Learning & Savoring--Inspiring Photo Books

I mentioned an accomplished photographer-friend, David Young, in my last post. Today, I'll show you some of the photos from one of his books, Prayer Photos, and say a few words about his books. If you would like to know more about them, you can email Dave at dsyoung@peoplepc.com. He has some copies of two of his books available for only $5, a substantial discount off the cover price. If you read my blog regularly, you know that I normally do not include anything even resembling advertising, but decided to make an exception for some exceptional books at a super price.

Prayer Photos is a high-quality, soft-cover book with a photo on each right-hand page and an appropriate free verse prayer poem by David Young on the left. The poems explore a variety of moods and human experiences, are non-sectarian, and would be meaningful to any spiritual person. The photos above are two examples of his sensitive, intriguing images.

I highly recommend this book as well as another he has available, called Coloring the Wind, with several one-page essays about peace, justice, and other topics, many short free verse poems, and more of David's beautiful photos, mostly of people, taken on his extensive travels to many cultures. He possesses an uncanny ability to capture a depth of character and meaning in a photo of an elderly Latina's face, of children at play around the world, of varied family groups, and more.

Question of the day: What powerful images have touched you recently?

Learning & Growing--Purple Iris Floral Painting

About a month ago, I showed you a magnolia floral painting I had worked on as a change of pace from my usual landscapes (scroll down to August 11 or enter "magnolia" in the search box above to see it again). This purple iris painting is an older work, one of my first close-up florals. Among other things, I learned the value of perseverance from this project.

I can't remember anymore how long this painting was a "work in progress," or how many times I was tempted to scrap the project due to to the fact that some of the changes I tried made it worse instead of better. Works in progress are supposed to progress, aren't they? This one definitely gave me trouble.

Probably one issue with the painting was that I used someone else's photo. A friend (thank you, David Young) who is known for his breathtaking photos of people from around the world, sent me a packet of varied photos several years ago. I was inspired to try to paint this iris from one of his photos with a few adaptations to fit my own vision for the image.

Although I am quite pleased with the final result, I felt hampered along the way by the fact that I had not seen, touched, and smelled the flower myself. A wiser artist than I was would have at least sought out live purple irises somewhere to observe, sketch, and photograph. I will do that in the future. I know some artists can create excellent paintings strictly from photos of places, people, or natural things they have never seen in person. I am humbled by their skill. For me, I have learned that nothing can replace being there. In addition to various technical problems I had to iron out for this painting, it was difficult for me to bring the blossom alive on canvas--we had never actually met. The result--and sort of a solution--was to paint an image that is more stylized than natural.

Venturing outside my comfort zone can be a thrill. But when an effort to do or to learn something new seems too unpleasant or too hard, I try to remember this painting experience. Of course, some attempts fail. No shame there, I believe--the shame would be avoiding the new for fear of failure. But in the thick of any difficult struggle with a new venture, I recall the BATTLE OF THE IRIS and persevere. After all, I think this image turned out all right. In any case, I learned and grew as a person and as an artist from this project.

Question of the day: Have you battled any irises lately? What growth or learning resulted?

Growing--Personal Encouragement that Keeps on Giving

Do you keep a file of items that brighten your day? You could call it an encouragement file or an inspiration file, my husband's term. Whatever the label, we like having a special place to keep thank you notes, printouts of kind emails, commendations, or other personally meaningful papers.

Our younger son recently had the pleasant experience--almost miraculous in these hard times--of having his immediate boss go to bat for him and secure him a nice raise. Pete showed us the email his boss had sent the higher ups and forwarded on to him detailing his accomplishments and contributions to the company. When I later asked Pete if he planned to keep the email, he said he hadn't really thought about it. "Print it and put it in your inspiration file," my husband chimed in. Mark then told Pete how he has kept and filed a rich collection of expressions of love and gratitude over the years. When he feels as though he is not accomplishing enough or that no one appreciates his efforts, he can turn to his inspiration file for positive motivation.

