Recipes, Redux

I've tried my hand at a few new recipes, courtesy of Epicurious.

Grilled Eggplant Parmigiana

Ingredients (4 servings):

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
• 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 ounce finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/4 cup)
• 4 small Italian eggplants (1/2 pound each)
• 16 thin slices whole-milk mozzarella (from a 1-lb block; not fresh)

Recipe:
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook garlic and red-pepper flakes, stirring, 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and salt and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil and parmesan.

Too Busy

Spring break was fun, although, as always, it was over too soon.

On Sunday, March 10th, a friend and I drove out to Hearst Castle and went on the tours there. Since I had never gone there, we went on the general tour first. Later, we went on a second tour, which covered the upper floors of the main building; this tour included the library and Hearst's study. Next, we drove down to Buellton, checked in at the hotel, and had dinner at the Hitching Post.

The next day, we went around to several different wineries. One winery offered a tour of the premises, and we bumped into a law school classmate (who my friend had classes with) and her family. Later, we took advantage of the picnic space at another winery, munching on some of the cheeses and meats which my friend had brought. We went back to the hotel in the afternoon. After taking a nap, we went out to dinner, had coffee, and played Trivial Pursuit.