It tastes like..squishy ass.

Eggplant Parmesan
Prep Time: 10 minutes, Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small eggplant, peeled & cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Combine oil and garlic; brush over both sides of eggplant slices. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes; turn. Bake 5 minutes longer or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Place half of the eggplant in a greased 1 qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the basil and Parmesan cheese. Arrange tomato slices over top; sprinkle with remaining basil and Parmesan, layer with half of the mozzarella cheese and the remaining eggplant; top with remaining mozzarella. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Okay people. I'm a wimp. I will completely admit it. I thought that coming into this I had the strongest palate and what not. Nope, I'm throwing in the towel. I've discovered through out this entire thing that I'm a texture person and I never thought I would be. I usually can eat just about anything, I'll give it a shot, but my dad, he knows my weaknesses. That's for sure. Texture is my kryptonite. You can cover a squishy eggplant with cheese and call it good, but once that eggplant hit my tongue it was all over with.

"IT TASTES LIKE SQUISHY ASS, DAD!"
"How would you know what squishy ass tastes like, daughter?"
He's such a brat.

My family and my boyfriend all laugh as I wince trying to put it down. I forgot to mention that part of this experiment is that you MUST finish the meal. Screwed over by my own rule, damn! Now, I must let you all know that my dad scoured everywhere, but eggplant is a hard thing to find in the winter, so the one we ate could have been of better quality. So, I believe that this recipe could be better if your eggplant doesn't end up like squishy ass. Just a warning if anyone would like to try this recipe. I'd have to say that this one was a bust, thanks to the eggplant.

Pshh, what went wrong?

One of my first memories is in a kitchen. My dad would prop me up on a chair next to him and I'd "help" him cook. And by help, I mean make a nuisance of myself. From spilling flour all over the kitchen, to getting the rolling pin stuck in a measuring cup. I have done it all. But, not once did he ever give up on me and cooking.

Cut to today, I'm not a very good cook, at all. I spill milk making cereal, boil over my mac'n'cheese. My mother says watching me try to construct anything in the kitchen is painful. But, yet again, there's my dad helping me along.

My family comes from a long line of cooks, chefs or whatever you'd like to call us. But the line stopped short of this girl. My grandfather was the founder of many restaurants around the Marquette County area, one of the most well known is Johnny's. Being the son of a restaurant owner my father has worked in a kitchen a large majority of his life. It's in my blood. So, what the heck? Why can't I get my shit together?

After coming so close to losing my dad I realize now how important those small memories are to me. The cooking, the hope, the help. How he has never once given up on me. So, here we sit, at the dining room table, relaxing. I watch as my mom and dad laugh with one another reminiscing about when they first met and how they loved to cook, then Jack and I came along and put an end to that. We're too picky for them, I suppose. I hope one day I can share these same memories.

The eggplant that I helped cut up, poorly, is now cooking in the oven, and the smell of Parmesan is filling the house. And I can't help but think, damn, I'm actually part of that, I helped with that. So maybe this experiment will do more than open up my taste buds, it'll open up my mind to realize what I could be missing out on, and maybe it'll make me a good house wife some day. We'll just have to see.

What kind of balls?

Matzoh Ball Soup

6 eggs
2 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. oil
1/2 c. water
4 qts. water
1 tbsp. salt
1 1/4 c. matzo meal (gourmet section of grocery store)

Beat eggs thoroughly. Add salt and oil and beat again. Add water. Beat again. With spoon, slowly pour in matzo meal and stir thoroughly. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Boil water and salt in large pot. Measure 2 tablespoons of batter in a wet hand form into balls. Drop into rapidly boiling water for 30 minutes. Put lid on pot, but leave a slit for steam to escape. Dip out with a slotted spoon. Pour a small amount of the liquid over the matzo balls. Allow them to simmer in the soup for 15-20 minutes.


Matzoh Balls! A Jewish Tradition. Who said anything about my experiment being limited to just countries? If I really want to expand my food horizon I have to open my palate to new countries, cultures and religions.

The Jewish religion has been one that I've always been interested in. I remember vividly from my middle school days studying the terrible tragedy, the Holocaust. As we learned more and more about Hitlers reign of power, I couldn't help but wonder, what's so wrong with being Jewish? I have the utmost respect for those of the Jewish religion, and I enjoy learning the history their culture. The reasons for holding a Bar Mitzvah, or the eight days of Hanukkah. It all fascinates me. So, of course, I have to try the food.