I am not the best example of being organized about keeping an encouragement file, but I do have stashes of commendations, personal thank you notes that particularly touched me (some of the best are from students), and some greeting cards with uplifting personal notes penned in. Sometimes it is enough just to remember they are there. At other times, I reread a few for the emotional boost and reminder of precious human connection they provide.

Question of the day: De you keep tangible reminders of encouragement, kindness, and love?

Savoring--Easy, Elegant Dessert Recipe--Lemon Ice Cream

For warm weather entertaining and after hearty meals with friends in the fall, we like to keep dessert light. There is nothing wrong with serving fruit or a nice purchased sorbet to guests. Many of us appreciate being served healthier foods and avoiding that "I'm so stuffed" feeling.

One invitation Mark and I had this summer to enjoy a sunset on the riverside deck of some new friends was memorable and delicious. Our hostess (thank you, Kay) served us a stunning view, fascinating conversation, and fresh fruit with peach sorbet. We loved it and are grateful that she kept things relaxed, people-focused, and healthful. It was a good reminder to me that simple is delightful. Simple entertaining is certainly better than a complex, fussy meal with an over-worked, tense host who can't even sit down to converse. If you would like to entertain, but feel that it would be too much work, I'd encourage you to emulate Kay. Gathering friends together is primarily about the people.

If you have time to prepare a dessert the day or evening before entertaining, the lemon ice cream in the photo is a delicious choice. Yes, it is rich, including both cream and sugar. But for most people, a small serving is just right--so serving and eating this ice cream should be guilt-free. Somehow, it seems both lusciously rich and refreshingly light. I am grateful to my brother's wife, Betty, for the recipe--both of them are accomplished, creative cooks.

The dessert requires five hours to freeze through, although you could cut that time by freezing it in a thin layer and then scooping it into serving dishes.

Lemon Ice Cream

makes 5 - 7 small servings

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

1 Tbsp. fresh grated lemon peel (I use a zester)

2 cups half & half cream

1 cup sugar

Squeeze juice and prepare peel.

In medium sized bowl, stir cream and sugar together until sugar is well dissolved. Then, stir in lemon juice and peel. The mixture will thicken almost immediately.

Pour into individual dishes, sherbets, or 8" square pan. Freeze at least 5 hours (overnight or even a few days is fine; cover with plastic wrap if it waits awhile).

Set out at room temperature at least 10 minutes before serving; the ice cream freezes quite hard.

I often set out a small plate of nice purchased cookies with the ice cream. Using limes instead of lemons also makes a yummy dessert.

I don't know if you can see the short tines on the spoon in the photo; these special silver ice cream spoons were my mother's--using them is a small source of memories and joy. When we serve this dessert, our guests are always impressed--I hope you give it a try.

Question of the day: If you like to entertain, what's your secret for keeping it fun and easy?

Learning--Blogging and Landscape Painting

Thank you for your positive response to the last post. Today, I am posting a related article, also a repeat of a post from this past May. I hope you enjoy it and promise something brand new next time.

Did you learn something new today? Whether simple facts or complex new abilities, new learnings enrich life, keep us mentally and emotionally young, and just plain add fun to our creative everyday lives. I am a compulsive learner on many levels and love to gain new insights and skills. Some of my most rewarding learnings have followed attempts to understand or do something I assumed I would not do well. Taking that risk is stimulating, sometimes humbling, and always enlivening (at least in the long run), no matter what the result is.

This blog is one example of a personal learning adventure. As a minimally computer-literate person, I faced a steep learning curve in order to begin posting. Those of you who are computer-adept would have found my approach hilarious, involving everything from perusing library books to asking friends to viewing on-line video how-tos. Numerous notes and lists later, I took the heart-pounding dive off the . . . well, so far, what I have done is probably analogous to slicing into the pool from the edge; this is hardly the high dive of blogging. However, it represents an achievement for me, both in learning the basics of blogging and in publishing the thoughts and adventures of an introverted self for y'all readers.

