We reduced fat by coating the eggplant with egg whites instead of whole eggs and baking, rather than frying, the slices for a lighter version of this classic.
Sicilian caponata is similar to southern French ratatouille; both are stews of eggplant and other vegetables. And like ratatouille, caponata is served as a side dish with roast meat or grilled fish. To my taste, caponata is best on its own, served as a first course, or as an entree for lunch, with some lightly dressed greens on the side. Serve caponata at room temperature with roast meats, grilled fish, or with a green salad.
Here's an example of international cooking at its fastest and best: a speedy Asian take-out favorite given an update with the Italian sparkle of basil, garlic and lemon.
The fish stew uses fresh boneless cod simmered in a tomato and red wine broth. Chunks of potatoes help to give the stew some heft, while green olives, onions, and fresh herbs add depth. The meal begs for a loaf of crusty Italian bread.
Pappardelle [pah-pahr-DEHL-lay] is long, wide (5/8 inch) pasta often found in Italian markets. Fettuccine is a fine substitute.
Zabaglione is a light, foamy custard. In this elegant dessert, the warm Grand Marnier-spiked custard is spooned over fresh strawberries just before serving. yield: Makes 2 servings
I recently devoured a sugar snap pea and radish salad at Locanda Verde, a new restaurant in TriBeCa, that was so succulent and sprightly that I became more determined than ever to make sure my next haul was large enough to accommodate both prodigious snacking and salad. Inspired, I also picked up some radishes, which have a gentle bitterness that pairs well with the crisp sugariness of the peas. Locanda Verde’s chef, Andrew Carmellini, dressed his salad with two pestos, a Sicilian one made from sun-dried tomatoes, almonds and olive oil, and a regular basil pesto.
The Italian word frittata derives from fritto, the past participle of "to fry" (friggere), and was originally a general term for cooking eggs in a skillet, anywhere on the spectrum from fried egg, through conventional omelette, to an Italian version of the Spanish tortilla de patatas, made with fried potato. Outside Italy, frittata was seen as equivalent to "omelette" until at least the mid-1950s.