oil smoke points

My friends and I were recently talking about the smoke point of oil and I recently ran into this chart.  I find that olive oil can really vary depending on brands, which I guess is a reason to find one you like and keep using it.

smoke points

Penzey's in NC - Breaking News

Just to let you know I will be applying to work at the new Penzey's in Raleigh.  They personally sent me a card to ask me to apply.  


I wish.  


Can't wait till it is open.  When will it be open?

Baba Ghanoush or eggplant over production recipe

I grew some eggplant plants from seed and then planted a few in the garden.  Yeah, they are productive.  So I tried my hand at Baba Ghanoush from this recipe from cooking light.

2 cups (serving size: 1/4 cup)

Ingredients

• 1  large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• Cooking spray
• 1/4  cup  pine nuts, toasted
• 3/4  teaspoon  cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
• 1/2  teaspoon  minced garlic
• 3  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 2  tablespoons  low-fat mayonnaise
• 2  tablespoons  tahini (roasted sesame seed paste)
• 1  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 3  tablespoons  chopped fresh parsley (I did not have any on hand)
• 
  

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Pierce eggplant several times with a fork; place on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until tender. Cut eggplant in half. Scoop out pulp; discard skins. Drain eggplant pulp in a colander for 30 minutes.

3. Place pine nuts, cumin seeds, and garlic in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Add eggplant, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, tahini, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to food processor. Process until smooth. Spoon eggplant mixture into a medium bowl; stir in parsley. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.

Review: Paperhand Puppet Intervention

Islands Unknown
3d takes on new meaning at the latest from the Paperhand Puppet Intervention.  We checked it out at the Forest Theater on UNC's campus.  It is literally in a forest and the stone work was done by the WPA.  The stone work is great but don't forget your seat cushion for this performance.  I needed a double personally.  As we ate our cherry tomato and tortellini salad, we listened to the Hush Puppies with their banjo and violin before the show.  The show was much more multimedia than I would have thought with puppets on stilts, puppets on heads and even a puppets in a shadowbox ending.  When a child with a frog puppethead throws up a water bottle to demonstrate pollution in the ocean you gotta love it.  Go see it.  Adults and children alike.  


You can still catch it at the Art Museum.  

pringles....yum

Nice, pringles in a vending machine at the beach.  Small bits of recycled potato in a perfectly shaped chip.