I wonder: If blogging had been simple for me, would it have been as rewarding as it is now? In time, I hope to advance to more variety in format and to including appropriate links for interested readers, and more! (Note: I have learned to insert clickable links since I wrote this--progress!) It's a shame you can't all watch over my shoulder to chuckle (in the nicest possible way, of course) at my ongoing efforts in techno-communication. Truthfully, the process is not always fun for me, but my small triumphs are satisfying--and, hopefully, are also beneficial flexing for my maturing brain.

Oh, about the photo above, you ask? A few years ago, I took a wonderful painting course. Awkwardly wielding an artist's brush for the first time since elementary school, I discovered a whole new source of creative expression and satisfaction. With zero expectation that I would produce anything even worth keeping, I was astonished to like some of the paintings I made in the class. Now, that's a sign of a world-class teacher! I'll describe that learning adventure in future posts. In the meantime, you can view an effort from about a year ago--my response to exploring Big Talbot Island (see a recent post about that unique beach below).

Question of the day: What new learning adventure intrigues you? What fears keep you on the side of that pool? Why not give it a try?

Exploring--Right Near Home--Return to Big Talbot Island

I hope you will indulge me as I repeat a couple of posts from the beginning of this blog. Since there are many new readers (and most readers, I suspect, do not read all the posts going back to the beginning), I will occasionally repeat a post that has generated some interest. Welcome back to Big Talbot Island State Park.

Wherever we have lived, I have enjoyed playing tourist near home. It doesn't cost much (sometimes is free, especially if one can walk or bike there) and often reveals delightful new surprises. We are fortunate to have many friends and family members from other parts of the USA or other countries who come to stay with us. Spending time showing them our home town and surroundings takes us places we might neglect to experience otherwise. How many of us hear about nearby interesting places we would like to explore and yet postpone doing that month after busy month?

Here's a thought. Even if you don't have visitors, promise yourself an outing sometime soon. Choose a place and put it on your calendar. Or step out the door right now, stroll around for a few minutes or more with all your senses on high alert. Take a camera and make like a tourist. What if you were paying money for your "lodgings"--wouldn't you explore the area?

Or, imagine yourself hosting a visitor from someplace quite unlike your region. If it is hard to see the farms around you with fresh eyes, pretend you are guiding visitors from Saudi Arabia. Wouldn't they be amazed at the rolling hills or vast plains in lush greens or rich golden tones? Or if your city neighborhood is seeming drab and uninteresting, imagine giving small-town visitors a tour of the ethnic food stalls and lunch counters in some surrounding blocks. Wouldn't they love hearing multiple languages and savoring the varied aromas and flavors?

We had lived in Jacksonville, FL for several years before a visit from a brother who lives in Cleveland, Ohio prompted me to explore Big Talbot Island State Park. A stark contrast to the endless, wide Jacksonville beaches most visitors flock to, the shore of Big Talbot is a quiet, somewhat ghostly walk along low bluffs. Over time, the battering of storms and storm tides has toppled and sculpted oaks, pines, and other vegetation into a unique atmosphere (begging for artistic photographers--and for us amateurs, too). The shady, wooded trail from parking to an overlook is short and easy, and another short trail leads to a path down the bluff to the shore. There are other hiking trails in the Big Talbot Park preserve, through heavily wooded areas dripping with Spanish moss or along the fascinating, varied habitat of salt marshes--bird-watching and just breathing deeply made an afternoon here feel like an extended vacation.

Question of the day: Why did I wait for an out-of-town visitor to explore this nearby natural wonder? What will you explore for the first time or see in a new way soon?

Exploring--Wisconsin's Beautiful Lakes & Precious Family Time

For the third and final post answering the age-old question, "What Did You Do on Your Summer Vacation?", I have a taste of our visit with members of our extended family.

Late in June, we enjoyed a delightful change of scenery from our coastal North Florida home visiting people we love in Wisconsin. My husband's siblings and their families live in the Chicago area and in Wisconsin. A festive high school graduation party for Mark's niece provided an opportunity for all of us to gather in Wisconsin. Since he and I could get away for a couple of weeks, we made it a road trip and took the dog. Having written about our side trip to the Apostle Islands, this post covers the majority of our time away.

