Thai Red Curry Noodles

I've hit a roadblock with embroidery designing. My last larger pattern was Madame Butterfly. Since then, I've done some small freebies, which people enjoy. But the bigger ideas aren't coming to me. When that happens, I put my needle and thread away and head to the kitchen. Recipe ideas flow without any effort. They continuously pop into my head, before I go to sleep, on long walks with my beagle, while brushing my teeth. I write them down because I can't keep up. I cook up a storm. That's my process. It's a bit insane with lots of messes in the kitchen. But I am not one without the other. My cooking and sewing fuel each other.

Mediterranean Eggplant Stew

Being Lebanese, I’m a huge eggplant lover.  We prepare eggplants in a variety of delicious ways.  So, I was thrilled to find just about every kind of eggplant known to man at my local Italian market. Craving something along the lines of ratatouille, I pulled out my trusty Le Creuset Dutch oven and got to work on creating this savory stew.  This is a healthy, filling and comforting stew that can be eaten with a side of crusty whole grain bread. Alternatively, it can be served over creamy polenta, couscous, mashed potatoes, rice, gnocchi, ravioli, bulgar wheat, quinoa or pasta. Grilled cheese sandwiches or garlic bread would be great with it too. It’s a wonderful sidekick for a plain quiche or fluffy scrambled eggs. It’s good eaten hot or at room temperature.If you so desire, add chopped chicken to it or a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas and cook as directed. Some toasted pine nuts and/or Nicoise olives are also welcome here. I like to finish it off with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Warm spices, common to Lebanese cooking, deepen the flavor of this stew. 

Moroccan Eggplant Tagine

Lately, I've been doing more cooking than stitching. Moroccan cuisine is making its way into my kitchen regularly too. 

This warmly spiced stew is what's for dinner tonight. Eggplant is the star here. If you love eggplant then this recipe is for you. I'm half Middle Eastern, which makes me a genetically programmed eggplant lover.