I had a craving for it today for some reason. So I picked up an
eggplant and olives at the grocery store. I had other ingredients at
home, though I was too lazy to go downstairs for the capers.

I love this stuf; why have I never made it before? It's so easy.
It's a good thing I only bought one eggplant or I wouldn't be eating
anything else for a week.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

"Curly Sue" > wrote in message
...
>I had a craving for it today for some reason. So I picked up an
> eggplant and olives at the grocery store. I had other ingredients at
> home, though I was too lazy to go downstairs for the capers.
>
> I love this stuf; why have I never made it before? It's so easy.
> It's a good thing I only bought one eggplant or I wouldn't be eating
> anything else for a week.
>
> Sue(tm)
> Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

Oooh! I love caponata! Wanna share your recipe? I'm sure I could
find a lot of them through Googling, but yours sounds 'tried and
true' and would go to the head of my list.

Please?!

Paul in NH

"Curly Sue" > wrote in message
...
>I had a craving for it today for some reason. So I picked up an
> eggplant and olives at the grocery store. I had other ingredients at
> home, though I was too lazy to go downstairs for the capers.
>
> I love this stuf; why have I never made it before? It's so easy.
> It's a good thing I only bought one eggplant or I wouldn't be eating
> anything else for a week.
>
> Sue(tm)
> Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

Diced:
Eggplant
Tomato
Onion
Garlic
Olives
Celery

Tomato Sauce/paste
Olive Oil

What else do you use?

Fry, chill, eat on bread...................

Dimitri

On Fri, 12 Aug 2005 17:48:27 -0400, "Paul O'Neill"
> wrote:

>
>"Curly Sue" > wrote in message
...
>>I had a craving for it today for some reason. So I picked up an
>> eggplant and olives at the grocery store. I had other ingredients at
>> home, though I was too lazy to go downstairs for the capers.
>>
>> I love this stuf; why have I never made it before? It's so easy.
>> It's a good thing I only bought one eggplant or I wouldn't be eating
>> anything else for a week.
>>
>> Sue(tm)
>> Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!
>
>Oooh! I love caponata! Wanna share your recipe? I'm sure I could
>find a lot of them through Googling, but yours sounds 'tried and
>true' and would go to the head of my list.
>
>Please?!
>
>Paul in NH

My friend has a great recipe; unfortunately I couldn't find my copy.
So I googled and found this one by Rachel Ray, then modified as noted.
Proportions may be a bit different. It was very easy, just chop
everything, sweat the onions and garlic first, then add the rest and
simmer for about 20 min.

Caponata:
2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced (I used a green pepper)
1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 cup Kalamata black olives, pitted and chopped (I probably ended up
with 1/3 c; should have bought more)
1/2 cup golden raisins (I used 1/4 c black raisins)
1 medium firm eggplant, diced (I salted and let it drain a while, then
rinsed because the olives were salty)
Salt (didn't really need any)

The original recipe called for:
1 (32-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

But I used 3 diced Roma tomatoes instead. I didn't want it too
tomato-saucey. I also added a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar
and a glug of red wine just to see what would happen. They cooked
away, so it wasn't too acidic.

*******************************************
These ingredients were in the original recipe but I didn't include
them because I either forgot or didn't have them. I'll probably at
try capers the next time.

1 handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 cubanelle Italian long green pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup large green olives, pitted and chopped
1 (3-ounce) jar capers, drained
Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

On Fri, 12 Aug 2005 22:02:06 GMT, "Dimitri" >
wrote:

>
>"Curly Sue" > wrote in message
...
>>I had a craving for it today for some reason. So I picked up an
>> eggplant and olives at the grocery store. I had other ingredients at
>> home, though I was too lazy to go downstairs for the capers.
>>
>> I love this stuf; why have I never made it before? It's so easy.
>> It's a good thing I only bought one eggplant or I wouldn't be eating
>> anything else for a week.
>>
>> Sue(tm)
>> Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!
>
>Diced:
>Eggplant
>Tomato
>Onion
>Garlic
>Olives
>Celery
>
>Tomato Sauce/paste
>Olive Oil
>
>What else do you use?

Raisins are very interesting. I also saw a few recipes calling for
pine nuts, but I've never run across it that way. I might give it a
try sometime but I can't see that it needs it.