Mark's brother and wife have recently purchased a lake cottage near Oshkosh, a relatively short drive from their home, fulfilling a long-held dream. They generously offered it to us as our headquarters for our visit, so we felt totally pampered. Of course, it did mean that we were in the chosen gathering place for any and all that were free during the day or evening--but that was super, since precious family time together was the reason for our journey.

Their lake home faces west, and I have more sunset photos than you ever want to see. Every evening provided a different, majestic display while we sipped cool beverages and felt like royalty. During our stay, we played in the refreshing, clear water, took walks on nature trails, enjoyed boat rides, and feasted on scrumptious, fresh-caught fish. This lake is part of a chain of lakes along the Fox River. Boating along the chain provides a variety of scenery, from marshy or forested preserve land, to vacation cabins old and new, to impressive full-time water-side homes, to trendy city waterfront with dock-side restaurants and clubs.

We, and our adventure-loving Shih-tzu, Magnolia, aka Maggie, are thankful for Dick & Marlys' generous sharing of their lake home, for all the members of our beloved extended family, and for the varied beauty of our wonderful nation. Our time in Wisconsin this summer provided a well of memories to keep us going during less enjoyable or less relaxed days in the future.

Question of the day: What good times with friends or family and/or experiences of natural beauty from recent months have filled your well with memories and gratitude?

Exploring--Wisconsin, Lake Superior's Apostle Islands, Part II

Last post, I began describing a side trip we took during a visit to relatives in Wisconsin. Even though we have explored many areas in this lovely state, we had not yet seen the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior. After telling you about our home base in Bayfield last time, it is time to show you the islands themselves. 

The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, part of the National Park System, includes 21 heavily wooded islands. We took a narrated cruise to see them and to hear about their history, including sagas of fur traders, missionaries, shipwrecks and ghostly, howling sea caves. Exploration by Europeans dates back at least to the mid 1600s. The weather was beautiful, warmer than normal on Lake Superior, with bright sunshine early and beautiful clouds building during our ride. The lower left photo shows a typical wooded island, in this case, the shore of Hermit Island with beautiful, rosy sandstone cliffs. The remains of fish camps dating back to a thriving industry in the 1800s dot the shore of a couple of islands; we could see the remains of sandstone quarries on others. Another photo shows the Raspberry Island's light station and outbuildings, parts of which date back to 1864; there are 7 lighthouses on the islands. Other islands boast sandy beaches, large blueberry and raspberry patches, and sites where artifacts have been found dating back to human settlements from 3,000 or more years ago.

Another afternoon, a short ferry ride took us to Madeline Island, the largest island in the chain (not a part of the National Lakeshore), where fewer than 200 year-round residents enjoy living in charming bungalows or some of the stately homes that were the fashionable summer "cottages" of the wealthy for a few decades in the early 1900s. We enjoyed a long, lazy stroll in the village, with its historic Catholic church, old library, and former town hall, topped off by scrumptious homemade ice cream in one of the shops. The top left photo shows our view of the island as we approached it by ferry. 

For a peaceful, laid-back break from a busy vacation to see family members, exploring the Apostle Islands was perfect for us--there is little appeal here for vacationers looking for parties, night life and glitz. Visitors also enjoy camping, bird watching, fishing, water sports, winter sports, and several seasonal festivals. 

In spite of the number of times we have visited Wisconsin, we find creative travel opportunities and new areas to explore every time we go. Of course, we love the familiar, memory laden places, too, and were pleased that including some of each provided relaxation and balance during our time away this summer.

Question of the day: If you have vacationed often in the same area, do you most enjoy renewing your love of the familiar places and activities or do you seek out new sights--or some of each?

Exploring--Wisconsin, Lake Superior's Apostle Islands

Creative travel includes discovering new places to explore in frequently visited areas. As we planned a trip to visit relatives in Wisconsin this summer, Mark suggested that we allow extra time to see the Apostle Islands, just off Wisconsin's Lake Superior coast. Although we have seen much of Wisconsin over the years, we had not yet ventured all the way north to see these remote, historic, and beautiful islands.

