Blueberry Crisp

Blueberry season has finally arrived. While I have yet to find the time to go blueberry picking, my favorite fruit stand and grocery store are, for the time being, my go to sources for fresh blueberries. Whether or not my locally grown blueberries really taste better than those grown in other states (or even other countries), I have convinced myself there is a difference. With the exception of a blueberry cobbler, I cannot think of a single dessert calling for blueberries that I do not like. As much as I love blueberry muffins, blueberry lemon pound cake, blueberry pie and blueberry jam, my favorite recipe using blueberries is a blueberry crisp. There is just something so satisfying about the flavor combination of the warm baked blueberries and the sweet, crunch crisp topping (oh yes, along with some great vanilla ice cream) making it one of my favorite desserts to make year round. But particularly in the summer when the blueberries are at their peak.

Years ago I found a Blueberry Crisp recipe in a Yankee magazine, in the days when this magazine was the size of a Reader's Digest (I am most likely dating myself with this reference). My recollection had the recipe using Maine blueberries (which are smaller and also incredibly delicious) created by someone in Maine. In addition to lobster and lobster rolls, Maine is a state known for its' blueberries (I have been known to drive more than 2 hours to get a lobster roll in Maine, there is a sweetness to the lobster there that makes it drive worthy, but this isn't a posting about lobsters, its' about blueberries). Before making this crisp the first time, I had a pretty good feeling that someone in Maine knew how to make an amazing Blueberry Crisp.

Because whoever created this recipe put together the perfect balance of flavors.  How do I know this? Well I had lost the recipe once and tried another blueberry crisp recipe and it did not come anywhere close to the flavor and texture of the recipe I found in Yankee magazine.

It all begins with fresh blueberries. Or a combination of blueberries and blackberries. And at the moment I am not compelled to drive to Maine for fresh blueberries (although the thought has crossed my mind), as where I live here are several blueberry farms.

The blueberries are mixed with the juice and zest of one lemon, 4 Tablespoons of flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, the kosher salt, and a rounded 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. Once mixed, they are poured into a round or rectangular ceramic or glass dish (you can use a ten inch round, a 9" x 12" rectangular or medium sized oval dish).

In a food processor you will first combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and half of the rolled oats. Ten tablespoons of cold butter that has been cut into small pieces is then added. Pulse the mixture until it is damp crumbly. Pour into another bowl and mix in remaining oats. I like to see and taste the oats in my crisp so I don't process all of them in the food processor. This is an added step, one definitely worth taking.

The crisp topping is equally distributed over the top of the blueberry mixture. Feel free to sprinkle a few more oats on top (about another tablespoon).

Baked in the middle of a pre-heated 400 degree (F) oven, baking time will range from 30-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let the crisp rest for at least 10-15 minutes if serving immediately. I generally make the crisp a few hours before serving, so its' slightly warmer than room temperature.

The golden brown topping has great flavor and a great crunch. The texture of the lemony blueberries and the crisp topping is beyond perfect. I always serve the crisp with some vanilla ice cream, but this crisp is delicious all on its' own. For those of you who are a crisp purists, you might consider skipping the addition of the vanilla ice cream, but I would urge you to give the ice cream a chance here. I think it elevates this crisp into something even more wicked.

Recipe

Blueberry Crisp (more than a slight adaptation to a recipe published in Yankee Magazine ages ago)

Updated Recipe (May 2020)

Ingredients

3 pints (992g or 36 ounces) or 6 cups of fresh blueberries (or 5 cups blueberries and 1 cup blackberries)

1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

Juice and finely grated zest of 1 small lemon 

4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 rounded teaspoon cinnamon (recommend using Saigon cinnamon)

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour

1 cup (200 g) packed light brown sugar

1 cup (100 g) rolled oats plus 2 Tablespoons, divided

1/2 rounded teaspoon cinnamon (recommend using Saigon cinnamon)

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

11 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces

Vanilla Ice Cream for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).  Generously butter a 9" x 12" ceramic or glass baking dish or 10 inch round ceramic baking dish.

2. In a large bowl, mix the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, flour, kosher salt, and cinnamon. Pour mixed berries into prepared dish and set aside.

3. Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and half of the oats in a food processor.

