What's for Dinner ~ Friday June 7th

[Lucinda]

Not sure here...I have a good frozen spinach pizza, and also spinach and tomato rotini (with pesto and fresh parm) to choose from.

Right now I just want a nap.

You?

[NJCher]

1. hahah

I just took a nap. The hurricane is coming in and it's been raining since yesterday. It's cool and I'm sleep deprived, so perfect day for a nap.

However, now that I am creeping toward consciousness, I think I will make Frank Bruni's Grandmother's Eggplant Casserole.

Here's what Frank has to say about it:

“The eggplant was the tough part, the messy part, especially if you were making it for dozens of people, and Grandma was always making that much.”

It wasn’t his favorite dish growing up—only later in life did he come to love the silky, crisp-fried eggplant rounds mixed with pasta and tossed with tomato sauce and salty pecorino cheese. But that wasn’t a problem: “At a Bruni family gathering, you could edit out a dish and there were still plenty of choices.” Plus it was a favorite of his father’s, so Bruni knew it would stick around. As he recently told Food & Wine, “The meat dish could change, but once there was an established pasta dish, that was sacrosanct.”

Here's the recipe, in case you're curious. Plus there's a pic of Frank and his grandma:

http://www.foodandwine.com/blogs/2009/8/26/frank-brunis-eggplant-macaroni

Frank and I have exchanged a few emails about this recipe but I'm still half asleep so I can't recall what we discussed.


Cher

[fizzgig]

4. a nap sounds lovely

i haven't slept much the last few nights, but i've got a friend coming in from out of town and she'll be here within the hour and i still have a bit of cleaning to do.

your dinner sounds tasty!

[Lucinda]

6. Im not a huge red sauce fan but I'm always happy to see a new

eggplant recipe!

We've had rain for days here, but it's muggy and a bit to warm for me. At least I'm in the mountains - that makes it a little cooler.
Hope the hurricane behaves itself, I haven't been watching the weather!

[livetohike]

2. Roasted Asparagus-Mushrooms-Onions over polenta,

broiled whole tomatoes with pesto, and a salad .

[Lucinda]

7. Yum.

As usual!
Your menu always inspires me to move back towards full time veggie land!

[livetohike]

14. Thanks Lucinda

The tomatoes were delicious and the recipe called for cutting them in half and putting them in a muffin pan! I would have never thought of that myself, although there was a thread here on other things to do with a muffin pan.

[Lucinda]

15. Hmmm... Interesting! I have four that I need to do something with

I might play around with that idea!

[fizzgig]

3. i really have no idea

my friend will be in town in a couple of hours and we haven't discussed dinner yet, but i can tell you it will be gluten free.

[Lucinda]

8. I've been running across some really interesting gluten free

stuff lately. I don't know if there are more good options for gluten free products lately, or I am just becoming more aware. Hope your dinner is yummy!

[fizzgig]

10. we're going to pick up some bbq and go to the park

it's an incredible day

[Lucinda]

11. It has been grey and rainy all day here - but I love it

it makes everything soooo green!

The park sounds awesome though!

[greatauntoftriplets]

5. The rest of my chicken with carmelized pearl onions.

Salad.

[Lucinda]

9. I've been on a big onion kick for a few months now.

Can't seem to get enough. I never think to cook with pearl onions! I have to get some soooon...

[pinto]

12. Monthly Asian take out order.

Palace prawns
Pho (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)
Spring rolls

[The empressof all]

13. Frittatas

SO is having one with rainbow chard, potatoes, onion, turkey bacon, swiss cheese, tomato and avocado. Mine will be similar but without the potato and cheese