Caponata ala Siciliana

Caponata ala Sicilia is a wonderful eggplant dish that captures the flavors of late summer.

Caponata ala Siciliana

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

2 1/4 lb eggplant, diced

1/2 lb green olives, packed in brine, sliced

6 ounces salted capers, rinsed

1 1/4 lb celery stalks

2/3 lb onions, finely sliced

2/3 lb tomatoes, chopped

1/3 cup vinegar

2 tbsp sugar

basil

3/6 cup pine nuts

olive oil

salt

Preparation:

Wash the eggplant and salt it liberally, and let it sit several hours to draw out the bitter juices.

Cooking:

Peel filaments off celery stalks, then blanch them in salted water for five minutes. Drain them, and cut into pieces, Sautee in olive oil for a couple minutes, and then set aside.

Blanch, skin, seed, and chop the tomatoes.

Saute the onions in olive oil until translucent. Add the capers, pine nuts, olives, and tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are done, about 15 minutes, and remove from heat.

Rinse the eggplant off, and fry in small batches in olive oil. When all of the eggplant is fried, add eggplant and celery to the tomato mixture, returning it to low heat. Add the vinegar and sugar, and gently cook until the vinegar has evaporated.

Remove pot from fire and let it cool, serve cold topped with fresh basil.

Pasta with Anchovy Sauce

Anchovies are often reviled by modern Americans as some terrifying addition to classic New York pizza, that even Ninja Turtles don't want, but this recipe makes use of them in a way that's delicious, and no one should complain.

Pasta with Anchovy Sauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 ounce anchovies

1/2 lb tomato puree

1 cup water

2 ounces golden raisins

6 tbsp pine nuts

2 tbsp salt

2 tbsp pepper

2 tbsp sugar

7 ounces bread crumbs

1 pound spaghetti

Cooking:

In a saucepan, sautee garlic in 1 tbsp olive oil for about 5 minutes, until garlic is browned just a bit. Add anchovies, and sautee until the anchovies break up. Then add the tomato puree, water, raisins, pine nuts, salt, pepper, and sugar, and bring up to heat.

In a seperate pan, brown bread crumbs in 1 tbsp olive oil, adding more if necessary but be careful not to make it oily.

Bring salted water to boil in a large pot, and cook spaghetti until it is al dente, or according to directions, whichever you find easier.

Drain pasta and mix with anchovy sauce. Serve, and sprinkle bread crumbs on top.