4. Add butter and pulse repeatedly until mixture is clumpy, like damp crumbs.

5. Pour mixture into a bowl and mix in the remaining oats.

6. Spread crumbs evenly over the blueberry mixture.

7. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly hot. Remove from oven. Let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

8. Serve warm or at room temperature.

9. Serve with the best vanilla ice cream you can find (if you live on the east coast, highly recommended Bliss vanilla)

Notes: (1) If you like a crunchier crisp topping use 12 Tablespoons instead of 11 Tablespoons of unsalted butter. (2) You can easily cut this recipe in half. Use a smaller baking dish. Baking time will be the same. (3) A small lemon will give you between one and two tablespoons of lemon juice. If using a large lemon, you will not want to use all of the lemon juice as it could make your blueberry crisp a little more lemony than you might like.

If summer had to be described in one color, for me it would be the color blue. Blue skies, the ocean, hydrangeas, and blueberries are just some of the things that make this season my second favorite (fall still ranks as my most favorite season). And if there could only be two seasons a year, my choices would be summer and fall. Both are so bountiful and beautiful on so many different levels. Having a Little House on the Prairie winter experience this year (three days without power in house with one fireplace, electric heat and a well), I think I could be good only looking at snow on the tops of mountains for at least a year. Maybe if I put some distance between my memory of this harsh winter and snow, I will go back to embracing winter again someday. 

But for now, I need to just focus on savoring summer without looking ahead or looking back. There is much to be said about the concept of living in the moment (sometimes easier said than done). Have you ever just finished eating breakfast and someone says 'so what's for lunch, what's for dinner?' Or have you ever been in the company of someone you absolutely love spending time with and all you can think about is when the next time you get together? Or have you just had a perfect moment and interrupt it with wondering how long it will last? I had a friend once who would say to me (when all of these not living in the moment thoughts would come into my head) 'breathe, just breathe'. Sometimes we aren't able to listen to the advice others give us 'in the moment'. Sometimes it takes awhile for this advice to set in.  So for me on days when it all seems just right, I remind myself to 'just breathe' trying not to think about what's coming next, trying only to enjoy the moment. And even on days when things  aren't going as well, the words 'just breathe' help me get through those moments.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Toasted Pecans and Avocado

I had been whining earlier in the week as July began here with gray skies and rain. But it turned out this whining was much ado about nothing as by mid-week the sun and blue skies returned along with some pretty warm temperatures. Living near the water means the temperature can be slightly cooler and then there is always the breeze coming off the ocean that makes warm sunny days comfortable. But warm is warm and hot is hot, no matter how one tries to rationalize it. So why I decided to heat up the oven (in the unair-conditioned house) to roast pecans and brussel sprouts is probably a little odd, but I had been wanting to make Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Toasted Pecans and Avocado recipe ever since I came upon it and didn't want to wait much longer.

The combination of flavors and textures in this dish was not like anything I had tasted before. The combination of the toasted pecans, roasted brussel sprouts and creamy avocado takes brussel sprouts to quite a delicious level (for those of you who are rather nonchalant or even indifferent to brussel sprouts, this roasted version might help you change your mind about them). 

But to be honest here, I thought this dish was even more flavorful when it came to room temperature rather than it was still very warm. So I don't think I will serve it 'warm or hot' the next time I make it. For me, this would be a perfect dish to serve with chicken or a grilled flank steak in any season regardless of the temperature outside.

Toasting pecans in the oven transforms them, making them even more flavorful. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of pecan halves but I didn't think that was enough in comparison with the amount of brussel sprouts the recipe called for, so I increased them to 3/4 cup. In a pre-heated oven, the pecans are toasted at 400 degrees for five minutes. Once cooled, they are coarsely chopped.

I had found some beautiful brussel sprouts in the grocery store. My little store in town always has perfectly ripe avocados and I always have a wide variety of nuts in the house, so the warm weather was not going to prevent these ingredients from coming together. And hey, it's summer, warmth is a good thing, it's what we endure the winter for, right?

After trimming the ends of the brussel sprouts, they are first blanched in lightly salted boiling water for about three minute or until they are bright green in color. After they are drained, you lightly pat them dry and then cut them in half.

Placed on either one or two large baking sheets (I used one) the brussel sprouts are tossed with a 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil and seasoned generously with salt and pepper. They are baked at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until they are just tender and nicely browned on the bottom. If you have enough room for all of the brussel sprouts, roast in the top or bottom third of the oven. If you divide them between two baking sheets place one on the top third rack and the other on the bottom third rack, rotating them halfway through the baking time.

