Recently I made an Italian inspired style eggplant parmesan. I was gifted again with another 5 pounds of eggplant and I thought I’d make something sort of like eggplant lasagna……Anyways this is what I did.
The eggplants get about half the skin removed like this and get trimmed on the ends.
Then the eggplants get sliced into planks. Either 1/3rds or quarter planks depending on size.
Next they get slightly browned. You can broil, grill, pan fry, or put them on high rack in oven at 425F.
Now splash a big pan with tomato sauce.
The pan gets lined with eggplant planks.
Next a small amount of sauce.
Now you need cheese. Look I have a visitor!
Mix up some cheese filling. (around 2 cups ricotta (good natural quality or home made, a cup shredded parm, pinch nutmeg, a couple pinches ground white pepper, a pinch basil, an egg)
(this gets mixed)(spread the cheese around)
Top that with around 5 ounces of melty cheese like fontina or mild provolone.
Then you need a little more sauce.
Top that with slices of melty cheese like provolone.
You need a little more sauce.
Top that with around four crumbled Taralli Pugliesi crackers. (round circle Italian crackers)
This goes in a 375 F oven for around an hour. I prefer to let sit out till room temperature, then refrigerate overnight to set up and then I can cut it in servings.
I was fortunate enough to taste some FORKING AMAZING foods this year in Metro Phoenix Arizona. A few of these FORKING AMAZING foods did get a change up already this year. I do note that it is also very important to know that It’s also possible that they can even FORKING DIFFERENT AGAIN!…..I mentioned them when they were great so you should know WTFork happened when I tried them again..
At a certain deli called Little Pickle I tasted the most FORKING AMAZING pastrami and brisket. I was really maybe even more blown away with the brisket because I’ve never tasted that style so amazing.
It was magical. It had the perfect texture that melted in your mouth and this super incredible burnt onion flavor…..mixed with the beef flavor and other flavors.
I went back.
It taste completely different…..No delicious burnt onion flavor in the tasty melt in your mouth beef. It taste like it was maybe over seasoned with seasoning salt……..It’s not terrible or awful or anything like that but it is nowhere in the same ballpark as the first one I tried. I actually messaged the owner about this and he said that he didn’t change the recipe (???) He said he had trouble with his help following the recipes. Oh well at least it wasn’t awful and the rest of what I tried there was very good or amazing. On this same visit I got to taste the lox and it truly was the best silky delicious melt in your mouth fish ever. In case you are wondering the pastrami (and little pickles) was still amazing too.
Little Pickle was a Pop Up Restaurant in the Esplanade across from The Biltmore Fashion Square. It is expected to open somewhere in the Esplanade at some time during the year….Maybe you can find info at www.LittlePickleAZ.com
Then this year I also was lucky enough to try one of the most FORKING AMAZING BURGERS EVER ANYWHERE. Q-UP the angels singing! ******BEST BURGER IN THE FORKING LAND!****** At Then Burger in Glendale by Westgate near State Farm.
This burger was a blend of house ground sirloin, short rib, and chuck……cooked medium with a nice sear,.embellished with arugula, teriyaki, caramelized onions, and yuzu aioli………(insert angels singing…….LAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa)
So naturally I went back.
Oh FORK! They removed that burger from the menu. Ok I really did want to try a few others from the menu anyway. My first choice wasn’t available today so I picked something else.
I can’t eat this……..(I took two bites hoping only the first would be bad) This dry and not good tasting either….It’s like a hockey puck. It’s like if you can imagine the WORST Burger King burger that you’ve ever tried and microwaved it in the microwave oven till crisp and dead. ICK!
The server promises me that they can do better……I usually never send food back…..The only reason I sent it back was because I can’t eat this and it was a $36. burger.
In reasonable time the re-fire comes out.
Somehow they made this burger about as dry as the last burger…….(How the FORK did they do that?)
The server was very understanding and informed me at this point that they only make the burgers with ground chuck now and are trying to figure out on how to cook them. I sure HOPE I HIT THEM ON A FLUKE WORST DAY EVER…….Not in my wildest dreams would I ever imagine this to happen here. I did speak with an owner. Of course he invited me back but I am too busy to return. I would hope the problems got improved.
Then Burger – 9220 N Glendale Ave Glendale AZ – 623-328-9388\
www.ThenBurger.com
A certain Italian restaurant named Pomo used to make this incredible North Italian focaccia di recco.
It’s these two light as air thin crisp crusts stuffed with a delicious cheese filling. They offer an optional add on local honey for embellishment.
See inside. You can pull the cheese.
Now it’s different.
WTFork! It’s Different!
It’s all wet inside like a cheese sauce and the crisp crust turns soggy………The menu reads that it is suppose to have stracchino cheese inside not wet cheese sauce…..???????????
Pomo Pizzeria – 8977 N Scottsdale Rd Scottsdale AZ – 480-998-1366
My Spot Mediterranean Grill is an extra casual kosher Israeli Restaurant that recently opened in North Phoenix Arizona. This restaurant offers fresh baked pitas and laffa breads. You can also order things like falafels, shawarma, schnitzel, skewers, kabobs, platters, burgers, salads, and more!
You order and pay at the counter. Then you grab your own silverware and drink and seat yourself at a table. When your order is ready someone will run it out to you.
We started out by sharing the falafels with hummus. They came with choice of bread and I picked the pitas.
The hummus is nice and creamy. It tastes like it was made with toasted cumin. The falafels have a crisp exterior and are moist and herby inside.
The pitas are nice , fresh and fluffy.
For my main I went with the beef lola on laffa bread…(it comes with fries).
I’ll open it up more so you can see inside.
It’s like a giant burrito stuffed with all kinds of goodies. There’s onions, cabbage, spicy pickles, tahini sauce, and beef lola meat that looks like it was prepared on a skewer. The beef is moist and delicious. It’s so full of flavors…..It’s even better when you just eat the whole thing together. Kosher beef does have a nice clean taste that is different. Only the front part of the cow is used for kosher beef and you don’t get the stomach or intestinal spillage in the meat that all grocery store ground beef contains. That is why kosher beef is much more expensive. DON”T GET MAD AT ME but……..You might not believe me but the FORKING Truth is that regular commercial ground beef really does have poop in it.
Only the front part of the cow is used for kosher beef and kosher beef really does taste clean and different.
Anyways-
The laffa bread is heavier than the laffa bread I had at James Beard award winning Micheal Solomonov’s multi award wining restaurant Zahav….But this was fresh made and still is very good. This can be two meals for some people.
My husband tried the spicy chicken schnitzel that comes with Israeli salad and fries.
This is breaded white meat chicken that is moist and seasoned nicely….The fries and Israeli salad are kinda very average. They have salt, pepper, and white vinegar to season the sides.
Based on this visit I’d recommend getting a beef lola with laffa bread. It was surprisingly delicious. I thought that the hummus and the falafels were good . The spicy schnitzel was good but the sides were very average.
A word of warning for people who don’t know. This is a kosher restaurant that serves meat so that means there is nothing dairy in the restaurant. If you order a burger it will be cooked well done and cheese is not offered. Also only soft beverages are available. You do need to check hours and be aware that they close for holidays that you might not be aware of. They also are closed every week for the sabbath that is Friday and Saturday.
My Spot Mediterranean Grill is CERTAINLY Worth a Try!