My best friend, Amber, and I waited patiently as the dough we had just mixed and rolled to simmer in the pot of chicken broth.

"These look like, really nasty," she said. I couldn't help but to laugh. She has the worst stigma against new foods.

My dad looks over and shakes his head, laughing at her. He's used to Amber's antics. After fifteen minutes the soup with the Matzah balls was ready, and so were we. We sat down at the table, and I let Amber take the first bite, the true test. Five weird, awkward facial expressions later, she smiles. She loves it! I look down at the milky broth and wrinkle my brow. I split the first dough ball in half and shovel it in my mouth. Definitely not as bad as I thought it was going to be. The parsley and the pepper come through the strong, but I don't mind. I can't stand eating dull, tasteless food. I'd have to say that this may have been one of the better meals of this whole experience and I would eat it again any day.

So, the soup sits in my fridge and my entire family has tasted it, all approving which is the most surprising part to me. This whole food experiment might change more people than I originally thought!

Food For Thought

As Americans we're taught to do things the "American" way and eat the American things. You know, hamburgers, apple pie, etc. But, have you ever sat down and thought about what other cultures view as their "normal" food? Like for instance, could you ever imagine eating a cat or a dog? I have two cats of my own, and love them very much. I couldn't ever imagine cooking them up and eating them. Countries like China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Korea still consume dog meat. What makes an animal "off limits?"

Or even parts of our country? What's acceptable food to eat? The south you could find yourself eating pigs feet, or frog legs. Never up here! But who knows, maybe people find pasties disgusting. My dad and I were talking about food phenomenons while watching the Travel Channel. Andrew Zimmern has a show where he travels the world and eats all sorts of food. Anything from the stomach of a goat, to rancid fruit. This man, God bless his crazy soul, is my idol. As long as I have watched this show I have never once seen him hesitate to try anything, and that's what I'm striving to do.

Andrew Zimmern of Bizzare Foods


Thanks to being located in the Upper Peninsula, our resources for disgusting food is very limited. So, my dad and I are trying really hard to think out of the box. If anyone has any suggestions of food you think would be interesting, don't be shy. Comment and let me know!

Ay Dios Mio!

Definitely not what I was expecting! Biting into the green pepper, my mouth was set ablaze. Whereas, Kaylee's was not, who proceeded to laugh at me. After making my dad and Kaylee try my pepper, we were all in agreement that mine was the hottest. Bastards! Of course, I would get stuck with the hottest one. That's just my luck. But, this experiment is really getting interesting. I enjoy seeing where I think I stand compared to my friends. I owe a big thank you to my boyfriend, and my two best friends, for taking on this challenge with me. I also owe a thank you to my dear old dad. Who's taking the time to relive some of the food he has eaten and to help me make these foods.

It's a really great experience being able to do this. I love that my dad can relive memories that he can fully remember in detail. Cooking is something that he still knows, and that his brain can still do. So, it makes me happy that I can spend some time with him, enjoying his memories, learning how to make different foods. I've learned things I didn't know. Like, did you know that clams are completely muscle, so that's why they are so hard to chew? Or that the longer you cook a pepper, the milder they become? I had no idea. I'm very thankful that I can do this with my friends and my family.

Smoky Jalapenos

Smoky Jalapenos
Yield: 14 appetizers.

Prep: 25 min, Bake: 20 min.

14 jalapenos
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
14 miniature smoked sausages
7 bacon strips

Cut a lengthwise slit in each pepper; remove seeds and membranes. Spread a teaspoonful of cream cheese into each pepper; stuff each with a sausage. Cut bacon strips in half widthwise; cook in a microwave or skillet until partially cooked. Wrap a bacon piece around each pepper; secure with a toothpick. Place in an ungreased 13 in x 9 in x 2 in baking dish. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes for spicy flavor, 30 minutes for medium and 40 minutes for mild.


Spicy stuff, yikes. This is going to be an interesting one. I'll try anything once, but this is one thing that gets to me. My friend Kaylee, is a texture person, this is the girl that doesn't eat rice because it reminds her of maggots. So the slime of the jalapeno mixed with the cream cheese, and the crunch of the bacon is definitely going to send her for a whirl. We're in the midst of preparing them right now, and the house is flooded with the smell of bacon. And Kaylee's nerves are rising, as are mine. So let's see how it goes!