>Fry, chill, eat on bread...................

Fry, sample, chill what's left, eat on bread.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

Curly Sue wrote:

>>Diced:
>>Eggplant
>>Tomato
>>Onion
>>Garlic
>>Olives
>>Celery
>>
>>Tomato Sauce/paste
>>Olive Oil
>>
>>What else do you use?
>
> Raisins are very interesting. I also saw a few recipes calling for
> pine nuts, but I've never run across it that way. I might give it a
> try sometime but I can't see that it needs it.

If you add raisins, you should also add some red wine vinegar to act as a
counterpoint to the raisins' sweetness. You can also experiment with adding
various herbs to the mixtu Savory, tarragon, parsley, oregano, basil, or
marjoram would all go well.

Bob

"Curly Sue" > wrote in message
...
>I had a craving for it today for some reason. So I picked up an
> eggplant and olives at the grocery store. I had other ingredients at
> home, though I was too lazy to go downstairs for the capers.
>
> I love this stuf; why have I never made it before? It's so easy.
> It's a good thing I only bought one eggplant or I wouldn't be eating
> anything else for a week.
>
> Sue(tm)
> Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

Thanks to Curly Sue for posting her recipe, and to the others who added some
helpful tips!

Paul in NH

"Curly Sue" > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
>I had a craving for it today for some reason. So I picked up an
> eggplant and olives at the grocery store. I had other ingredients at
> home, though I was too lazy to go downstairs for the capers.

I hope you put inside also celery! I always make this dish in summer. I love
it.
Last summer I also canned caponata for the winter. Very good! You can use as
entrée or as a side dish.
Cheers
Pandora.
>
> I love this stuf; why have I never made it before? It's so easy.
> It's a good thing I only bought one eggplant or I wouldn't be eating
> anything else for a week.
>
> Sue(tm)
> Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

"Pandora" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Curly Sue" > ha scritto nel messaggio
> ...
>>I had a craving for it today for some reason. So I picked up an
>> eggplant and olives at the grocery store. I had other ingredients at
>> home, though I was too lazy to go downstairs for the capers.
>
> I hope you put inside also celery! I always make this dish in summer.
> I love it.
> Last summer I also canned caponata for the winter. Very good! You can
> use as entrée or as a side dish.

Will you share your recipe too please?

"Ophelia" > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
>
> "Pandora" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> "Curly Sue" > ha scritto nel messaggio
>> ...
>>>I had a craving for it today for some reason. So I picked up an
>>> eggplant and olives at the grocery store. I had other ingredients at
>>> home, though I was too lazy to go downstairs for the capers.
>>
>> I hope you put inside also celery! I always make this dish in summer. I
>> love it.
>> Last summer I also canned caponata for the winter. Very good! You can use
>> as entrée or as a side dish.
>
> Will you share your recipe too please?

Here is:
CAPONATA DI MELANZANE
for 4 persons
700 gr. of eggplants;
40 gr. green olives without stone;
1 tbs of capers;
1 tbs of of pine-seeds (very important to put inside the dish);
200 gr of mature "perini" tomatoes (without skin);
1 tbs of raisins (softened in cool water for some minutes);
1 tbs of sugar;
1/4 glass of red vinegar(or white, if you haven't the first one);
1 big onion;
4 white stalks of celery;
oil for the frying;
salt and pepper.
---------------------------------------------
Wash and dry the eggplants, then cut them in little cubes (about 3 cm).
Put them in a colander with some salt (with a weight over) and let them
there for about 1 hour. In this way they will loose the bitter water.
Then rinse out very quickly under the water tap. After having dried, fry the
eggplant's cubes in hot oil. When they become a little brown colored, keep
out with a strainer and put them on a blotting paper.
At this point cut the celery in pieces of about 2 cm and fry them in the
same oil of the eggplants till it become gold and crispy. Keep out with a
strainer and put the celery on the blotting paper, too.
Throw away almost all the oil used for the fryng ; in the remaining (and in
the same frying pan) brown the slices of onions and the cubes of tomatoes.
After about 10 minutes add 1 tbs full of sugar; the vinegar; the olives; the
capers; the pine-seeds; the wrung raisins; the fried eggplants and celery.
Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 7-10 minutes. You must eat when
it is cool, not very hot.
GOOD!!! Gnam Gnam and Yum Yum!
---------------------------------
This recipe (typical of Sicily) was given to me by a Sicily friend of mine
many years ago.
---------
If you want to can it. Put the ready caponata in glass jars and sterilized
for about 20 minutes. You have Caponata for the winter. It preserve for one
year and more.
Cheers and have a good meal
Pandora

