The Oasis

Restaurant Review

The Oasis Not really a restaurant, just a festive painted shack on the side of Airport Road near Country Club Road where a young, enterprising, handsome, struggling actor-and-college-student is trying make a living by selling the food of the people to friends and passers-by. The small menu consists of local favorites like Frito pie and Taquitos. There are also sweets, cold beverages and coffee. I loved the whole crazy thing!

Agua de Sandia with Rum

Refreshing Beverage of the Week
In many of the local New Mexican and Mexican restaurants they make these fruit juice drinks called aguas frescas. They are made with fruit juice thinned with ice and water and a bit of citrus and sugar and they are delicious. Perfect for a hot day, but if you add a bit of rum to the experience you have created a very different animal. Great for a party! This recipe makes 1 gallon.

Ingredients
1 yellow or red watermelon (about 8 pounds), halved, rind and seeds removed, and cut into chunks
3 to 5 limes
1/4 cup to 1/2 cups sugar
ice cubes
white rum (optional)

Procedure
In a blender or food processor puree watermelon in batches. Strain the pulp through a fine mesh sieve into a 2-gallon, wide-mouthed jar. Juice and then quarter 3 limes and add to watermelon puree along with sugar. Stir well. Now add 6 cups water. Taste and make sweeter or tarter as your taste dictates. Now fill up the jar with nice fresh ice cubes. As you serve this to the adults top each glass with a splash of white rum. This also works with mango, guava, strawberry, etc., etc., etc.

Candied Bacon Ice Cream

The Altitude Adjustment Section
The summer season has officially begun, so I think it's time to start thinking about making light homemade ice cream and sorbets. They are so easy and so delicious. I was going to do a wonderful coconut lime sorbet my husband loves, but then while browsing through the cookbook of the week Bacon: A Love Story, I came across this crazy recipe for candied bacon ice cream (originally was created by David Lebovitz) and I thought, "carpe diem, baby!" So here we go! This recipe makes 3/4 of a quart of super rich ice cream.

Ingredients
5 strips good bacon (applewood smoked)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons salted butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 3/4 cups half-and-half
5 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons dark rum or whiskey
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Procedure

You can candy the bacon way ahead of time. Start by placing the slices on a sheet pan lined with a silpat or aluminum foil (shiny side down). Sprinkle 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons brown sugar evenly over the strips of bacon and bake for 12-16 minutes. Midway through baking, flip over bacon and run it through the puddle of brown sugar on the sheet pan. Bake till it is glazed and dark brown. Remove bacon and let cool on wire rack. Once cool and crisp, chop bacon into small pieces about the size of grains of rice.

To make the ice cream, melt the butter in a thick medium sized saucepan over low heat. Stir in the dark brown sugar and half of the half-and-half. Pour the remaining half-and-half into a metal bowl sitting over an ice bath. Get a mesh strainer ready to use. Heat the sugar cream mixture till hot, but not boiling — you just want the sugar to dissolve. In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks and gradually add the warmed sugar cream mixture to the yolks, whisking all the time. Next pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat till the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of your spoon. You are basically making cooked custard. Be careful as this could burn if not well tended. Strain this mixture through your sieve into the remaining chilled half-and-half. Stir till chilled then add the liquor, cinnamon and vanilla extract.

Refrigerate till thoroughly chilled and then process in your ice cream maker as directed. Add the candied bacon bits during the last 5 minutes of churning the ice cream. Make this if you dare!

Black Garlic with Scallops

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I found this recipe and had to try it. Produced in Korea and California, black garlic is the “it” food of the moment and it's amazing. I bought some of this new wonder food from my local gourmet food purveyor, but you can also find it on the Internet. Frankly I love eating the cloves all by themselves. It’s sweet and creamy and supposedly has amazing health benefits, but I really can’t vouch for that. You know, just because it's on the Internet does not mean it's true! Even if you don’t have black garlic, this is a simple recipe for scallops. Just substitute the black garlic with regular garlic. But keep in mind that it will be way sharper in flavor and scent and could eliminate the possibility of getting lucky later in the evening.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter, divided
16 extra-large dry-packed scallops, diver scallops, patted very dry (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves black garlic, thinly sliced
1-2 teaspoons finely minced jalapeño pepper
1/2 cup white wine
2 teaspoons good balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Procedure
Heat a large frying pan with 2 tablespoons of the butter over high heat. Season the scallops with salt and pepper, and when the butter is bubbling, gently lay the scallops in the pan, not touching. Sear the scallops and cook for 4 minutes, turning once. They should have a lovely golden brown color on both sides. Transfer to a platter.