Until seeing this recipe I would have never thought to add avocado to any roasted vegetable. Guess my culinary creativity or inventiveness needs some work! I love being able to buy a ripe avocado as opposed to buying the ones where you have to wait a few days before they ripe. I am an instant avocado gratification kind of girl.

The roasted brussel sprouts are transferred to a large bowl and tossed with the chopped avocado, thyme and pecans. After again seasoning with salt and pepper, you drizzle the mixture with 2 to 3 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately or allow to come to room temperature (you can taste them warm, but I also want you to taste them room temperature to decide for yourself which way or ways you like them). 

For those of you who like goat cheese, you can consider adding goat cheese crumbles to the top of this dish as that would add yet another flavor and texture. I wouldn't say I am goat cheese crazy, but anytime I can add goat cheese, I will (scrambled eggs with goat cheese and roasted asparagus with goat cheese are two of my favorites). 

Recipe

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Toasted Pecans and Avocado (slightly variation to the recipe created by Jean-Georges Vongerichten)

Ingredients

3/4 cups pecan halves( toasted and then coarsely chopped)

2 1/2 pounds brussel sprouts

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large avocado (cut into 1/2 inch dice)

1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme

2 - 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Spread the pecan halves on a cookie sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Let cool and then very coarsely chop.

3. Blanch the brussel sprouts in lightly salted boiling water for 3 minutes or until bright green. Drain, pat dry and half in half.

4. Using either one or two large baking sheets, toss the brussel sprouts with the extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place brussel sprouts cut side down before putting in the 400 degree oven. Bake in the upper and/or lower third of the oven (if using two baking pans) for 20 minutes or until just tender and nicely browned on the bottom.

5. In a large serving bowl, toss the brussel sprouts with the pecans, avoado and thyme. Season to taste with salt and  pepper.

6. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and serve. Recommend allowing the dish to sit for 20 to 30 minutes before serving as the flavors are even more enhanced. 

There are a few things that can make for a great start to holiday that don't involve food. One of these would be going to an antique show where almost everything on display is from the time period I love (early 1800s to mid-1800s). Even better, it would be going to antique show less than 10 minutes from where I live, taking it all in, finding a few treasures and then still being able to get to the beach (before the beach parking lot is closed). This would have been the start of this year's 4th of July. In my world, this was as perfect as a start as I could have imagined (other than having my family and friends with me on this day). 

I find it great fun to take photos of the things I come across at antique shows, sometimes because they are interesting or unusual or sometimes because it might be something I am thinking about buying (every now and then I show restraint, sometimes with regret). So I was surprised when one of the antique dealers would not let me take a photo of an item in their booth (maybe I shouldn't have asked permission). The piece I couldn't photo was a memory jug (jugs that have been decorated with broken pieces of glass, china, trinkets or even shells.) While I have neither the time, talent nor inclination to 'replicate' such a piece (the reason the dealers didn't want the item photographed, fear of reproduction), it was one of those pieces that fell into the category of interesting and possibly own worthy. For a moment I thought I would tell the dealers I had a photographic memory, but then I wasn't sure how well that would have been received (wicked or weird or both could have been the impression I would have made, but thankfully I chose to keep my wicked and sometimes weird sense of humor to myself). Without an actual photo, I will just rely on the mental picture I took of the memory jug (as it was quite interesting).  Fortunately all was not lost and I have been able to visually enjoy the 'couldn't live without couple of treasures' I did find at the antique show. Keeping my thoughts to myself turned out to be my experience of showing restraint for the day. 

Strawberries Romanoff

Native strawberries are still available at the farm stands and roadside tables here. Wouldn't it be great if these were available all summer long and strawberry season lasted well into September? As I passed one of the roadside tables on my to the grocery store yesterday I thought I would pick up a pint or two of strawberries on my way back home. But the quick trip to the grocery store turned out to be not so quick (decided to make a few other stops along the way). Not surprisingly, the roadside stand had sold out of their strawberries for the day (yes, the early bird does get the worm or, in this case, the strawberries). But today was a new day and after an early morning walk on the beach, I headed to the roadside table to pick up some strawberries. I was in luck, or rather I was there early enough to pick up some beautifully ripe (not overripe) native strawberries.

