I'm not a cook and I'm not a writer

[derien]

Last night I made eggplant and chicken parm, and the eggplant part of it was nearly inedible, but we marked it as a qualified success because eor thinks we know what went wrong and can make it work better next time. I didn't know that the salt was for drawing out the bitter taste in the seeds, so I didn't let it sit long enough (and I started cooking way too late to let it sit for two hours). The site I had consulted said it was for drawing out the water, and I was like, "There's not that much water, I'll just press them between paper towels a few times. And if the salt is for drawing out the water than I shouldn't rinse it off. Damn I want to rinse it off, this is going to be soooo salty." And it was. Salty and bitter, and it reminds me of the worst kind of fish.

I finally got my brother's birthday boxes compiled, and a letter written to Hawk. Was going to do Eightball's today, but I laid in bed (thinking about a Mike/Psmith story) for way too long this morning. (And didn't get up and write it. I should have, but didn't want to wake eor.)

I should not be veering off onto thinking about a Mike/Psmith story, I haven't even written Chapter Eight of "Swept Away," which was due at the beginning of this month, and if I'm writing anything else it should be a short Heinlein-style story for this contest. Needs to be fewer than 15,000 words. That's like five of my "Swept Away" chapters. Not much, really, to present a universe that sounds complete, and I need to try to tell a punchy adventure story. That's ... oh god, I'm not ready for this. I can't do it!

Comments

[lifeofmendel.livejournal.com]

where'd ya find the recipe?

[dances-withcats.livejournal.com]

Hmm, that's strange. I've made eggplant parmesan and never had a problem with overly bitter eggplant, even without the salt to suck out the bitterness. I peel the skin off, and I'll sauté or bread and fry (if I'm feeling decadent) the eggplant to a state of done-ness before I put it in with the sauce and cheese and bake it.

Most every vegetable that's overgrown or artificially ripened has some residual bitterness, though. It's hard to find good eggplant at the supermarket.

[derien.livejournal.com]

where'd ya find the recipe?

I don't actually know. I googled and took the first hit. Stupid of me; I should have done a little research.

*googles* It was this one (http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000220eggplant_parmesan.php). You notice they say "the trick is to get the excess water out," and that it never says to rinse the salt off.

[derien.livejournal.com]

I got it from the farmer's market, I think it was organic and all, so I guess I shouldn't have done the salting step at all! Does it normally taste something like fish?

[lifeofmendel.livejournal.com]

yeah, the recipe is a little confusing. eggplant is hardly my specialty, but my ex-gf cooks a mean eggplant parmesan. i'll ask her about it and see what she says about the recipe and about the idea of moisture releasing and salt and such.

[kryptyd.livejournal.com]

Don't feel bad. Aubergines are quite difficult to cook. I've had a few disasters with them myself!

[derien.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! Some people make it sound so easy!