To the same hot pan on high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the garlic slices and the jalapeño pepper and fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the white wine and the balsamic vinegar into the pan. Let simmer for 1 minute, season with salt and pepper and add the fresh parsley. Pour over scallops.
Serves 4.

Real Food Nation and The Flying Star

Restaurant Review

Real Food Nation This place is in an old converted gas station out on Old Pecos Trail, past Harry's, and past Bobcat Bites. I have basic raves for the high-quality, homemade, local and organic food — it's the rest of the operation that needs fixing. They're set up for fast service but what they provide is slow, confused service. I found the meal expensive, the dining room unattractive, and the whole experience frustrating.


The Flying Star Just arrived from Albuquerque in the Railyard, they have a huge menu, all homemade sweets and make everything to order. There was a bit of confusion at the counter ("Would you like your ice tea hot or cold?") but this is Santa Fe, so I was not surprised. I have heard mixed reviews from people around town. I think there is a bit of snobbery going around. I had a good experience.

Anna's Butter Cake Cupcakes

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Susan Purdy taught me this recipe for Anna’s butter cake, which is a traditional Swedish butter cake, and I've found it's really the only cupcake recipe I need.

Ingredients
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted, room temperature butter
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
3 large room temp eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Procedure
Preheat oven to 350 and set rack in the middle of the oven. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted flour, powder, and salt. Set aside. In the large bowl of your electric mixer, cream butter and sugar till well blended, Scrape down bowl and beaters. Add extracts, beating well to blend. Don’t worry if the batter looks curdled, it will be okay. With the mixer on its lowest speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk. Beat till batter is creamy and smooth. Scoop batter into paper lined muffin tins — I use a small ice cream scoop. Bake for about 20 minutes or till top is springy, rounded and golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool and frost with something yummy like lemon butter cream, or chocolate ganache or dust with powdered sugar.

Basque Marinated Lemon Shrimp

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Shrimp is a hit when you do very little to it. A delicious marinade, some crusty bread and a well chilled white wine, now that’s a party. Here is a recipe for Basque Lemon Shrimp from Susanne Pirret who wrote a lovely book called The Pleasure Is All Mine.

Ingredients
Zest and juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 finely chopped clove of garlic
2 coarsely chopped anchovy fillets
5 pitted and finely chopped oil cured black olives
1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon aged sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons good olive oil
pinch sweet smoked Spanish paprika
sea salt to taste
8 jumbo shrimp

Procedure
In a bowl, combine all above ingredients except the shrimp. Poach the shrimp, shell and tails on, ‘til cooked. Then drain, cool slightly, peel and de-vein. Toss into the marinade and let sit in fridge for at least 1 hour, 2 is better. Serve with a lovely salad and just relax!

The Jaffa

Refreshing Beverage of the Week
I love chocolate and orange — it makes great cookies, so why not drink it? — so here is a recipe for a drink with those flavors: the Jaffa.

Ingredients
Ice cubes
1 ounce Kahlua
1/2 ounce Scotch Whiskey
1/2 ounce Grand Marnier
1/2 ounce orange juice
1 ounce cream
shaved chocolate curls
orange twist

Procedure
Fill half a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Pour in Kahlua, whiskey, Grand Marnier, orange juice, and cream. Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with chocolate shavings and a twist of orange.

Vegan Santa Fe

Restaurant Review

Vegan Santa Fe I guess being a vegan means you are willing accept sacrifice and compromise in the name of your principles, and this is where I don't fit in. Though I feel the chef of Vegan Santa Fe is very creative and committed to her ideals, I found much of the food to have an unpleasant texture and odd flavor. I loved the simply dehydrated sweet potato crisps and the dehydrated onion crackers, but the Pasta Alfredo made with raw kelp noodles squeaked in my mouth and the sauce was mealy. The banana and blueberry crepe we tried to eat for dessert was a bad joke. There was no way to cut it!

The Yellow Bicycle

Refreshing Beverage of the Week
This drink caught my eye because it uses elderflower-flavored liqueur, which my pal Nouf introduced me to a few weeks ago, in the ginger cooler she made. It was love at first sip. This drink is totally different because it is also flavored with Chartreuse which is a sweet French liquor flavored with 130 herbs and colored with saffron. Once again ... health food!