As a kid I would never eat strawberry ice cream so I find it odd how much I now like the taste of strawberry (or actually the taste of fresh strawberries). For me strawberries are great all on their own, strawberries with whipped cream and a little sugar are great as well, strawberries with sour cream can be pretty darn great, but strawberries with whipped cream, sour cream, sugar, a little mint and some Kirsch, well this would be taking greatness to a new level. But actually, this is an old level, an 1820's level as these would be the ingredients for Strawberries Romanoff. Why was I so surprised to learn that such deliciousness was created more than 190 years ago for Czar Alexander I (of the House of Romanoff) and is a recipe (a rather simple one) that continues to bring joy to our palates today? Considering so many recipes are actually centuries years old, I guess I shouldn't have been.

I have been known to buy many kitchen tools, but the strawberry huller is one that I have not been lulled into buying as I think a knife works perfectly. When hulling strawberries, I like to make a V-cut near the stem of the strawberry. Once the stems are removed, larger berries are then cut into thirds and smaller berries cut in half. 

A quarter cup of Kirsch is poured over the strawberries and then very lightly mashed (I would call it more of a pressing lightly than actually mashing) with the back of a wooden spoon to help to release their juices. You can keep the berries whole, however, I think cutting them makes the eating of this dessert so much easier when you are able to take in bite sized pieces of the berries. A quarter cup of organic cane sugar and a small handful of fresh mint leaves (I used about 12-14 leaves) are then mixed into the berries. I didn't have Demerara sugar so I used organic cane sugar instead, and I was very happy with the results.

After the Kirsch, sugar and mint are all mixed with the strawberries, set aside to mascerate for 20 to 30 minutes (this is done at room temperature).

One cup of whipping cream, one tablespoon of white sugar and one third cup of sour cream are mixed in medium sized bowl using either a hand mixer or whisk and whipped until light, soft peaks form. 

After the berries have been allowed to mascerate for 20-30 minutes and the whipped cream mixture is ready, you begin to layer them in clear glasses or in a glass bowl. The layers are so beautiful that you will definitely want to serve the Strawberries Romanoff in clear glass, to serve in a bowl you can't see through would be like having to eat with your eyes closed.

Recipe

Strawberries Romanoff (inspired by the recipe created by The Canal House)

Ingredients

1 generous quart of fresh strawberries (for a yield of 4 cups of strawberries)

1/ 4 cup of Kirsch or Kirschwasser

1/4 cup of Organic Cane or Demerara sugar

Handful of fresh mint leaves (12-14 leaves)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Hull strawberries. Cut larger ones in thirds and smaller ones in half.

2. Pour 1/4 cup of Kirsch over berries and very gently mash to release juices (you still want the berries to retain their shape).

3. Mix in 1/4 cup Organic Cane or Demerara sugar and handful of mint leaves. Allow berries to mascerate for 20-30 minutes.

4. In a medium sized mixing bowl, begin whipping the cream until slightly thickened. Add the sugar and sour cream and continue mixing until soft peaks form.

5. Beginning with the berries and some of their juices, layer the berries and cream in glasses or in a bowl. Each glass should have two layers of each. Top with fresh mint leaves.

6. Chill covered or serve immediately.

It is hard to believe that we have entered the seventh month of the year. Time moves much to quickly or at least my perception of the rate of the movement of time has changed significantly as I have gotten older. As a kid, waiting for a friend to finish eating dinner seemed like an eternity (the actual wait when I was ten was about 20 minutes). And now as an adult, days feel like hours sometimes and the years, well the years feel like they went into warp speed years ago. 

The concept of savoring time is not one I have a great deal of experience with. My mind is usually racing and filled with all sorts of random, tangential thoughts (although for me they really aren't tangential because I can make connections between all of them). I have always found it a challenge to just chill and 'do nothing' for an hour or even several hours without feeling guilty that I should be doing something. 'Do nothing' for me means just laying on the beach without reading a book, just wandering around a bookstore browsing (not reading), giving myself permission to stay in bed on the weekends looking through magazines or cookbooks or just giving myself think time. But the time has come (no pun intended) for me give myself permission to just see relaxing as a good thing, a reenergizing thing. If relaxing for me can be just reading a book for a few hours without checking email/texts/Facebook/Twitter, then this would be monumental progress in how I use time. Who knows, maybe the days will feel just a little bit longer if I don't rush through them.

