BABA GHANOUSH -- A GREAT APPETIZER!

It's hard to imagine now, that at my age I had heard of, but never eaten, Baba Ghanoush.   I knew it was a famous Greek dish, but wasn't sure what was in it.  It surely didn't sound like anything I'd be interested in, and it wasn't high on my priority list of things to try.

All that changed when we ate at Chef Pia's Washington restaurant recently.  Pia had a plate of Greek specialties brought to our table, and Baba Ghanoush was on the plate.  "What is it?" I asked her.  She told me it was eggplant, cooked and mashed, then mixed with tahini, garlic and lemon.  Okay, I thought, I like all those ingredients, I'll give it a try.  And just like that I became a devotee of Baba Ghanoush.  I'm buying eggplant all the time now and eating this wonderful dip with whole grain crackers, though at Chef Pia's it was served with crispy pita sticks.  Of course, I'm wondering why I wasted so many years that could have been spent enjoying eggplant in this new way.

One thing I must mention:  eggplant is hard for me to digest because of the seemingly millions of tiny seeds.  I think there are more seeds in eggplant than flesh.  But after I roasted my eggplant, it was easy to separate the seeds and pull them out.  This produced a Baba Ghanoush that was easy to digest and so enjoyable.  It will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks, at least mine did with no trouble.  And now I'm  off to roast another eggplant.

Baba Ghanoush
Adapted from allrecipes.com
Rating:  10 out of 10
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INGREDIENTS:
1 eggplant, medium-large
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup tahini (toasted ground sesame seeds)
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1-1/2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Heat oven or gas grill to 400F.  If using oven, place parchment paper on a baking sheet.  Pierce eggplant all around with fork, then place on baking sheet or onto grill over unlit burner.  Cook 30-40 minutes,or till soft, turning occasionally.  Remove from heat and place into large bowl of cold water.  Transfer to cutting board and peel skin off.  Cut eggplant into sections and remove as many of the seeds as you can.  They should peel off in strips.

In work bowl of food processor, combine eggplant pulp, lemon juice, tahini, sesame seeds, and garlic.  Pulse till  smooth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Drizzle with olive oil and pulse again till combined.  Transfer to bowl; refrigerate 3 hours before serving.  Serve with toasted pita bread strips, whole grain crackers or veggies.

GRILLED SPICY CORVINA WITH CHIPOTLE RANCH SAUCE

Sometimes I love living in a small town and sometimes I don't.  The don't is when I go to shop.  How I'd love to be able to shop at Whole Foods, Fresh Market or Trader Joe's on a weekly basis.  New Bern's only salvation is Harris Teeter.  Without Harris Teeter, I'd be totally miserable and wanting to move.  I can find most of what I need there, with only occasional trips to Greenville or Wilmington for certain hard-to-find items.

Take, for instance, Harris Teeter's seafood department.  I can always get decent salmon, or other fish, there.  When it's frozen, Harris Teeter thaws it daily and sells so much of it that you always get a freshly thawed piece.  When it's fresh, the fish moves quickly because of the volume of customers, so it's usually good tasting.  Recently, they had fresh Corvina, from Suriname (a small country bordering the Atlantic Ocean in northern South America).  I had never heard of Corvina, let alone tasted it, but decided to be adventurous.

Corvina, it turns out, is a mild, firm white fish similar to sea bass.  A spicy marinade and sauce gave the fish some flavor, and I found it so enjoyable I actually went to bed thinking about it, how I wanted more of it.
It was quick and easy to prepare -- I just grilled it after a brief marinade.

If you come across Corvina, be sure to try this recipe.  But, if Corvina doesn't show up on your radar screen, you can use any mild white fish  (cod, grouper, tilapia....).  This recipe will not make the fish so hot that your throat will burn.  It will just give you some nice mouth heat, sufficient to wake up the flavors.

Grilled Spicy Corvina with Chipotle Ranch Sauce
Bear Rating:  10 out of 10

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MARINADE:
4 Tbsp. mild olive or vegetable oil
4 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1-1/2 tsp. chili powder (I used McCormick Hot Mexican-Style Chili Powder)
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1 garlic clove, minced or grated (about 1/2 tsp.)
1/4 tsp. sea salt

FISH:  1 lb. mild, firm white fish (Corvina, cod, grouper, tilapia.....)