Ingredients
Ice for shaker
1/2 ounce St. Germaine elderflower liqueur
1/2 ounce yellow Chartreuse
4 ounces prosecco or cava
Lemon zest

Procedure
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice, then add St. Germaine and Chartreuse and stir until well chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass and then top with prosecco or cava. Garnish with lemon zest.

Cashew Oat Chews

The Altitude Adjustment Section
I like chocolate dipped pretzels and I like my oatmeal both salty and sweet, so I was pretty excited when I found this salty-sweet cookie recipe in the King Arthur Flour Company Whole Grain Cookbook.

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
2 cups old fashioned oats, ground for 30 seconds in a food processor
2 cups salted cashew pieces
Salt for topping

Procedure
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In the bowl of your electric mixer, combine butter, sugar, salt, baking powder, vanilla, and egg. Beat in ground oats and then cashews. Drop by tablespoons onto sheet pans. Sprinkle top with salt. Using the flat bottom of a glass, flatten out cookies ‘til they are about 3/8 inch thick. Bake for 12-14 minutes turning pans midway through baking to ensure even cooking. Remove from oven and allow them to cool right on the pan. Need I mention a drizzle of chocolate wouldn’t hurt?

Tomato and Goat Cheese Fondue

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Being that today we are all about the goat, I thought I would do my part by contributing an unusual recipe for a tomato and goat cheese fondue I found on the internet. Usually fondue is not my thing, but this is basically a bowl of pasta without the pasta, and who doesn’t like to dip?

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
3 cups (one 28 ounce can) crushed tomatoes with basil
1 cup hearty red wine (like a burgundy)
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1 tablespoon each finely chopped parsley and basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 to 10 ounces sharp Goat’s milk cheese, I like Bucheron

Procedure
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over moderate heat and stir in the shallots and garlic. Sauté until soft but not brown. Add the tomatoes and wine and simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture reduces to a light sauce consistency. Stir in zest and herbs and season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into an attractive, 6-cup, ovenproof baking dish. Place cheese in the middle and bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately. I would serve with garlic toasted focaccia pieces, strips of breaded zucchini, and eggplant rounds. And those are just the first three things I thought of.

Monica Blogs for Food!

Links to the websites I mentioned on today's show!

Bitten
Mark Bittman has been writing his "Minimaliast" column for the New York Times for 11 years, and is the author of our favorite, much battered cookbooks The Minimalist Cooks at Home and How to Cook Everything. On Bitten, his daily blog for the NYT, Mark and several guest contributors chew on food and all things connected to it.

Cake Wrecks
Who would have thought that bakery screw-ups could lead to such hilarity? Funny, funny commentary about when professional cakes "go horribly, hilariously wrong." Look for the book, coming out in time for Christmas this year!

Two blogs from the same household:

A Dash of Bitters
Michael's blog details cocktails, spirits, liqueurs, mixers, barware, bars, lounges, and of course, bitters.

Last Night's Dinner
Jen's blog features delicious, local food, beautifully photographed. Few recipes (there are some), but it's more of a culinary record of Jen and Michael's drool-worthy eating habits. She wants to inspire her readers to "be fearless in the kitchen, to taste, to trust [our] instincts and palate, and to find [our] own unique way of creating beautiful meals." Yum!

Thanks for having me on the show, Stacy! It's always fun!

Meals on Wheels

Restaurant Review

They've been called many names: "roach coaches," "mobile dining establishments," "taco wagons," even "danger on wheels." Be prepared to wait at most places as they make your food to order.

California Pastrami, corner of Alameda and Saint Francis. Bram and I both checked this place out. All I tried was the pastrami sandwich to go. The bread was totally soggy by the time I got it home, but the pastrami was thinly-cut and delicious... and a bargain. Bram also pronounced the fish tacos "awesome" and the breakfast burrito (made with roasted green chiles and hash browns) "good" and another great value. As one of the twenty-something guys awaiting his order noted to his friends, "This place is dope! And cheap." Those terrific fish tacos can take some time to prepare, so if you don't feel like waiting, you can call in your order ahead of time at 920-4584.


¡Viva México! Tacos Proudly Made in America This yellow and red van at the intersection of Saint Mike's and Fifth Street got a thumbs-up from Monica and her co-worker Susan. Both the tacos al pastor (spicy pork) and tacos barbacoa (slow-cooked beef, which seems to be their specialty) were yummy, with easily-customizable, fresh condiments. Next time, Monica's getting one of those tamarind drinks! You can also call ahead at 795-5867.