Donna's Eggplant Parmesan

With the exception of my father's coleslaw and turkey stuffing and my scrambled eggs and tuna salad unwritten recipes, I am generally someone who has always baked and cooked using a recipe, a written recipe that is. I rarely commit recipes to memory, even ones I make over and over again. Rather I commit to memory where I found the recipe (which has become more challenging over the years, not because my memory is going, but because I have too many cookbooks and cooking magazines to keep visually sorted in my head). So I am a little envious, more than a little actually, of those who cook without a recipe (unless of course I just think they are cooking without a recipe, when in fact, they have spent their time memorizing recipes making us all think they are cooking on the fly). But sometimes there are those family recipes, like my father's coleslaw and turkey stuffing, that don't have a recipe, and yet are made over and over again without anyone taking the time to write them down.

My best friend's Eggplant Parmesan recipe would be one of those family and not written down recipes. I am pretty certain I had never watched her make it, although I have listened to describe how she makes it and have eaten my share of it over the years. But making something you have only heard about and consumed is not the same as making it with a recipe. So I thought it might be time to take what I have learned about Eggplant Parmesan from her and convert it from a verbal to a written recipe. Now she wasn't here with me on the East coast when I made it, so I had to rely on palate to determine just how close I came in replicating her unwritten, family recipe. If I could be so bold (but not hubris), I think I came pretty darn close, not throw down ready close, but really close to (re)creating her Eggplant Parmesan recipe.

There has been a myth about eggplants perpetuated over the years, the myth being there are male and female eggplants. As this myth goes, male eggplants are less seedy, less bitter in their taste and have a round indentation (like an belly-button innie) on the bottom, while female eggplants have more seeds, are slightly bitter, and have a deeper line indentation on the bottom. Even though the myth is not technically true, there is a difference between eggplants. While I won't spend time going into the scientific explanation (interesting as it may be), you do want to look for the eggplants with the belly button innie bottoms when making Eggplant Parmesan. Very seedy eggplants will not hold up well to the frying process.

The eggplants are peeled and then thinly sliced. I started out using my mandoline to cut the eggplant, but because I had purchased the larger (and not the smaller Italian eggplants), I resorted to thinly slicing them with a knife. The thickness of the slices should be about an 1/8th inch. Once you have sliced all of eggplant, place on a platter lined with a paper towel and then cover with a slightly dampened paper towel while you getting ready to fry them.

This is a recipe where there is a fair amount of advance preparation. The marinara sauce needs to be made, the eggplant needs to be sliced, the eggs need to be lightly beaten, cheeses need to be grated, the flour lightly salted and peppered, and a paper bag needs to laid out on a large cutting board or counter. You make this labor (of love) process go so much easier if you do all of this preparation.

Remember this mantra "Flour first, egg second" as this is the process for getting the eggplant slices ready for frying. Each eggplant slice is dipped in the flour (both sides) and then shaken to remove the excess. Once dipped in flour, it is dipped in the lightly beaten eggs and also shaken to remove the excess before placed in the heated Crisco oil. For those of you wondering why Crisco instead of extra-virgin olive oil was used (the non-use of extra-virgin olive oil could be considered as some sort of Italian heresy), well it is because you don't want the flavor of the oil to overpower the flavor of the eggplant, the cheeses and the marinara sauce. And Crisco is a pretty flavorless oil that makes perfect lightly golden browned slices of eggplant.

Four pounds of eggplant sliced and fried turned out to be the perfect amount of eggplant for this recipe. There were enough slices (slightly overlapped) for creating five layers in this Eggplant Parmesan.

I used the whole milk mozzarella by Sargento, and of course, my favorite, Parmigiano-Regianno cheese for this recipe. The mozzarella would have been easier to grate if I would have just put it in the freezer for a little while, but there were so many decisions to made around the making of this recipe that I forgot to do this. So it took me a little while longer to grate the mozzarella. But hey, what's a few more minutes when you are investing this much time into the making of this Eggplant Parmesan (okay breathe and don't stop reading, if you remember yet another mantra 'all good things don't come easy, and most things easy aren't that good', then you too can be on your way to making this incredible dish for your family and friends).

You can make the marinara sauce the day before or the morning of, the choice is yours. I did it all in one day and it all worked, but the next time I will make the marinara sauce the day before to let its' flavor more fully develop.

In a 9" by 13" inch ceramic dish, place a thin layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of the pan. Then layer with the eggplant, the cheeses and another layer of marinara sauce. Repeat until you have created 4 to 5 layers. 

You will top with a final layer of the marinara sauce and then the cheeses. At this point you can cover and refrigerate until you are ready to bake. The Eggplant Parmesan can be made the day of or the day before (which I would strongly suggest so you can spend your time on other things on the day of your dinner party or family dinner).