SAUCE:
1/4 cup bottled ranch dressing
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce

In plastic resealable bag, combine all marinade ingredients; seal bag; massage to mix.  Add fish; marinate 1/2 hour or up to 1 hour.  While fish is marinating, prepare sauce.  Combine sauce ingredients in small bowl; refrigerate.

Heat gas grill to medium-hot (about 400F).  Clean grates with brush; oil well with folded paper towel soaked in vegetable oil.  Grill fish 3-4 minutes per side, or till fish flakes easily with fork.  Serve with sauce.

Yield:  2-3 servings  (Note:  Leftovers are delicious cold on a salad or alone, and can also be reheated gently in a small pan.)

PERSIMMONS WATERFRONT RESTAURANT

There is a growing movement throughout the country towards sustainable farming, and East Carolina has been infiltrated.  Rainbow Meadow Farms and Nooherooka Natural, both in Snow Hill, raise grass-fed, antibiotic- and hormone-free livestock.  Besides selling to the public at our local farmer’s market, both farms supply some area restaurants.  One of these restaurants is Persimmons, 100 Pollock Street.  Persimmons also uses local produce when available and wild-caught Alaskan salmon, instead of the farm-raised salmon served in other restaurants.  

What I particularly like about this newcomer is the relaxed boating atmosphere.  Dress to the nines for a special night out or “come as you are.”  Sit outside in the open air, or stay inside.  The menu is reflective of that same casual eclectic philosophy.  Order from the deckside  menu or flip the page and order from the dinner menu.  In other words, have a sandwich or small plate or go for the whole tamale.  And if you’re really not too hungry, you can even order a half salad, which is plenty big.  

The food has an edge.  You’ll start off with a basket of warm rustic rolls served with Pulagra (European) butter.  Tired of the same old salad dressing?  Try Chef Fong’s roasted tomato dressing.  I had a half salad ($3) with salmon ($5.95) and ordered black bean salsa on the side ($3).  The salmon was crunchy, flavorful and cooked perfectly.  

The salsa was served warm and was the best I’ve had anywhere. 

Hubby had Carolina fish and chips ($9.95).

Don’t ignore the burgers here – they’re thick, juicy and flavorful with some new topping combos that will make you sit up and take notice.  On another visit, I had the Bear Burger, topped with Abbyvale cheddar cheese, fried green tomatoes and charred red onions ($8.95).  I chose a house salad for my side, and it was a good size.  Non-adventurous hubby asked for a plain cheeseburger with Yukon Gold fries.  Persimmons didn't have any white American cheese, so hubby settled for the Abbyvale cheddar.  I foresee more return trips to try the crab cake sandwich, beef satay, glazed chicken kabobs….heck, this deckside menu has so many interesting and reasonably priced items, we may never get to the dinner menu.  

Chef Fong, the owner, admits there are some issues to be worked out.  For instance, our burger buns were cold, and Guy’s fried flounder was overcooked and dry.  He’s appreciative of customer feedback, though, and is working to fix his problems.  Prices are very reasonable for the quality of the food, ambiance and view here.  If you eat inside, the restaurant is a bit on the dark side, but there are lots of windows with views of the Neuse.  

For best seating, you should reserve.  Do it online at www.persimmonsrestaurant.com or by phone, 
(252)514-0033.  Persimmons is open for lunch Tuesday – Saturday, 11:00am - 2:30pm.  
Dinner is served Wednesday – Sunday starting at 5:30pm.

CHAMPAGNE VINAIGRETTE

Pia's Restaurant has the most wonderful champagne vinaigrette.  I tasted it for the first time earlier this year when we dined at her New Bern restaurant, which, sadly, has closed.  (In its place is Jennifer and Sami's Bella Cucina, a wonderful Italian restaurant.)  So in love with this vinaigrette was I that I tested and tested to get the recipe down (Pia wouldn't give it to me).  We dined at her Washington restaurant recently, where I got to taste the vinaigrette again, this time made by her Washington chef.  His was sweeter, more emulsified and had less parsley.     My version of champagne vinaigrette is closer to Pia's New Bern version -- somewhat emulsified with lots of parsley and just slightly sweet.  

