Prepare egg wash: Whisk 2 eggs with 1/4 Cup of milk.

Spread breadcrumbs out on a plate. Dip eggplant slices one at a time into egg wash then breadcrumbs. Fry in olive oil in shallow saute pan. Fry until lightly browned.

(Low fat option: Grill flat top griddle, or bake in oven on lightly oiled baking sheet at 350 for ten minutes.)

Prepare cheese filling:

Mix Ricotta cheese, half of shredded Mozzerella, 2 Tbsp of Romano and one egg. Add some black pepper to taste.
In shallow baking dish coat bottom with thin layer of tomato sauce. On cutting board or plate, lay out one slice of eggplant. Scoop aprox 2 large rounded tablespoons of cheese mixture into each one, toward one side. Pile up so that you can roll it. Larger pieces can take a little more, smaller pieces a little less. Roll from one end to the other and set in baking dish. Repeat with
6 pieces in total. Cover rolls with tomato sauce, reserving some for the side upon serving. Sprinkle on Tbsp Romano cheese on top of rolls. Sprinkle remaining Mozzerella on top.

Bake in 350 oven for 40 minutes.

Makes 6 appetizers or 3 entree's.

Optional: You can add fresh spinach to the cheese stuffing mixture.

I went to Paris once, it was such a cool experience. I get my loose teas from a number of specialty tea stores across Canada. I know you can get a tea bag variety by Celestial, under the name "nutcracker sweet" which is probably easy to find on amazon. This one is actually a Rooibos tea (oops) I got it at a fair trade cafe in the nearest city, but I think it was just out for the holidays. I also recommend checking out www.davidstea.com They have basically the same great selection of loose teas, they ship to the US AND it's well worth it!!! So your friend may be interested in many of the flavor combinations. I'm sure they would carry the nutcracker as well since

I'm having beer cheese soup tonight. I'll update with the recipe later.

Never had that soup but it sounds interesting.

I am now on a mission!! I really want this tea, it just sounds amazing!!

Soup can be my go to lunch a lot of the time... its always an experiment for me, whats in the cupboard, what can I can I put together, how can I blend the flavors...

Recent successes have been ...
Pumpkin curry soup
Sausage and cilantro soup
Zucchini chicken soup

The tea is now on my holiday favorite list. I'll see if I can find it again!

I haven't visited for a while, but first up I want to say thanks to Sun for starting the thread and all the folks who have contributed so much yumminess! And drooling.

Now that I've moved and my new house has a nice big kitchen, one of my new year's resolutions is to cook once a week. The more manageable the resolution the more achievable right? And who knows, maybe I'll be able to crank that up to much more frequently.

I think cultural differences around food and the meanings associated are very interesting but also cooking techniques.

In Malaysia kitchens don't normally have running hot water. If you need it you boil it. In South Korea and Malaysia kitchens typically don't have an oven. And in both countries you buy a two-burner (usually two) gas bench-top cooker from the supermarket. In Korea the gas is supplied to each house. In Malaysia you buy a tank and then when it's empty, phone someone, they come around and swop the empty tank for a full one. It's not like the little squat tanks you use on a bbq.

The previous house I rented had a two-late induction cooker installed. I had bought an individual one previously. They're ok but you can only use pots and pans specifically designed for induction cookers. I prefer gas myself.

What else ... in older/typical houses in Malaysia there is a wet kitchen and a dry kitchen. In older houses the wet kitchen is just out the back door. It's for frying and other messy types of cooking - therefore easier to clean up. In my house the dry kitchen has the fridge, microwave and a sink. The wet kitchen, which was built on I'd say, has the gas cooker, a hood and a sink.

Of course I have a rice cooker, but it's monster size for when my ex lived with me. Not too sure how to use it for one now (anybody can tell me how to cook brown rice in it? water, etc?). If I were really into old school cooking, I'd have a mortar and pestle. My ex's mum could rock one of those when she was younger. Nowadays most women use a blender unless they're poor.

I'm no expert, but if you have any questions, fire away and I'll try and answer.

All the best for a new year of healthy (and sometimes not so healthy) yumminess!

Definitely not soup weather here, so it's funny that I was looking at a soup recipe online just last night!

I discovered that apparently the best pumpkin for soup is a Long Island Cheese pumpkin, which I'd never heard of before.
I can't bring the website up right now, but here is the URL:
www.plantwhateverbringsyoujoy.com/?p=7722

The technique is quite unusual so you might find it interesting!

Lusciouskiwi, have you tried cooking rice in the microwave? It's super easy, you just cover it and put it on high for 12 mins, check it, and then cook for a further few minutes if required. I go in 2 minute intervals unless it's very nearly done, in which case, 1 minute should do.

I liked your description of Malaysian kitchens - very interesting! So Western kitchens must be considered very well equipped, in comparison, I imagine! What do people do when they want to bake a cake, in the absence of an oven?

My favorite soup is clam chowder, overall. I do enjoy soups, in general, though.
Anyhow, today I made ceviche, and am impatiently waiting for it to be done, so that I can enjoy it. My recipe for that, I got from school, and is designed to be used as a chip dip, instead of as an entree.

I love Ceviche. Often I will serve it as an appetizer course.

I have a couple of times, I think once I made an avocado cucumber soup that we enjoyed.

Trouble is, Kris isn't much of a soup person, and even less of a chilled soup person... so I usually go for things that all 3 of us will eat, just for simplicity's sake.

Ooh, and my heirloom tomatoes are ripening right now too. Sounds like a perfect time to explore Gazpacho! Thanks for the idea Sun!