>
>

"Pandora" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Ophelia" > ha scritto nel messaggio
> ...
>>
>> "Pandora" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>>
>>> "Curly Sue" > ha scritto nel messaggio
>>> ...
>>>>I had a craving for it today for some reason. So I picked up an
>>>> eggplant and olives at the grocery store. I had other ingredients at
>>>> home, though I was too lazy to go downstairs for the capers.
>>>
>>> I hope you put inside also celery! I always make this dish in summer. I
>>> love it.
>>> Last summer I also canned caponata for the winter. Very good! You can
>>> use as entrée or as a side dish.
>>
>> Will you share your recipe too please?
>
> Here is:
> CAPONATA DI MELANZANE
> for 4 persons
> 700 gr. of eggplants;
> 40 gr. green olives without stone;
> 1 tbs of capers;
> 1 tbs of of pine-seeds (very important to put inside the dish);
> 200 gr of mature "perini" tomatoes (without skin);
> 1 tbs of raisins (softened in cool water for some minutes);
> 1 tbs of sugar;
> 1/4 glass of red vinegar(or white, if you haven't the first one);
> 1 big onion;
> 4 white stalks of celery;
> oil for the frying;
> salt and pepper.
> ---------------------------------------------
> Wash and dry the eggplants, then cut them in little cubes (about 3 cm).
> Put them in a colander with some salt (with a weight over) and let them
> there for about 1 hour. In this way they will loose the bitter water.
> Then rinse out very quickly under the water tap. After having dried, fry
> the eggplant's cubes in hot oil. When they become a little brown colored,
> keep out with a strainer and put them on a blotting paper.
> At this point cut the celery in pieces of about 2 cm and fry them in the
> same oil of the eggplants till it become gold and crispy. Keep out with a
> strainer and put the celery on the blotting paper, too.
> Throw away almost all the oil used for the fryng ; in the remaining (and
> in the same frying pan) brown the slices of onions and the cubes of
> tomatoes.
> After about 10 minutes add 1 tbs full of sugar; the vinegar; the olives;
> the capers; the pine-seeds; the wrung raisins; the fried eggplants and
> celery. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 7-10 minutes. You must
> eat when it is cool, not very hot.
> GOOD!!! Gnam Gnam and Yum Yum!
> ---------------------------------
> This recipe (typical of Sicily) was given to me by a Sicily friend of mine
> many years ago.
> ---------
> If you want to can it. Put the ready caponata in glass jars and sterilized
> for about 20 minutes. You have Caponata for the winter. It preserve for
> one year and more.
> Cheers and have a good meal
> Pandora
>
Thank you Pandora for your recipe. Gnam Gnam! (Is this Italian for Yum
Yum? - so cute.)
What I like about this recipe other than it's looking soo good, is the fact
that it has the amount of eggplant in grams (it could be ounces as well, and
that would be as good), but receipes that say 1 eggplant leave me
confounded. The ingredients that would leave me confused (tomatoes and
green olives) as to the amount are specified herein.
Thank you,
Dee Dee

"Pandora" > wrote in message
...
> Cheers and have a good meal
> Pandora

Thank you Pandora)