Our home base for exploring was Bayfield, a charming, artsy mainland town perched on Wisconsin's northernmost point, overlooking Chequamegon Bay and some of the islands. The photo above on the right shows this picturesque town, looking back from the main ferry dock. We found a small, reasonably priced motel with a relaxing view of the bay and this dock from our balcony. In town, we enjoyed choosing from a range of restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops for meals, browsing a variety of fascinating galleries and a few shops (there are many, but we are not tourist shop devotees), and simply strolling the streets and lanes. Some homes and shops date back to earlier years in this 150 year old village, and each corner turned--especially as we strolled uphill on the winding streets--provided a lovely new glimpse of water, harbor, islands, and sky. Sunrise or sunset walks were refreshing gifts for our souls, with some of the freshest breezes you can imagine. The other photos show a few of the working and pleasure boats we saw as we explored Bayfield, WI. Next post, I will show you the islands themselves.  

We both love natural waterscapes. At home, we spend time at nearby Atlantic Ocean beaches, or small lakes in our parks, exploring salt marshes, or sailing on our magnificent St. Johns River. Away from home, we also tend to seek out bodies of water, marinas, harbors, fishing boats, and sailboats. You may have noticed that many of my landscapes also include a view of water, sometimes as a major feature, other times just glimpsed somewhere in the scene. I never really planned to paint water so frequently; it just happens as I paint what I love.

Since my childhood years near Lake Michigan, I continue to seek out water and am deeply nourished simply by being near water or gazing out over it. On some primitive level, I need river, lake, or sea to feel whole. Although I love to explore a variety of natural environments and have been fascinated by visits to desserts, mountains, valleys, and so much more, coming home to a rich variety of water environments and habitats brings me peace and gratitude.

Question of the day: Do you have a preference for one favorite, personally nourishing natural kind of place, or can you thrive in a variety of environments?

Learning & Growing--Magnolia Floral Painting

After several posts about cooking, which I call my other art form, I have another painting to show you. Since childhood, I have been nurtured by the beauty and variety of natural scenes. So landscapes, many with some water in view, are my first love in painting, and creating them is deeply satisfying to me. However, I  also paint florals and enjoy the different challenges they pose as a change of pace.

The magnolia painting shown here, which is a 9" X 12" acrylic piece on canvas board, evolved over a period of time. The vaguely Asian arrangement of the branch, buds, open blossom, and leaves emerged early in my sketching and changed little. Similarly, the splotchy purple background came early. Other aspects of the piece required more thought--and even some serious wrestling and reworking.

In general, I prefer creamy, buttery whites to purer cool whites. So my first blossoms reflected that preference--and simply looked wrong. Although hints of butter tones remain, I adjusted most of the whites to crisper, cooler tones, touched with blues, purples, and hints of pink. The improvement was dramatic (in my opinion). The open blossom and bud really "popped" and acquired more depth; the yellow ochre tones in the magnolia's center gained drama with the increased contrast; and the entire piece gained a new glow. 

The other aspect that required considerable reworking was the "lay" of the lower and side petals of the open blossom. Since I had taken most of my reference photos looking down at magnolias on low branches of a neighbor's tree, I had to modify their size, shape and angles for my intended side view. I often encounter challenges like this in adapting photo information because I am continually snapping photos for possible painting subjects or details without knowing how I might use them in a future painting. Unfortunately, I put the partially completed piece away for awhile while I completed some larger landscapes. As a result, magnolias were no longer flowering here in North Florida as I struggled to correct the perspective. If I could have studied real blooms, my task would have been simpler. Oddly, I couldn't even find artificial magnolia blossoms to purchase out of season, or posing them could have helped.

I am pleased with the result of my reworking and hope you enjoy seeing this painting. Working on an occasional floral refreshes me to return to landscape painting with new energy. And all painting efforts--including wildly unsuccessful ones--provide valuable growth in my skills, vision, and insight.

Question of the day: What creative endeavor enriches your days and gives you pleasure, even when the creative process is difficult--or perhaps at times, precisely because it is difficult?