El Chile Toreado Apparently one of the most popular in the city, this cart by Big O Tire on Cordova has a full complement of burritos, tacos, and — why not? — Polish sausage. Bram went with the pork burrito, served on a tortilla with rice and beans, and — foolishly, given his New England heritage — hot sauce. Through the burn, what he could taste was great and lasted two days for lunch. Bram figures if he had maybe chatted up the nice folks behind the counter more or paid attention to the condiment offerings, it would've gone better. Quickly prepared, expertly wrapped, this is ready for the diner on the go. Monica's co-worker Susan also loves this place and recommends the collision-of-cultures Santa Fe cheese steak sandwich, with the deadly hot guacamole sauce. Skip the Taco Bell a half-block away and check 'em out.


Cajun Cart? I was looking forward to this — John Margraff recommended it! But I went twice in one day and they weren't there! I wasn't going back a third time, so no bagels for now.

Got any recommendations for your favorite carts? Perhaps some notes on the rare and elusive Cajun Cart? Please leave a comment below!

Linzer Tart Cookies

The Altitude Adjustment Section
I love Linzer tarts and Linzer tart cookies, and am also totally in awe of Nancy Silverton's cookbooks. So when I came across her recipe for Linzer tart cookies that use hard-boiled egg yolk in the dough, I knew I had to try it.

Ingredients
1/4 cup hazelnuts
1/2 cup whole, unblanched almonds
1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 cups, plus 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 extra-large eggs, hard-boiled
2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon almond extract
confectioners sugar for dusting
1 cup good raspberry jam

Procedure
Preheat oven to 325 and place rack in center of oven. Toast almonds and hazelnuts separately in oven, about 10-12 minutes each. Put hazelnuts in a clean tea towel and rub together to remove skins. Next, process almonds, hazelnuts, 1/4 cup sugar, and cinnamon in food processor, until the consistency of fine meal. Add flour and pulse a few times to mix. Separate the hard-boiled egg yolks from the whites, and discard the whites (or eat them). Push the yolks through a fine mesh sieve. Add to the nut/flour mixture in the food processor, and pulse a few times to mix.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and lemon zest on low speed for 2-3 minutes, until soft. Add the remaining sugar and mix on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add almond extract. Turn mixer off, and add nut mixture. Mix on low until incorporated. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, and form into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to make cookies, divide dough in half and keep half in the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out rounds and place 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheets. Repeat with other half of the dough. Chill cut-out cookies again until firm, about 30-45 minutes before baking. I like to make the bottom cookies solid rounds, and the top ones with holes, so you can see the filling. You can also make heart shapes. Once all the cookies are cut out and well-chilled, bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until firm to the touch and browned around the edges. If you made ones with holes, they will bake faster, so keep a close watch. Let cool, then dust the "holey" ones with powdered sugar. Spread jam on the solid bottom cookies, then top with the sugar-dusted ones. Voila! This recipe makes about four dozen 2-inch cookies.

The O'Brien Buzz

Refreshing Beverage of the Week
My friend Susi O'Brien has opened a hip new coffee shop in Greenpoint Brooklyn, and has come up with this excellent drink that tastes like it has coffee in it — but it doesn't! It does, however, contain a nice shot of booze.

Ingredients
4 ounces milk
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon molasses
1 1/2 ounces Meyer's rum
1/2 ounce brandy
whipped cream

Procedure
Steam the milk with the sugar and ginger. Stir in the molasses. Gently pour in the rum and brandy, and top with whipped cream. How easy is that?

Shrimp Tempura with Cabbage Salad and Cinnamon Oil

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Jean-Georges Vongerichten is a chef I will always have a special place for. He was a superstar in New York, and now the world. JoJo, his first restaurant, was so innovative — there he served French food, losing the heavy dairy, and adding Asian influences. He used vegetable-infused sauces and flavored oils, and changed the way we looked at high-end French cooking. His ideas are now so copied they seem like old hat, but at the time he was a rebel. This recipe is from his 1990 cookbook Simple Foods. Sometimes simple is best!

Ingredients for cinnamon oil
3 tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon water
2 cups canola oil

Ingredients for salad
3 cups shredded Chinese cabbage
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon cracked coriander seeds
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Ingredients for tempura
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons water
large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 cups canola oil

Procedure for cinnamon oil
This needs to be made a couple days ahead, but it's super easy. Mix the cinnamon and water to make a smooth paste. It should be about the consistency of ketchup. Adjust water as necessary. Put paste in a clean jar and add the canola oil. Cover jar tightly and shake vigorously. Let jar sit for two days, shaking a few times a day. The spices will settle to the bottom. After two days, strain the oil through a coffee filter into another clean jar. This will keep in the fridge for a month. This procedure also works with all different kinds of herbs; coriander, mustard, paprika, etc.

