what the hell _does_ a vegan eat anyway?

Dinner 5/2

Eggplant Marsala *

Rigatoni Pasta


* OK, I don't think this one shows up in traditional Italian cookbooks ;)

I made this on the spur of the moment using the last of the eggplant (and there was much rejoicing -- yay!) 1 1/2" thick rounds, scored lightly on top and bottom and pan-seared, then baked for 20 minutes, finally utilizing a japanese technique of making a miso-based glaze, but using marsala, sherry and white miso in place of sake, mirin and brown/red miso -- brushing it on top and bottom and then finishing them under a broiler for two minutes per side. As a base, I sauteed white mushrooms until almost dry, added garlic and tomato paste, then sauteed for another minute, then added a cup of marsala and reduced it down to almost a syrup -- a splash of lemon juice, a little Monter au Beurre action and some parsley and you've got a nice mushroom and sauce base.

The dish turned out very nicely, and was pretty easy to prep on the fly, so you'll probably see this turn up at a future Italian wine tasting...