Savoring Good Food III--Enjoying Eggplant & Eggplant Recipes

For our final eggplant post (hasn't this been fun?), I will provide a recipe or two. Eggplant is good in a variety of sauteed or stewed vegetable mixtures, combining well with summer squash, sweet peppers, tomatoes, garlic, and onions (as in ratatouille, pictured here), but is also delicious and attractive with green beans, tomatoes, fresh herbs, and corn, or with garlic, onions and mushrooms. Whatever sounds good to you is worth a try, in my opinion--and you may create a new family favorite.

I won't repeat the tips from last time, so check that post for ideas to reduce both the oiliness and calories of some recipes and the bitter edge cooked eggplant can have. The recipes will make this post longer than usual, but I hope they will be of interest to some of my readers.

Here is my modified version of the classic vegetable stew called ratatouille (simpler and less fattening than the original). It can be made a day or two ahead of a meal and reheated or can be frozen. The photo in our last post showed the main ingredients. I will list the amounts of each ingredient I used in the dish pictured above (which makes enough for two or three meals for the two of us, even though we are big vegetable eaters); it would probably serve 8 people. A very flexible recipe, ratatouille can have more or less of any of the vegetables, to suit your preferences.

Health Spa Ratatouille

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

1 medium eggplant, lengthwise strips of peel removed, then cut in thick crosswise slices

2 zucchini, lightly scraped, in 2" chunks

2 yellow summer squash, in 2" chunks

cooking spray

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 medium sweet onions in 1/2" chunks (Vidalia onions are wonderful when available)

3 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed & chopped

1 large sweet pepper (any color), in 1/2" chunks

2 large tomatoes, cut in chunks (I had a couple of pounds of grape tomatoes and used an equivalent quantity of them instead, just tossing them in whole, crushing some with the spoon while cooking.)

1/4 - 1/2 cup (according to your taste) chopped fresh parsley

dash sugar

salt & pepper to taste

1) If you wish, sprinkle eggplant with salt, sweat, and rinse (see previous post). I skipped that step this time.

2) Spray a large cookie sheet or two (easiest if they have a rim) with cooking spray and fit eggplant slices and squash chunks on. Spray top of all vegetables with cooking spray. Then bake at 425 degrees until lightly browned & slightly softened--about 8 - 11 minutes.

3) Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large heavy skillet (12" X 2-3" deep), then saute onions and sweet peppers over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or so, stirring well a few times. Add garlic and saute 1 minute more.

4) Add eggplant & squash to skillet with another 1 Tbsp. olive oil (no need to cut up the eggplant slices; they will break up as you cook and stir). I sprinkle 1/8 tsp. or less sugar over the vegetables to bring out the sweetness (optional). Cover & simmer for 10 - 12 minutes.

5) Add tomatoes to skillet & simmer 5 minutes more, stirring a few times, or until vegetables break up and are quite soft. Of course, if you wish, you can reduce the cooking time, but this is more typically a stew texture rather than a tender-crisp texture.

6) Add parsley last minute or two of cooking. Salt and pepper to taste and serve right from the skillet. It waits well if your guests or your entree are delayed.

Ratatouille freezes well, so you can make a big batch and get several meals from it. It is good served hot, room temperature, or cooled. Delicious for a simple meal with grainy bread and cheese wedges, or with any meat, poultry, or fish -- or for vegans, with a whole grain and nuts dish.

We also love eggplant stuffed with a ground meat mixture and baked. Eggplant is the perfect shape to stuff with any mixture you can dream up, whether brown rice, herbs, and nuts or barley & cooked chicken--or whatever--then steam or roast. Beyond these ideas, good sources for eggplant ideas are Turkish or Mediterranean cookbooks. When we were in Turkey, we enjoyed a variety of eggplant treats, including dishes that were grilled, stewed, roasted, sauteed, pickled, salad combos, appetizers in phyllo with eggplant and cheese fillings, baba ghanoush, and more.