I love that there's lots of parsley in this dressing.  (Just in case you don't know, parsley is very good for you.  It contains vitamins A and C, iron, manganese, calcium, potassium and flavonoids that act as antioxidants.  Raw parsley is also a blood cleanser and helps to keep your blood from being sticky.)  Usually, I grow my own parsley, but this year's crop was disappointing, so I've been buying it.  My preference is for Italian flat-leaf parsley, because it has more flavor than the curly kind.  You can buy it at Wal-Mart for under a dollar a bunch, but I usually buy Harris Teeter's organic parsley.  

I experimented with different vinegars, paying as much as $10.00 a bottle for O citrus flavored champagne vinegar.  I even bought O lemon-infused olive oil.  The O vinegar and oil are both excellent, but I had good results with  HT Trader's white wine vinegar and Colavita extra-virgin olive oil, which are both more reasonably priced.  I'm sure plain champagne vinegar, which goes on sale periodically in Harris Teeter, will also make a great-tasting vinaigrette.  

*If you want to take this dressing to the next level, steep a crushed garlic clove and a thin slice of lemon rind (without the white pith) in 1/4 cup of good olive oil (like Colavita extra-virgin) for a day or two in the fridge; strain, discarding solids, and use some in this dressing.

If someone were to tell me a year ago that I would be almost addicted to a salad dressing that contained more parsley than oil and vinegar, I would't have believed them.  But it's true.  The flavor of this vinaigrette is so outstanding that I can't wait to eat my next salad.  Yes, it's a lot of chopping, but my hubby is keeping the knives sharpened, and I'm getting pretty good at cutting parsley into tiny pieces.  
Judy's Champagne Vinaigrette
Rating:  10 out of 10
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INGREDIENTS:  
1 Tbsp. champagne or good-quality white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt (or coarse kosher salt)
1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. honey
2-1/2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (I use Colavita)*
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh Italian-leaf parsley, preferably organic
In small bowl, whisk vinegar, salt, mustard and honey till smooth.  Slowly add the oil, continuing to whisk till emulsified.  Stir in parsley.  Pour dressing over salad, toss to combine.  Yield:  enough for one salad.
Alternate method:  Combine chopped parsley with salad ingredients.  Pour dressing over, toss to combine.

LEMONNY EDAMAME HUMMUS

Hummus is one of my favorite snacks, but edamame is something I've avoided.  Green soybeans just didn't sound appetizing to me.  But we recently ate at Chef Pia's in Washington, where the food was awesome.    Especially the edamame hummus.  So I bought a bag of frozen shelled edamame, then searched the internet for a recipe.  I found one at foodnetwork.com that sounded like it might work .  Just to be sure, I cut the recipe in half to test it.  The beans are already shelled and everything goes in the food processor, so this was a dream to make.  And delicious.  I added more lemon and tahini, reduced the water, increased the olive oil and parsley.  The end result was very close to what we had at Chef Pia's, except, maybe for the parsley.

Lemonny Edamame Hummus
Adapted half recipe from foodnetwork.com
Rating:  10 out of 10
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INGREDIENTS: 
1/4 lb. shelled edamame, frozen or fresh (about 3/4 cup)
3 Tbsp. tahini (roasted ground sesame seeds, find it in the peanut butter section)
1 Tbsp. water
3/4 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
2-1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, grated or minced
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt + extra salt for the water to boil the beans
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. ground coriander
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil + 1 Tbsp. for drizzling
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley

Boil the beans in salted water for 4-5 minutes.  Drain.  In a food processor (I used my mini), puree the edamame, tahini, water, lemon zest and juice, garlic, salt, cumin and coriander till smooth.  With the motor running, slowly drizzle in 2 Tbsp. of oil and mix until absorbed.  (If you can't keep a mini processor motor running, just add the oil, put your top back on and process.)  Transfer to a small bowl.  Stir in the parsley by hand.  If desired, drizzle with 1 Tbsp. oil or sprinkle top with extra chopped parsley.  Serve with veggies (cucumbers, celery, carrots), toasted pita bread or crackers.  Makes about 2/3 cup.  (The hummus tastes better after it "cures" in the fridge for a few hours.)

