On Cloud Nine

Eggplant Carpaccio

This dish, inspired by 'The Book of New Israeli Food' by Janna Gur, is dedicated to my brother-in-law Maury, whose eyes lit up with delight as it was served to us on our trip to Israel.  In the cookbook the recipe is credited to Yaron Kestenbaum, Food Art Catering, Tel Aviv.

This is the first recipe I've tried from this cookbook (that I can remember!) and it is AMAZING!!!!! OK, it's true that eggplant is one of my very favorite foods, but let's just say that the flavours sing, whistle and hum.

It took no time at all to do the following.  Your friends and family will think of you as a gourmet chef.  I practically guarantee it.  

 Ingredients:

4 medium eggplants
4 T top quality raw tahini
4 T goat milk yogurt (I used regular)
4 t honey (or silan - date syrup)
4 T freshly squeezed lemon
8 T extra virgin olive oil (I omitted this)
4 tomatoes diced into small bits
1 small bunch of fresh oregano or hissop leaves
1 t crushed garlic
1 t chopped hot green chili pepper
coarse sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

The eggplants can be roasted whole in a BBQ or over a flame, then sliced open after cooling a bit, but I broiled mine for 30 minutes, cut side down.  Flatten the eggplant flesh with the back of a fork, mushing it up a bit.

The toppings were spooned on here, there and everywhere in the order listed in the ingredient list above.  For international flare the eggplant halves were laid upon Taftoon Persian bread, purchased at a small grocer on Somerled near Cavendish. This dish is meant to be served warm.

Thank you to Jonathan Cheung from Appetite For Books for inviting Janna Gur to your bookstore/cooking school for a demonstration session and for helping to make me a slightly less jittery cook, after too many cooking lessons to count.  Treat yourself and someone you love to a gourmet cooking lesson/experience at  Appetite For Books.