CT Style

Just got back from a taping of "CT Style" which will be aired on WTNH tomorrow at 12:30 (set your DVRs!).  Even though I've been in the studio before, I was a little nervous this time.  Maybe it was the rain, maybe it was Desiree, maybe it was the fact that all us women kept obsessing about our hair.  Or maybe it's because I had to look into the camera and read what I saw on the teleprompter.  (Those TV people make it look so easy!)

Normally you'd think a person would have no problem reading and speaking at the same time.  But this task becomes a challenge when you simultaneously have a hot pan on the stove cooking onions and garlic that you don't want to go beyond caremelization to burned on camera.  I think I managed ok.

Once that important issue was out of the way, we got down to the business of cooking.  I made a Morroccan Eggplant Caviar called Zaalouk, which is similar to Baba Ghanouj and Eggplant Caponata but with different seasonings.  In this case, I used cumin, paprika and some red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.

It can be served on toasted pita chips or crostini, and if you can't eat gluten, it's great on endive leaves or even rolled as a filling in a collard leaf.  It also makes a delicious filling for a wrap or sandwich or even as a side with rice and beans.

Tomorrow I'll be serving it up at the Yale Medical Group's ArtPlace gallery opening from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.  Come early to view some beautiful artwork and munch on some delicious vegan treats!