"EggplantPizza" news and stories

Grilled eggplant and olive oil pizza. Photo: Smitten Kitchen.

A slew of youngsters are heading back to school this week, lugging backpacks, breaking in new shoes, sharpening pencils and, if they're lucky (at least a few days out of the year), forgoing the brown-bag lunch in favor of a pizza party. It's enough to make us nearly jealous, except that one of the many joys of adulthood is that we can have pizza whenever we please -- and booze to wash it down with -- no matter the circumstances (or caloric consequences).

For example, when Deb from Smitten Kitchen was craving grilled pizza and the weather didn't agree with her plans for dinner al fresco, she still found a way to make it happen, "Weather be damned!" She busted out a cast-iron panini pan, doused the dough with garlicky extra-virgin olive oil, and piled on the grilled eggplant, olives and provolone. The result, reports the cook, was "hearty, smoky and delicious."

So how'd she get those beautiful cheesy bubbles with her indoor "grill?" Well, since she was "grilling" inside anyway, she put it in the oven for a few minutes. They don't teach that in school.

[Via Smitten Kitchen]

There's been a lot of talk about summer cooking on the interwebs recently. It's the end of the season and the available produce is ridiculously abundant. However, who wants to spend too much time in a hot kitchen when the outdoor mercury is also near to bursting out of the top of the thermostat?

If you're one of the many people who prefer easier cooking in the summer, here's a round up of recipes for you.

1. Try some crispy tilapia with pico de gallo sauce.
2. These kefta and zucchini kebabs will make you want to light the grill.
3. Here's a super easy steakhouse style dinner that's on the table pretty quickly.
4. Maybe not as seasonal, this Bucatini ai fagioli still looks simple and delicious.
5. Eggplant mini pizzas are seasonal, easy and tasty.
6. A Pinot Noir and cherry soup could make a perfect summer starter.
7. How can you get a better summer dessert than grilled peaches?
8. A simple, seasonal ratatouille is an ultimate summer meal.

Stephen, at Stephen Cooks, really outdid himself with the photo of Caponata Pizza, with Eggplant, Tomato and Onions. Caponata is a traditional Italian dish of eggplant stew, served on toasted crostini. This variation puts the same flavors onto a pizza. The pizza looks like it is perfectly cooked and the extreme close-up of the slice captures the melting cheese and eggplant topping, as well as the sprinkling of toasty pinenuts and parsley garnish. Could it be pizza perfection? That is hard to say, since there are so many different types of pizza out there. But, from the look of it, even a dyed-in-the-wool pepperoni fan would be tempted to take a bite (or two) of this pie.

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