It has been way too long since my last post. I’ve been busy designing a data model and writing a formal functional workflow document for this past week. It is about as exciting as watching paint dry. With the world turning brown with our warm winter, the world outside inspires towards indoor activities; and leaving not much inspiration for blog posts.

In addition, I am reaching the end of the contents of my refrigerator. In the bottom, I found two fantastic Chinese eggplant that I had picked up when I made Pho a few weeks ago. I had more ambitious goals for these, such as putting them in a Thai soup of some sort, but determined that if they did not get consumed quickly they would start to go bad. The beginnings of fungus had already starting forming on the top. It was time to cook, or toss.

So I thought what better quick use for eggplant, as the star of a dish than Baba Ganoush! A Mediterranean classic, I just happened to already have the ingredients on hand and ready to go.

Those ingredients include pretty much 5 things. Eggplant, garlic, oil, tahini, and lemon (and salt). Pretty frickin simple.

The first step is that you have to get everything cooked really well. I put the oiled-and-salted eggplant in the oven (with the garlic) for about an hour-and-a-half at 325 degrees. I didn’t want them to dry out, but eggplant has to cook all the way through. If not cooked long enough it leaves the meat too firm and the skin tough. Cooked too high and it turns crispy.

Roasted garlic in the skin ends up being a mess. I need a better technique I think.

After a long time in the oven, hit it with the hand mixer. It really renders down, so you probably want to use more than two.

You don’t want to add the oil too early, as the goal isn’t emulsification. Once it is mixed, add in a spoonful of tahini, a few splashes of lemon, and enough oil to cover the top. Finish with a quick stir with a spoon.

It’s not the most appealing looking dish in the world, but for taste the end product was fantastic. Two skinny eggplants ended up being just enough to make a great lunch for one.

I’m really glad those didn’t go to waste. There is little I hate more than wasting food.