Eggplant, Eggplant, Eggplant

Yesterday was my birthday. My friends made a scrap book for me with funny drawings and quips that describe me. One of them wrote. "If you are what you eat, YOU are an eggplant." It's true. I am inordinately fond of eggplant. What did I have for my birthday dinner? Eggplant Parmesan, of course. Here's a recipe from Alton Brown of the Food Network. Why bother with pasta when you can just eat lots of eggplant?

Eggplant Pasta Recipe

2 medium-large eggplants
Kosher salt, for purging
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon chile flakes
4 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup cream
4 tablespoons basil chiffonade
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Freshly ground pepper

Peel each eggplant leaving 1-inch of skin at the top and bottom unpeeled. Slice the eggplant thinly lengthwise, about 1/4-inch thick. Evenly coat each slice with the salt and purge on a sheet pan fitted with a rack for 30 minutes. Rinse with cold water and roll in paper towels to dry. Slice the pieces into thin strips to resemble pasta.
In a large saute pan heat the oil. Add the garlic and chili flakes and toast. Add the eggplant "pasta" and toss to coat. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add the cream and increase heat to thicken sauce. Finally add the basil and Parmesan and toss to combine. Season with pepper, no salt needed as the eggplant will have residual salt from the purge. Serve immediately.

Citrotini
I had a wonderful cocktail that featured Caravella Limoncello, the Italian lemon liqueur. Combine equal parts of Limoncello, Triple Sec and sweet and sour mixer. Shake with ice and serve in a martini glass. It was fabulous.

Here are two other cocktails that feature Limoncello.

Caravella Limontini
- 1 ounce vanilla vodka
- 1/2 ounce Caravella Limoncello
- 1 1/2 ounce pomegranate juice
- Squeeze of lime

Place all ingredients into a martini shaker along with several cubes of ice. Shake vigorously, strain into a martini glass and serve immediately. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Caravella Limoncello's recipe, dating back to 1898, was developed by Paolo Sperone. Sperone, the family's Milan-based company founded in 1911, is the world's fourth-largest producer of Italian apertifs. I have a friend who is in love with Italy. She visits at least once a year. She has taught us all to love limoncello. It's very refreshing on a hot summer day.

LIMONTINI

* 2 parts Absolut Citron or Ketel One Citron vodka
* 1 part Limoncello
* Juice of 1/2 lemon
* Lemon twist

Shake first 3 ingredients over ice in cocktail shaker; wipe rim of cocktail glass with lemon twist; strain contents of cocktail shaker into cocktail glass; garnish with lemon twist.

Makes 1 cocktail.