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The Kitchen

Every region has unique soils and climates that determine the tastes of an area's agricultural products. Great cooking elicits these flavors while remaining true to the region's agricultural heritage.

Chef Steffen Reinhard

I am American but I enjoy almost any ethnic cooking - Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Middle Eastern  cooking, etc. Here are some recipes of my favorite meals:

Baked Eggplant on Rice

Ingredients

One medium sized eggplant for each two persons.

Per eggplant:

4 medium roma tomatoes, 1 garlic clove, pine nuts, 1/2 medium sized white sweet onion, garam massala (a spice from India carried at spice shops), salt, 1 cup basmati rice, olive oil.

Preparation

1. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and scoop out the inside. Leave about 1/4 inch wall all around the eggplant half.

2. Dice the garlic and onion into small bits; saute in olive oil.

3. Dice the tomatoes. Fill the eggplant halves about half full.

4. Add the onion/garlic mixture on top of the tomatoes. Sprinkle liberally with pine nuts.

5. Spinkle on one teaspoon of garam massala per eggplant half, and salt to taste.

6. Add the rest of the tomatoes as a top layer, mounding above the eggplant.

7. Put in baking dish, cover.

8. Place in pre-heated 450 degree oven. Set timer for 60 minutes.

9. Check after 60 minutes. Eggplant should be starting to turn soft. Plan on another 15-30 minutes of baking time. When baked through, the eggplant will be soft and separate easily from the skins.

10. After checking eggplant first time, begin preparation of basmati rice. Rinse. For each cup of rice, bring two cups of water to a boil. Add rice. Basmati rice cooks fast. Check after 10 minutes. Remove from heat, keep covered and let sit for at least 5 minutes.

Serving

Spread a layer of rice on a plate. Lay the eggplant in the bed of rice. Chutney, chilled cucumber and plain yogurt make appropriate condiments to serve with this Heavenly Eggplant on a Cloud of Rice.

Broiled Portabella Mushrooms with Mango and Carrots

Ingredients

One 4-6 inch Portabella mushroom per person, one 26 oz. jar of mango slices in water-based syrup, whole baby carrots, peeled and washed olive oil, ground thyme fresh ground black pepper, ground Szeged paprika, and salt to taste.

Preparation

1. Marinade

Two hours before cooking, remove stems from mushrooms and lay caps gillside up in a shallow pan. Drain syrup from the mango slices and pour syrup over mushrooms, allowing syrup to flow into gills. Slice stems lengthwise and brush with mango marinade. Slices should be thick, not thin. Cover and let stand at cool temperature for two hours.

2. Move mushroom caps and stems to a flat roasting pan. Begin with gill side up (towards flame). Sprinkle with ground thyme. Broil for approximately six minutes, gills towards flame.

3. Remove mushrooms from broiler and turn. Quickly brush top of mushroom caps and stems with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with ground thyme. Grind black pepper over mushrooms. Sprinkle liberally with paprika. Return mushrooms to broiler, top of caps toward flame. Broil 6 minutes. (The broiling time will depend on the type of broiler used. These instructions assume an overhead, gas flame broiler with the mushrooms about four inches from the flame.)

4. While the mushroom broils, steam baby carrots to taste. If fats are not a problem, melt some butter, puree a slice of mango, work into melted butter and pour over carrots just prior to serving.

Serving

On a large platter, arrange the broiled Portabella mushrooms in the center. To one side, stack the steamed baby carrots. To the other side, lay the mango slices and serve.