O
>
>>
>>
>
>

"Dee Randall" > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
>
> "Pandora" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> "Ophelia" > ha scritto nel messaggio
>> ...
>>>
>>> "Pandora" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>>
>>>> "Curly Sue" > ha scritto nel messaggio
>>>> ...
>>>>>I had a craving for it today for some reason. So I picked up an
>>>>> eggplant and olives at the grocery store. I had other ingredients at
>>>>> home, though I was too lazy to go downstairs for the capers.
>>>>
>>>> I hope you put inside also celery! I always make this dish in summer. I
>>>> love it.
>>>> Last summer I also canned caponata for the winter. Very good! You can
>>>> use as entrée or as a side dish.
>>>
>>> Will you share your recipe too please?
>>
>> Here is:
>> CAPONATA DI MELANZANE
>> for 4 persons
>> 700 gr. of eggplants;
>> 40 gr. green olives without stone;
>> 1 tbs of capers;
>> 1 tbs of of pine-seeds (very important to put inside the dish);
>> 200 gr of mature "perini" tomatoes (without skin);
>> 1 tbs of raisins (softened in cool water for some minutes);
>> 1 tbs of sugar;
>> 1/4 glass of red vinegar(or white, if you haven't the first one);
>> 1 big onion;
>> 4 white stalks of celery;
>> oil for the frying;
>> salt and pepper.
>> ---------------------------------------------
>> Wash and dry the eggplants, then cut them in little cubes (about 3 cm).
>> Put them in a colander with some salt (with a weight over) and let them
>> there for about 1 hour. In this way they will loose the bitter water.
>> Then rinse out very quickly under the water tap. After having dried, fry
>> the eggplant's cubes in hot oil. When they become a little brown colored,
>> keep out with a strainer and put them on a blotting paper.
>> At this point cut the celery in pieces of about 2 cm and fry them in the
>> same oil of the eggplants till it become gold and crispy. Keep out with a
>> strainer and put the celery on the blotting paper, too.
>> Throw away almost all the oil used for the fryng ; in the remaining (and
>> in the same frying pan) brown the slices of onions and the cubes of
>> tomatoes.
>> After about 10 minutes add 1 tbs full of sugar; the vinegar; the olives;
>> the capers; the pine-seeds; the wrung raisins; the fried eggplants and
>> celery. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 7-10 minutes. You
>> must eat when it is cool, not very hot.
>> GOOD!!! Gnam Gnam and Yum Yum!
>> ---------------------------------
>> This recipe (typical of Sicily) was given to me by a Sicily friend of
>> mine many years ago.
>> ---------
>> If you want to can it. Put the ready caponata in glass jars and
>> sterilized for about 20 minutes. You have Caponata for the winter. It
>> preserve for one year and more.
>> Cheers and have a good meal
>> Pandora
>>
> Thank you Pandora for your recipe. Gnam Gnam! (Is this Italian for Yum
> Yum? - so cute.)

Yes, cute! I like your Yum Yum: it remember me Pippo (the friend of Micky
Mouse!

> What I like about this recipe other than it's looking soo good, is the
> fact that it has the amount of eggplant in grams (it could be ounces as
> well, and that would be as good), but receipes that say 1 eggplant leave
> me confounded.

Of course! An eggplant could weight also 2 kilos!!!!

The ingredients that would leave me confused (tomatoes and
> green olives) as to the amount are specified herein.
> Thank you,
> Dee Dee

You are welcome, Dee Dee. Thank you
cheers
Pandora
>
>
>

"Ophelia" > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
>
> "Pandora" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Cheers and have a good meal
>> Pandora
>
> Thank you Pandora)
>
> O

Thank you Ophelia!
Pandora
>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

Pandora shared:

> Here is:
> CAPONATA DI MELANZANE
> for 4 persons
> 700 gr. of eggplants;
> 40 gr. green olives without stone;
> 1 tbs of capers;
> 1 tbs of of pine-seeds (very important to put inside the dish);
> 200 gr of mature "perini" tomatoes (without skin);
> 1 tbs of raisins (softened in cool water for some minutes);
> 1 tbs of sugar;
> 1/4 glass of red vinegar(or white, if you haven't the first one);
> 1 big onion;
> 4 white stalks of celery;
> oil for the frying;
> salt and pepper.
> ---------------------------------------------
> Wash and dry the eggplants, then cut them in little cubes (about 3 cm).
> Put them in a colander with some salt (with a weight over) and let them
> there for about 1 hour. In this way they will loose the bitter water.
> Then rinse out very quickly under the water tap. After having dried, fry
> the eggplant's cubes in hot oil. When they become a little brown colored,
> keep out with a strainer and put them on a blotting paper.
> At this point cut the celery in pieces of about 2 cm and fry them in the
> same oil of the eggplants till it become gold and crispy. Keep out with a
> strainer and put the celery on the blotting paper, too.
> Throw away almost all the oil used for the fryng ; in the remaining (and
> in the same frying pan) brown the slices of onions and the cubes of
> tomatoes.
> After about 10 minutes add 1 tbs full of sugar; the vinegar; the olives;
> the capers; the pine-seeds; the wrung raisins; the fried eggplants and
> celery. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 7-10 minutes. You must
> eat when it is cool, not very hot.
> GOOD!!! Gnam Gnam and Yum Yum!

