Spice & Kisses
We make eggplant frequently. Until recently, I had two main ways of preparing it: eggplant parmesan or a stir fry. Thanks to Milk Street (and Karthik’s request that we try this new recipe), I’ve now got a third favorite way to cook it. Charred eggplant with pops of coriander and cumin seed, fresh herbs, heat from harissa, and a hint of sweet and sour: these bold flavors are meant for adventurous palates.
“We are proud that our food is always made from fresh ingredients, never frozen,” the restaurant’s menu proudly proclaimed.
That’s great for those pro chefs who know how to hunt down amazing fresh produce in the dead of winter. For the rest of us, however, the produce section of the grocery store’s freezer aisle can be a lifesaver in the dead of winter. Especially when off-season, frozen vegetables (often harvested and frozen at their peak ripeness and freshness) can bring more flavor than “fresh” produce sitting in the grocery store for several days after being imported from thousands of miles away.
There are bloggers out there who develop recipes through meticulous trial and error, documenting their thought process test-kitchen style.
One day, I hope to be one of them.
As of now, most of my recipes and adaptations arise from a) a need to tastefully combine assorted leftovers, or b) accommodating for missing ingredients when I try to follow another recipe. This bright, tangy soup was the product of both the above processes. See, I’d had my eyes on a couple of carrot-based recipes for a while: Smitten Kitchen’s carrot salad with harissa, mint, and feta and a carrot and caraway soup from Bon Appétit. Both recipes use caraway, which I never cooked with before. I’ve since found out that caraway seeds (okay, fruit per Wikipedia) are commonly used to flavor rye bread and have a flavor that is similar, but not the same, as anise.