Jenn’s Cook Book is now the Misunderstood Eggplant. It’s a new year, a new name, and a new look for the site! Although the name is different and the design has changed slightly, the content is all still here (and all of the old links will still work, but go ahead and update them to http://misunderstoodeggplant.com/).  

Also new is the “Ingredients” section in the far right column. This is a tagging system, which we lost in one of the many updates to Jenn’s Cook Book and never replaced. Before, the tagging was a little out of control, with too many tags and too many common ingredients. Now, all of the tags will focus on main ingredients only. This is a work in progress, so please be patient!

There are still some bugs and updates going on, so a couple things might look a little wonky. Don’t worry, we are working on all of it behind the scene. Why did the name change? You can read all about it here: the Misunderstood Eggplant. 

~Jenn

To start off the new Winter Brews project, here is a twist on Mexican drinking chocolate. In Mexico, it is common to mix chocolate with cinnamon and milk to make a warm, thick beverage. This recipe uses 1% milk and cocoa powder, making it slightly lighter. Nonfat milk would make it less creamy and a higher fat content milk will make it more creamy, so use the milk you prefer.

New Mexican Hot Cocoa
adapted from Cooking Light

1/2 cup water
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of cloves
4 cups milk, 1% or 1/2%
1 tsp vanilla extract
cinnamon sticks for garnish, optional

Combine water, honey, cocoa powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves in a medium saucepan. Stirring occasionally, bring to a boil. Gradually whisk in milk and vanilla extract. Heat until hot, but do not boil. Remove from heat and serve with a cinnamon stick if desired.

The holidays have come and gone, but winter is here to stay for at least a couple more months. To help muddle through the cold and gray, here is a new Special Project: Winter Brews. These are tasty beverages to help warm you from the inside-out. This is a must-have for January, when the twinkling lights are put away and it seems like every day becomes little more dark and gray.

Imagine stirring a pot full of wonderful, spicy goodness on the stove, then ladling the brew into a mug and sipping in the warmth on a cold night. That is the idea behind these recipes; beverages that are warming for the heart and the home. This project will consist of easy-to-prepare warm beverages with (mostly) simple ingredients from the pantry. Why send you back out into the cold to fetch a missing item from the store?

Here is a basic list of ingredients to have on hand for Winter Brews:

• Sugar
• Honey
• Cocoa powder or baking chocolate
• Spices such as ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger
• Fine grain salt
• Regular or powdered milk
• Heavy cream
• Instant coffee or espresso

Some recipes may contain other pantry items, for example Peach Horchata calls for rice and frozen peach slices and the recipe for Sbiten includes jam or preserves. Sweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk are also good items to stock in the pantry when making Winter Brews, and of course who doesn’t love a hot beverage garnished with a cinnamon stick?

So, join me for Winter Brews and we’ll sip away the cold and gray together!

For years, this site has been Jenn’s Cook Book. It started as a place for me to post recipes as I learned how to cook, with little commentary. In time, the posts have grown to encompass more information about the recipes and my experiences with food in and out of the kitchen. Last year, the Bitter/Sweet blog was born and allowed me to expand on topics not necessarily relate to food. One of the topics I posted in Bitter/Sweet was titled The Misunderstood Eggplant, based on the title of an article that ran in the New York Times.

To summarize the article, and the reason why I chose to write about it, the eggplant is a beautiful yet seriously unappreciated food. Eggplant is versatile and can be quite tasty, but the key is in the preparation. The article struck a cord with me because James and I had often quarreled, in jest, over my cooking and serving eggplant. The first time I made eggplant, I steamed it according to the recipe and the results where similar in taste and texture to a dry sponge. James was not quick to forget that experience.

Since then, I have prepared eggplant in a variety of ways that have been delightful. James no longer puts up a protest when I mention eggplant, but he still likes to recount the story of eggplant gone horribly wrong. It has almost become a legend, a cooking story we both tell over and over again. The Misunderstood Eggplant has come to represent my journey in the kitchen, a culmination of my experiences and successes (or failures) in cooking.

For these reasons, along with my own cruel whimsy and fondness for the name, I have decided to rename this site to The Misunderstood Eggplant (http://misunderstoodeggplant.com/). The old content is all still here, just in a prettier purple package.

Here’s a quick and easy to make dip, perfect for chips, crackers, or raw veggies. It is a touch tangy with herbs, garlic, and dijon mustard. Since everything is going in a food processor, the herbs and garlic can be coarsely chopped. You can also finely chop the herbs and garlic to combine in a bowl and mix by hand.

This can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 5 days. Allow to chill at least 3o minutes before serving (allows the flavors to combine). Serve with your choice of dippers, such as tortilla chips, cut strips of red bell pepper, baby carrots, and wheat or rye crackers. This dip goes great with a fruity red wine, such as a Granacha/Tempranillo or similar Spanish blend.

Creamy Herb Dip

1 bar (8 oz) fat-free cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup low-fat sour cream
1/4 cup chopped chives
1/4 cup chopped basil
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dijon mustard
zest and juice from about half a lemon
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil, about 1 tbsp

Combine all ingredients but olive oil in a food processor. Pulse lightly to combine, then drizzle in olive oil while pulsing. Add just enough oil to combine all ingredients, about 1 tablespoon. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl and chill about 30 minutes before serving.

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

One of the go-to favorites in our house is tacos (or nachos). Because I have long since given up on packaged taco spice mix, I came up with this mix of spices that adds just the right zing to ground beef. It took a couple adjustments to get the right balance of flavor and heat, but if you prefer a hotter mix, simply increase the red pepper flakes to taste or add a pinch of cayenne pepper.

For preparation, use one batch of this recipe for one pound of ground beef. I prefer to use beef with a low fat content (6% or less). Inside of draining the beef, I use the drippings to help the seasoning coat the beef. If you are using a higher fat content, drain the beef before adding the seasoning.

Homemade Nacho/Taco Seasoning

1 tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 dried oregano

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

When preparing, brown ground beef in a skillet and drain. Reduce heat to low and return beef to skillet. Add seasoning and stir until beef is evenly coated. If pan is too dry, add a little water or reserve some of the drippings. Remove from heat and serve as desired.