If you bake the Eggplant Parmesan right away, it will bake for about 45 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree oven. If you bake it after it has been refrigerated, I would recommend baking for approximately 60 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree oven or until the top is lightly browned and the Eggplant Parmesan is heated through. Whenever I refrigerate a pre-made dish, I usually take it out of the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before putting it in the oven.  When finished baking, lightly covered with aluminum foil and let rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares. 

The Eggplant Parmesan can be a meal all by itself (with a salad and dessert of course) or it can be part of a meal or buffet (it is a great accompaniment to a roasted chicken). Whichever way you decide to serve it, I hope I haven't said anything (yet) to make you not want to make this absolutely delicious Eggplant Parmesan. I will let you know if I am ever brave enough to suggest to my best friend that we have a Eggplant Parmesan thrown down. She's been making this recipe for decades, so I think the throw down is more of a fantasy than of any in the foreseeable future reality as I think I am a little too competitive to lose (especially to my best friend).

Recipe

Eggplant Parmesan (inspired by my friend's Donna recipe)

Ingredients

4 pounds of eggplant (round bottom belly button innies), peeled and very thinly sliced or about 1/8 inch  thick

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

7 large eggs, lightly beaten

Crisco oil (for sautéing)

salt and pepper

1 pound whole milk mozzarella cheese, grated (not the freshly made cheese)

1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

One recipe of Homemade Salsa Marinara or Marinara Sauce

Directions

1. Line a large cutting board or counter with a large brown paper bag.

2. Add a thin layer of Crisco oil to a large heavy frying pan. At a medium temperature (on an electric stove) or medium flame (on a gas stove), heat oil.

3. Dip each slice of thinly sliced eggplant into flour (lightly seasoned with salt and pepper), shake off excess flour, dip in egg ensuring the slice is fully coated shaking off excess egg. Place eggplant slice in heated oil. Working quickly, add five or more slices of coated/dipped eggplant into the pan. 

4. When eggplant is lightly golden brown on one side (more than 30 seconds, less than a minute), turn and cook for approximately the same amount of time (or until the bottom is lightly browned).

5. Remove cooked eggplant and place on prepared brown paper bag to drain. (I gently placed a paper towel over the cooked eggplant to remove any excess oil.)

6. Continue frying until all eggplant slices are cooked.

7. On the bottom of a 9 by 13 baking pan, add a thin layer of marinara sauce. Layer a row of eggplant slices (slightly overlapping) followed by a sprinkling of the grated mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses and topped with another thin layer of marinara sauce. Repeat layering process until you have 4 to 5 layers. Top layer should be the marinara sauce and grated cheeses.

8. In a pre-heated 350 degree oven, bake Eggplant Parmesan for approximately 45 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through in the center. If assembling early in the day or the day before, bake the refrigerated Eggplant Parmesan for approximately 60 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through in the center.

9. Cover lightly with aluminum foil and let rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

10. Optional: Serve with additional freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and/or extra marinara sauce.

Today is the six month anniversary of the creation of this food blog. Not only has this been a bit of a risk-taking journey for me, it has been a learning one too. And probably, I have come to see saltedsugaredspiced as something more akin to a marathon than a sprint experience. For those of you who have run a marathon, you know how incredibly satisfying and exhilarating running 26.2 miles can be. And it doesn't matter whether you finish in less than four hours or more than five, the medal you get at the end is the same for everyone. What is not the same is that everyone's journey to the marathon experience is different. The motivation is different, the training process is sometimes different, the head games that run through your head might be the most different (and for me, running was more of a head game), and the pace can be different.

Figuring out the concept of pacing is probably my life's longest journey to date. Slow can be really good or it can be not so good. Fast too can be really good or it can be not so good. For me, my life needs to have both kinds of pacing in it (although I getting much to old to ever think that my running pace would ever, could ever be fast). As I look at the concept of pacing as it applies to all of the friendships and relationships in my life, many began sprint-like while most have evolved into something very marathon-like satisfying. So my pacing journey has been two-fold: in trying to figure out which pace(s) to be at (when and with who) as well as in finding the balance between my pace and that of others in my life. And when I have gotten it right, it feels almost the same as that incredibly euphoric zen-like state of 'running in the zone'. And what happens when you go off course and it's not right?  Well, that would depend on what or who it is. More importantly, it depends on if you are in it for the long run.