Cream puffs, caviar and the cool kids' table

I keep forgetting to take my camera with me on weekend outings, so no new photos to share. I really wanted some of the Russian Fashion Week event our friend Denis invited us to a show of Olga Romina’s designs. I actually really liked some of her designs…skirts with billowing extra fabric and large, deep pockets so you can imagine walking down the streets in September with your hands in your pockets and think, “Yeah, this is me walking in my poofy skirt that feels like a mini-toga and a soft breeze is blowing around my panties and I feel fine.” And, to my delight, all of her models wore Chuck Taylors in varying colors and heights. Just an hour earlier I had been arguing with Jason that Chuck Taylor’s never go out of style. Obviously, I win.

My favorite moment in the show happened when one of the models walked out in a pair of hi-top white Chucks and a dress that closely resembled a cream puff. I couldn’t even find arm holes. On cue, a blond woman in “hip lady” glasses ooohed and clapped silently for the cream puff, obviously approving of the dress, despite the fact that it does not enable the wearer to go the bathroom, fit through doors or avoid being compared to pastry. Jason and I discussed said dress afterwards. He liked it, thought it was cool-looking, and you know, pushing the boundaries of “wearable” and traditional modes of clothing, blah blah blah. I agree with him, really…I actually liked the design with the brown hullahoop covered in flopping brown leaf-things that the designer intended these poor women to sling over their shoulder as part of the ensemble. But cream puff? My parents made me a pumpkin costume when I was four that looks strikingly similar to that design, but at least I could hold my fucking candy bucket.

I have a student in my English class, Natalie, who likes good music, so we’ve been trading music. I should say, I tried…I gave a list of my favorite bands that Relatively Few People know about, but she had heard them all. So, again, I’m the one getting the recommendations. A long while back I realized that I would always be the indie fan who had just heard the great new album or movie that everyone had seen and listened to, like, two days ago. It’s was like that in Chicago…between Joel Reamer and Cripe and Jake Mohan, I couldn’t keep up. Never will either. Am I OK with that? More or less. Some days I want to be sitting at the cool kids table though, I’ll admit it.

But then, I'll always have eggplant caviar.

EGGPLANT CAVIAR

Ingredients:
One large or two small eggplants (Japanese purple are best, but more expensive)
One can crushed tomatoes, plain
Three cloves garlic, finely diced (don’t use that silly shit in a jar either)
One small red onion, finely diced
Tomato paste
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Fresh cilantro

Peel the eggplant. Dice into small pieces, about the size of the end of your pointer finger. Then stick on a plate, and salt heavily. I mean heavy. Don’t worry about the saltiness; it will be washed off. Let sit for 30 min-hour. The eggplant will now begin oozing brown water, and this is a good thing. Slice up the rest of the veggies while you wait, then put the eggplant pieces in a strainer and rinse, then squeeze the excess water out. This is important! If your eggplant is stuffed up with extra water, or isn’t soft enough, you will get hard and chewy eggplant, and that crap will give you gas. So squeeze, love the eggplant. Now, heat up about 4 tablespoons of olive oil at medium in a medium sauce pan (that’s the one you make ramen in). You can add more oil if you’re feeling crazy - I almost always do. Once the oil is hot (it will sizzle drops of water), add onion. Cook till the onion is translucent, then toss in the garlic and eggplant, turn the heat to low. Now, don’t touch! Leave uncovered and alone for 5-10 minutes, till the eggplant looks brownish and smooshy. Then add one tablespoon of tomato paste and a teaspoon of red wine vinegar, and turn up heat. In five minutes add tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste till tomatoes are mushy and the whole mess looks like sloppy goo. Finely chop about 3 tablespoons of fresh cilantro (never use dried), add to caviar, and serve warm with toast, grilled pita bread, or crackers. This goes lovely with cheese, and I add a bit of crushed red pepper cause I like it hot, baby.