Turkish Stuffed Eggplant (serves 2)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1 medium-large eggplant

cooking spray & olive oil

1/2 # lean ground beef or turkey

1 medium onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

salt & ground black pepper

1 medium tomato, in 6 thin slices

Those are all the ingredients in my Turkish cookbook. I always add:

paprika

fresh chopped basil, and sometimes rosemary or oregano

1) Peel the eggplant in lengthwise stripes. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a 1/2" shell (looks like a canoe). Coarsely chop flesh and set aside in large bowl.

2) Spray a large oven-proof skillet with cooking oil, heat over medium-high burner and cook the meat, onion, and tomato paste together until meat loses pink color. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and herbs if desired, adding chopped parsley last minute of cooking. Drain off grease and add to bowl with chopped eggplant, stirring well.

3) Re-spray skillet well, add a little olive oil, and lightly saute the eggplant canoes on all sides until lightly browned.

4) Remove skillet from heat, turn eggplant canoes open side up and fill with eggplant/meat mixture.

5) Top with fresh tomato slices. Pour 1 cup water into the skillet. Roast uncovered in oven for 25-30 minutes. Serve with your favorite rice or couscous dish and a green salad or vegetable.

Question of the day: What is your favorite, versatile vegetable? How do you prepare it?

Savoring Good Food II--Enjoying Eggplant & Eggplant Cooking Tips

Since many readers expressed interest in the vegetable post from last time, I will continue a couple of posts with kitchen hints for enjoying vegetables and some recipes, including stuffed eggplant and ratatouille. Today, some tips. Next post, some recipes. I'm getting great blogging mileage out of one vegetable in a photo, don't you think?

It was fun to hear from all of you who commented or emailed me about my most recent post. After all the praise for her beauty, the eggplant is turning diva on us. She disliked being pictured here with the other ingredients for ratatouille, but finally agreed.

Peggy Montano is a gifted painter with a lovely blog (click to see it). On my last post, she commented that she loves vegetables, except that she is less fond of eggplant (that purple diva was prominent in my photo last time, too) and wondered if a different recipe might change her mind. Peggy, it may be that the way eggplant is cooked would make little difference to you. But for what it's worth, here are a few ideas from my kitchen.

I suspect that Italian-style eggplant parmigiana is the most popular eggplant dish in the U.S. and may be the only form in which many people have eaten it. My method for considerable cuts in the fat and calories of this delicious meal is to pre-bake rather than saute the eggplant slices. Eggplant really drinks up oil when you saute it, and most parmigiana recipes call for sauteing it before making layers with the other ingredients and baking. Instead, I spray a large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan (a flat 11" X 14" baking sheet with 1" high sides) with cooking spray (use olive oil flavored spray, if you have it), fit thick slices of eggplant onto the sheet and spray the top of the slices again. Then bake at 425 degrees (I convection bake it, but standard baking is fine), until it is lightly browned and a bit softened. Continue with the rest of the recipe. Your meal will be much less fattening and still really delicious.

I do the same thing to cut the calories and fat in making ratatouille. For anyone not familiar with this lovely dish, my venerable cookbook describes it as a vegetable mixture stewed in olive oil. Then, it proceeds to suggest that for 1 medium eggplant, 2 yellow summer squash, some chopped garlic, green pepper, and onion, you will use 1/2 cup of olive oil, first to saute all the vegetables and then to stew them together. I know olive oil is one of the good fats, but 1/2 cup!?! Next time, I'll provide my less oily adaptation of this versatile dish.

Three other tips for cooking eggplant, any or all of which will cut the slightly bitter taste: 1) Before cooking, with a vegetable peeler or sharp paring knife, peel off strips of peel (the long way), leaving equal strips between the peeled "stripes", so that you serve only about 1/2 the peel. 2) If you have time, salt slices of eggplant and let them sit for 30 minutes, then rinse or wipe off and cook. Some of the bitterness "sweats out." 3) Sprinkle just a dash (1/8 tsp. or less) of sugar into the mixture when you cook eggplant (I do the same with cabbage, and other non-sweet vegetables)--just enough to cut the bitter edge, but too little to actually taste in your dish.

Question of the day: What tip can you share for making eggplant (or any other vegetable) appealing, even to reluctant vegetable eaters?