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eggplant tempura with mascarpone and blueberry

: Image via Wikipedia

Yes, I’m in a recipe mood. I tend to post up many of my meals on Facebook and receive lots of comments. Frequently its, what is the recipe. So in an effort to further clutter my blog with unrelated material – I will now post recipes here and there. Maybe it will help me to post more frequently and I can get back to the subject matter which most of you are more interested in. Marketing. Advertising. Business. Current Events. My take on all of that jazz.

Anyways, let’s get back to this eggplant business. I had acquired quite the large eggplant this past summer. Now, I was able to make 3 different dishes out of that one vegetable for myself. The most snack-tastic were these tempura eggplant sticks. So freakin’ tasty! I added a mascarpone cheese topping with blueberries to give it a sweet and clean finish. I’m a big fan of healthy dishes and this is definitely up there.

Eggplant is a relative of tomatoes, potatoes, and … tobacco. It is native to India and shows up in a lot of Indian, Arabic and Asian dishes. Different species (cultivars) of Eggplant are usually classified by their size, shape and color. I had a large, purple elongated-ovoid type which translates to the big, purple, long, and oval.

Eggplant Tempura with Mascarpone and Blueberry

eggplant
egg
flour
ice water
salt
black pepper
cayenne pepper
mascarpone cheese
heavy cream
fresh blueberries
Olive, canola, or peanut oil

Peel entire eggplant. Slice into 1/4″ wide and 2 1/2″ long strips. In mixing bowl beat egg with ice water. Then add flour until mixture becomes thick and slightly lumpy. Season the mixture with an 1/8 teaspoon cayenne. Pour oil into a saucepan or pot to make a 3″ depth on medium to high heat. Carefully drop a droplet or two of water into the oil to see if it crackles. IF so, your oil is hot and ready. Line a separate plate or bowl with paper towels. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper, dip into tempura batter, and carefully place into frying liquid. With metal tongs or a fryer basket let the eggplant slightly brown on one side. Then flip to brown the other side. Once cooked after about 4-6 min, begin laying them on the towels to dry. You can keep them warm in the oven on low if you’d like. Mix the mascarpone cheese with heavy cream and blueberry in a bowl until smooth and light. Serve the eggplant on a platter with mascarpone and blueberry as dipping sauce.

kale chips au sel de mer

: Image via Wikipedia

Looking for a healthy and tasty snack? Kale chips are definitely high on my list. Kale is a cabbage type vegetable in the same family as broccoli, collard greens, and brussel sprouts. Its high in iron, calcium, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and beta carotenoids. It has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic properties which basically means keeps your skin youthful, and might help reduce the risk of cancer.

To make the Kale into chips involves a very simple process of prepping, seasoning, and baking.

Ingredients:

Kale (1-2 bunches)
Sea salt
Black pepper
Olive oil

Begin by splitting the Kale leaves down the stem and removing the stiff parts of the stem with a sharp knife. Slice the large kale leaves into chip-sized pieces. Throw out the stems. Place the leaves into a mixing bowl. Drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil over the leaves. Sprinkle a tablespoon of sea salt and tablespoon of black pepper onto the leaves. Preheat your oven to 250°. Use your hands to toss and mix the leaves so that the oil and seasoning evenly coats them. Try not to use a spoon as it may damage some of the leaves. Cover a flat baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread the leaves out evenly on the baking sheet in a single layer. Don’t let them overlap. Use a second baking sheet if needed. Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes until leaves are dry and crispy. Remove and lay them on paper towels to cool and collect oil.

Serve warm or room temp and enjoy.

*Tip* Freeze the Kale in the fridge for an hour and a half. Thaw, then begin the recipe. The chips will take on a slightly sweet flavor.

Starbucks expands their scope, after calling for a return to “roots”

Well well well … Starbucks is signing a one-album deal with Paul McCartney on their Hear Music record label, NYTimes reports. I seem to recall a big hub-bub about Howard Schultz, the chairman of Starbucks, calling for his company to return to their niche, coffee, coffee making, and coffee innovating. John Moore from Brand Autopsy with Paul Williams of Idea Sandbox together began a series of posts concerning the Starbucks outcry by Schultz for a return to its roots. They touched on the idea of Starbucks marketing music to its customers. John said:

"What about books and music? Neither links directly to coffee. Yet, the
company has been successful in selling both. Three weeks ago Starbucks
began selling a memoir by a former Sierra Leonean child soldier. So
far, the company has sold over 62,000 copies of this book.
(Folks, that’s a lot of books!!!) Starbucks has also been very
successful in selling CDs of established artists like Ray Charles and
emerging artists like Antigone Rising. Rumor has it the company will step deeper into the music business by forming its own record label, Starbucks Records, and release Paul McCartney’s next CD."

Well, now they are delving deeper into the music business. I wonder how it will turn out. Good for business? Bad for coffee making? Branching too far from the plant? [Coffee plant!]

So now, Mr Schultz, I have a question for you. By furthering Starbucks as a record label, are you keeping true to your request to return to the core?

More to come later, my Calculus class is calling my name.

eggplant tempura with mascarpone and blueberry

kale chips au sel de mer

Starbucks expands their scope, after calling for a return to “roots”

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