Have you ever tried it using fennel instead of celery? Seems like it ought
to be good (though maybe it's not considered "caponata" if you do that).

Bob

Bob wrote:
>
> Have you ever tried it using fennel instead of celery? Seems like it ought
> to be good (though maybe it's not considered "caponata" if you do that).

Might work, if only a little is used... there are many versions of this
Sicilian dish, as many versions as there are Sicilian cooks who prepare
caponata... in most versions anchovy is included (originally a
seafarer's dish containing preserved seafood), and more often than not
pickled (preserved) eggplant is used (which is why so many *******ized
recipes include vinegar)... and regardless, the eggplant used in
caponata is cut carefully into small sticks, like for fries, NOT diced.

http://www.cliffordawright.com/history/caponata.html

Sheldon

"Bob" > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
> Pandora shared:
>
>> Here is:
>> CAPONATA DI MELANZANE
>> for 4 persons
>> 700 gr. of eggplants;
>> 40 gr. green olives without stone;
>> 1 tbs of capers;
>> 1 tbs of of pine-seeds (very important to put inside the dish);
>> 200 gr of mature "perini" tomatoes (without skin);
>> 1 tbs of raisins (softened in cool water for some minutes);
>> 1 tbs of sugar;
>> 1/4 glass of red vinegar(or white, if you haven't the first one);
>> 1 big onion;
>> 4 white stalks of celery;
>> oil for the frying;
>> salt and pepper.
>> ---------------------------------------------
>> Wash and dry the eggplants, then cut them in little cubes (about 3 cm).
>> Put them in a colander with some salt (with a weight over) and let them
>> there for about 1 hour. In this way they will loose the bitter water.
>> Then rinse out very quickly under the water tap. After having dried, fry
>> the eggplant's cubes in hot oil. When they become a little brown colored,
>> keep out with a strainer and put them on a blotting paper.
>> At this point cut the celery in pieces of about 2 cm and fry them in the
>> same oil of the eggplants till it become gold and crispy. Keep out with a
>> strainer and put the celery on the blotting paper, too.
>> Throw away almost all the oil used for the fryng ; in the remaining (and
>> in the same frying pan) brown the slices of onions and the cubes of
>> tomatoes.
>> After about 10 minutes add 1 tbs full of sugar; the vinegar; the olives;
>> the capers; the pine-seeds; the wrung raisins; the fried eggplants and
>> celery. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 7-10 minutes. You
>> must
>> eat when it is cool, not very hot.
>> GOOD!!! Gnam Gnam and Yum Yum!
>
> Have you ever tried it using fennel instead of celery? Seems like it
> ought to be good (though maybe it's not considered "caponata" if you do
> that).
>
> Bob

Leaves or seeds? No I hadn't! Because: how do you fry fennel seeds? )))
Celery is good because is crispy!
cheers
Pandora
>
>

Pandora replied:

>> Have you ever tried it using fennel instead of celery? Seems like it
>> ought to be good (though maybe it's not considered "caponata" if you do
>> that).
>>
>> Bob
>
> Leaves or seeds? No I hadn't! Because: how do you fry fennel seeds? )))
> Celery is good because is crispy!


I mean using a fennel bulb, which is ALSO crispy:

http://www.potomacvegetablefarms.com...ies/fennel.jpg

Bob

"Bob" > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
> Pandora replied:
>
>>> Have you ever tried it using fennel instead of celery? Seems like it
>>> ought to be good (though maybe it's not considered "caponata" if you do
>>> that).
>>>
>>> Bob
>>
>> Leaves or seeds? No I hadn't! Because: how do you fry fennel seeds?
>> )))
>> Celery is good because is crispy!
>
>
> I mean using a fennel bulb, which is ALSO crispy:
>
> http://www.potomacvegetablefarms.com...ies/fennel.jpg
>
> Bob

Ohhhhhhhhhh! Bob, sorry, I didn't understand! Oh!!! I must try even though
when you have eggplants is summer and you have not fennels. I must try in
the winter when you have both.
But, how do you call the herb of selvatic fennel?
Pandora