Where there’s smoke, there doesn’t have to be fire

It was 7pm, my pre-dinner hour, and I gazed hungrily upon my kitchen and its tools. I realized that I was in dire need of some sort of Italian-style grill dish. I had some lovely eggplant on hand and plenty of basil, but I couldn’t think of how to produce that smoky flavor I hungered for. Too cold to call my one friend with an illegally-located outdoor grill, and too obviously without an indoor griddle, I paced as far as my studio apartment would permit and took an inspirational sip of Syrah.

And then it hit me. The grill, in all its fiery glory, does not have to be the sole deliverer of smoky cuisine. The ingredients themselves, and your humble oven, can harness just the same delectably-charred flavor.

So I dashed out, around the corner, and picked up some smoked mozzarella from Union Market. And before I had the chance to unwrap this salty, auburn-flecked fromage, my oven door was agape, and eggplant was headed yonder for a long waft of high heat, baba ghanoush-style. These two ingredients – smoked mozzarella and eggplant, sliced thinly – were the keys to the Italian-style grill I yearned for, without all the charcoal fanfare. By extracting the bitterness out of eggplant and importing mellow smokiness through roasting, I had some gorgeously charred veggies on hand. Paired with thin tears of the smoked mozzarella and some basil, this untraditional caprese is really a nice contrast in texture and flavor.

And while I was up to this kitchen mischief, I thought why not whip up an unexpectedly light main course to go with this strongly-flavored salad. That’s just what I did here with whole wheat spaghetti with leeks and calamari. The filling spaghetti gets a light coating with olive oil sautéed with leeks, garlic, and crisped up calamari, along with a good handful of chopped parsley.

Next time you gaze longingly upon a recipe, while remembering that you lack this kitchen tool or that, take a good long stare at what actually lies tucked away in your kitchen drawers…or a sip of Syrah! Before you know it, you’ll be controlling the flavor output in your kitchen, not vice versa, and your guests will taste the benefits.

Serves 4
2 small eggplants (smaller eggplants are better in texture and cook up faster)

2 large tomatoes, red or yellow
1 large ball of smoked mozzarella
fresh basil (a couple leaves)
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly-ground black pepper

-Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
-Line a sheet pan with foil. Slice eggplant ¼ inch thick.
-Dump eggplant slices into a colander and sprinkle salt over them. Place in sink and let eggplant sit for about ½ hour. The salt will drain out the bitter juices in the eggplant, which will allow them to better soak up the oil when in the oven.
-Next, dump eggplant onto sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Let cook for about 35 minutes, turning once, or until cooked through and slightly charred.
-Meanwhile thinly slice/tear mozzarella.
-Roll up basil leaves and slice thinly.

-Slice tomatoes into 1/4 inch rounds.
-In a small dish, whisk together about 1/8 cup of olive oil with about 4 tablespoons of vinegar.
-When the eggplant has cooled just slightly, layer decoratively with mozzarella. Drizzle with vinaigrette and season with salt and freshly-cracked pepper. Garnish with basil.