PIMIENTO-PECAN CHEESE SPREAD CROSTINI

Before we moved to New Bern, I had never even heard of pimiento cheese spread.  The first time I saw it, I thought, "Who would eat a sandwich of this stuff?"  Boy was I wrong.  Pimiento cheese spread is totally addictive, and I am in love with it.  On crackers, on bread, with celery, or as a topping for a burger, I make it often now and keep it on hand for snacks.

Here is yet another use for this marvelous spread:  make a delicious appetizer.  Toasted French bread topped with cheese spread and roasted red peppers can be served as is or can be placed in the oven for just a few minutes.  Either way, everyone loves this crostini.

Pimiento-Pecan Cheese Spread Crostini
Source:  The Bear Cupboard
Rating:  9.5 out of 10
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For Pimiento-Pecan Cheese Spread:
3/4 cup toasted chopped pecans
1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, or Neufchatel cheese, softened
2-1/4 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup mayonnaise
4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese with jalapenos, grated using large holes of box grater
1/2 tsp. Louisiana pepper sauce
1 (10 oz.) pkg. good-quality aged cheddar cheese, grated using large holes of box grater
1 (4 oz.) jar diced pimientos with juice
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

For Crostini:
1 baguette, sliced
1 jar roasted red peppers, sliced in thin strips

Prepare pimiento-pecan cheese spread:  In work bowl of food processor, pulse pecans till finely chopped.  Transfer to medium bowl.  Combine cream cheese, garlic, mayonnaise and Monterey Jack cheese in work bowl; pulse till smooth; transfer to bowl with pecans.  With spatula, stir in cheddar cheese, pimientos and parsley*.  Refrigerate.

Prepare crostini:  Heat oven to 400F.  Place baguette slices on baking sheet and toast till crisp, about 5 minutes each side.  Spoon some cheese spread on each baguette, then top with some roasted red pepper strips.  Serve immediately, or place back in oven for about 5 minutes to just warm the cheese.  Enjoy!

*Please be sure to add the parsley last.  Otherwise, you might get green cheese spread, as I did the first time I made this.

A NEW "CAKERY" IN NEW BERN

Laura Oleniacz of the Sun Journal recently wrote about the grand opening of Say It With Cake, 1906 Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd. (across from Piggly Wiggly).  I was excited about the grand opening because the owner of the new shop, Angela Scamordella, said her store aims to be "super trendy, super modern, and hip."  Wow.  In little New Bern?  Visions of Southern red velvet cupcakes with vanilla cream cheese frosting made with vanilla beans, cupcakes made and iced with super-fruit puree or topped with fresh fruit, and not-so-sweet frosting danced in my head.  And I fully expected to see even more exotic flavor combos.  After all, bakeries in New Bern are abundant and to start a new one and keep it alive, one should have something to entice customers to come in, buy something and return to make more purchases.  To open a bakery with the same type of product that anyone can get while they are grocery shopping at Food Lion, Wal-Mart or Harris Teeter would almost ensure failure.  Yet, that's exactly what I found here.

Angela and her mom work together at the shop, and they seem to be a good team.  Inventory on hand is light,  without much variety.  The chocolate cupcakes are unexceptional with typical bakery-type sugary icing with no real flavor.  Angela informed me it's buttercream frosting.  The carrot cake is pretty good, topped with cream cheese icing that, again, is very sugary with not much flavor.  Cookies were wrapped in plastic wrap, not available for sampling.  A wall blackboard provides prices.

Angela told me this is not a bakery, but a "cakery."  Her forte seems to be cake decorating.  When I questioned her on what is "hip" about this place, she replied it was the wallpaper.

My sincere best wishes to Angela and her mom for a successful business venture.  I do hope they have a solid 5-year business plan in place to guide them and that they are well connected with friends, neighbors and relatives who can give them lots of business.