Procedure for salad and shrimp
Toss the shredded cabbage thoroughly with the honey, vinegar, coriander, citrus zests, ginger, salt, and cayenne pepper. Cover and let stand at room temperature for at least one hour.

To make the tempura batter, combine equal parts cornstarch and water and mix well. In a large pot, heat the canola oil. Dip the shrimp into batter and fry in hot oil for about one minute. Drain on paper paper towels, and season with salt and cayenne pepper. Serve on top of salad, and drizzle with a little cinnamon oil.

The Treehouse Cafe

Restaurant Review

The Treehouse Cafe I think this is the best vegetarian restaurant in town. The new location on Lena Street is beautiful, colorful, airy, and full of light with a big open kitchen. The baked goods are excellent (you won't even notice they are healthy) and the food is just plain delicious. I had a great veggie burger and an excellent cranberry nut muffin from the day-old basket. This joint is a bit pricey, but it was totally worth it.

Frosted Lemon Thins

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Cookies are so simple and fun — especially the slice-and-bake varieties. This one is from baking goddess Susan Purdy. It's in her book The Family Baker, a book I love and use all the time. I love a little lemon cookie and these are shiny and frosted.

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted, room temperature butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temp
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup sifted confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Procedure
In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat butter and sugar ‘til well blended. Beat in egg and lemon flavorings. Place a sifter over the bowl and measure in flour, confectioners sugar, cornstarch and baking soda and sift in. Beat together till thoroughly incorporated. Divide the dough into thirds. Turn each portion out onto lightly floured waxed paper and roll into a log 3 1/2 inches long. Freeze dough for 1 hour, or refrigerate for 2 hours before slicing. Take only one piece out at a time to slice. If it’s too hard, 10 minutes at room temperature should do it.

So now it's time to bake cookies! Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment. With a sharp knife, slice cookie roll into 1/8 inch slices, that’s very thin. Place on cookie sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes or till the edges turn golden brown.

While the cookies bake, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl stir together the 3/4 cup confectioners sugar, the lemon zest and the lemon juice. Once the cookies are baked, use a spatula to transfer cookies to a wire rack. Put wax paper under rack to catch drips. While cookies are still hot, paint the glaze onto them. It will melt and then become shiny and hard as it air-dries. You can store these yummy gems in an airtight container with wax paper between the layers.

Catalan Eggplant with Cheese and Honey

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Eggplant has never been my favorite vegetable. The only thing I love to make with eggplant is Baba Ganouj, which is a roasted eggplant spread with tahini, garlic lemon juice and olive oil. But there must be other things to do with eggplant. I understand they are easy to grow and I was considering planting them in my garden, but before I do that, I figured I better find some other cool ways to prepare them. And then I found this recipe in Paula Wolfert's book World of Food, and I knew it was time to buy the plant starts.

Ingredients
3 small eggplants (about 1/2 pound each) cut in half
Kosher salt
2/3 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
Olive oil
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Fresh grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons local honey

Procedure
Scoop out the eggplants, leaving a thin shell. Cut the scooped-out pulp into large chunks. In a large saucepan, cook the pulp in boiling salted water over medium high heat ‘til flesh is soft — about 10 minutes. Then drain in colander and let cool. Meanwhile, sprinkle eggplant shells with one teaspoon of salt and let drain for twenty minutes. When pulp is cool enough to handle, press out all moisture. Set aside 2 tablespoons of grated Gruyere and mix the rest into the eggplant along the Parmesan cheese, whole egg and egg yolk. Put the mixture into your food processor and puree till smooth. Now add salt and pepper and nutmeg.

Preheat oven to 425. Rinse and drain eggplant shells and pat them dry with paper towels. Slowly heat about 1/2 inch of olive oil in an 8-inch non-stick skillet. When oil is hot add 3 eggplant shells and in a single layer and slowly fry turning once until they collapse and attached pulp is tender and golden brown — about 3 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels and fry the rest of the eggplant shells, Arrange the eggplant shells in a shallow baking dish. Fill each shell with pureed mixture, mounding it slightly in the center. Sprinkle reserved Gruyere cheese on top and drizzle with honey. Bake in the upper third of your oven for 20 minutes or until puree browns on top. You can prepare these up to 4 hours ahead and bake when ready.