What is caponata and how do you make it?

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted post said:

Thought this was the same as carbonara but apparently not. Help!

George Shirley posted this a week or so back to rec.food.preserving:

George's Eggplant Caponata (freezable)

Serve as an antipasto, with pasta, over an omelet, or just chilled as a
sidedish.

1Ž4 cup olive oil
2 chopped onions
1 lb diced eggplant
4 or 5 chopped tomatoes (I like plum tomatoes best)
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 Tbspn capers
1Ž2 cup chopped green olives
2 Tbspn wine vinegar
2 Tbspn lemon juice
2 Tspn honey

Start with the oil and onion and then the eggplant and tomato and cook
for 30 minutes. Stir it occasionally. Then put everything else in and
cook for 10 more minutes. Chill and serve, serve hot if desired. Chill
and freeze.

If you don¹t have capers put in more olives. I often find
capers heavily discounted at Big Lots because most cooks around here
don¹t know what they are. I generally buy a couple of large bottles. If
you don¹t have lemons use more vinegar. Often you need to add a hit of
vinegar after thawing the frozen version to pep up the taste.

I often double or triple the recipe to make enough to freeze at one
time. For two people I put it in quart freezer containers although
pints would make more sense for two. Once frozen I then dump it into a
vac bag and seal it, last longer in the freezer without degrading that
way.

Recipe originally from Naomi Counides.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com - Fair baking

Melba's Jammin' <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

George Shirley posted this a week or so back to
rec.food.preserving:

George's Eggplant Caponata (freezable)

Serve as an antipasto, with pasta, over an omelet,
or just chilled as a sidedish.

1Z4 cup olive oil
2 chopped onions
1 lb diced eggplant
4 or 5 chopped tomatoes (I like plum tomatoes best)
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 Tbspn capers
1Z2 cup chopped green olives
2 Tbspn wine vinegar
2 Tbspn lemon juice
2 Tspn honey

Start with the oil and onion and then the eggplant
and tomato and cook for 30 minutes. Stir it
occasionally. Then put everything else in and
cook for 10 more minutes. Chill and serve, serve
hot if desired. Chill and freeze.

If you don¹t have capers put in more olives. I
often find capers heavily discounted at Big
Lots because most cooks around here don't
know what they are. I generally buy a couple
of large bottles. If you don't have lemons use
more vinegar. Often you need to add a hit of
vinegar after thawing the frozen version to pep
up the taste.

I often double or triple the recipe to make enough
to freeze at one time. For two people I put it in
quart freezer containers although pints would
make more sense for two. Once frozen I then
dump it into a vac bag and seal it, last longer
in the freezer without degrading that way.

What type of eggplant does he use, Italian, Japanese, Indian, or
the standard eggplant? If he uses the standard eggplant, does he
salt it prior to cutting it up to leach out the bitterness? Does
he keep the skin on or peel it off?

I like the recipe and plan on trying some today... I might add a
few peppers (jalapeno and Serrano) to two jars.

The Ranger

"[email hidden]" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Thought this was the same as carbonara but apparently not. Help!

It's more or less a eggplant veggie relish. I believe caponata means
eggplant

From http://www.basic-recipes.com/r/cap/caponata3.htm

Caponata

1 eggplant (diced, skin on)
1 medium onion, diced
1 (4 oz.) can mushrooms (drained)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
3 tablespoons of pignoli nuts (optional)
One 6 ounce can of tomato paste
1/4 cup of water
1 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 cup of olives, stuffed, sliced (3 oz. jar drained)

Simmer first six ingredients in covered skillet 15 minutes. Mix remaining
ingredients, then add to above and simmer 25 additional minutes or until
mushy. Serve with crackers (sesame, wheat, etc.).

Caponata

2 medium eggplants
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup of chopped plum tomatoes
1/4 cup of capers
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of basil
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Peel eggplant and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Heat oil in a large skillet.
Sauté garlic and eggplant until eggplant is lightly browned. Remove
eggplant from skillet. Add celery and onions to skillet, sauté until
tender. Add tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes. Drain capers. Add eggplant,
capers, vinegar, sugar, basil and salt. Simmer 5 minutes more. Remove
from heat. Chill in refrigerator. Serve with Italian bread. 8 servings.
--

The house of the burning beet-Alan

It'll be a sunny day in August, when the Moon will shine that night-
Elbonian Folklore

"The Ranger" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

What type of eggplant does he use, Italian, Japanese, Indian, or
the standard eggplant

Since the recipe is Italian, my money goes on Italian eggplant. I like the
hot pepper idea and also would suggest a little garlic roasted or not and a
bit of Italian seasoning blend.

--

The house of the burning beet-Alan

It'll be a sunny day in August, when the Moon will shine that night-
Elbonian Folklore

hahabogus said:

"[email hidden]" <[email hidden]> wrote innews:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Thought this was the same as carbonara but apparently not. Help!

It's more or less a eggplant veggie relish. I believe caponata means
eggplant

Fromhttp://www.basic-recipes.com/r/cap/caponata3.htm

Caponata

1 eggplant (diced, skin on)
1 medium onion, diced
1 (4 oz.) can mushrooms (drained)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
3 tablespoons of pignoli nuts (optional)
One 6 ounce can of tomato paste
1/4 cup of water
1 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 cup of olives, stuffed, sliced (3 oz. jar drained)

Simmer first six ingredients in covered skillet 15 minutes. Mix remaining
ingredients, then add to above and simmer 25 additional minutes or until
mushy. Serve with crackers (sesame, wheat, etc.).

Caponata

2 medium eggplants
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup of chopped plum tomatoes
1/4 cup of capers
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of basil
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Peel eggplant and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Heat oil in a large skillet.
Sauté garlic and eggplant until eggplant is lightly browned. Remove
eggplant from skillet. Add celery and onions to skillet, sauté until
tender. Add tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes. Drain capers. Add eggplant,
capers, vinegar, sugar, basil and salt. Simmer 5 minutes more. Remove
from heat. Chill in refrigerator. Serve with Italian bread. 8 servings.
--

The house of the burning beet-Alan

It'll be a sunny day in August, when the Moon will shine that night-
Elbonian Folklore

Love the sound of that recipe - nothing at all to do with pasta then!
How silly do I feel now!

Eggplant = aubergine in my language!

"[email hidden]" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Love the sound of that recipe - nothing at all to do with pasta then!
How silly do I feel now!

Well it is a little runny ...It could be used with a spiral noodle and
baked casserole style. Maybe thin it a tad with tomato sauce (not what
americans call ketchup but true tomato sauce) first though.

--

The house of the burning beet-Alan

It'll be a sunny day in August, when the Moon will shine that night-
Elbonian Folklore

<[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Thought this was the same as carbonara but apparently not. Help!

Caponata is a sicilian dish made with eggplants, celery, tomatoes, etc.
This is my pic:
http://i17.tinypic.com/4pvam29.jpg
and this is my recipe:

EGGPLANTS CAPONATA (sicilian recipe)

Category: vegetable
Yield: 6 porzioni
Preparation time: 1 h
Source: Pandora

700 gr eggplants
50 gr green olives - stoned
1 tbs capers
4 stalks celery - only the white part
1 tbs pine-seeds
200 gr fresh tomatoes - ripe; peeled and cut in
-little cubes
1 tbs raisins - softned for about 10 minutes in a
-colewarm water
1 tbs sugar
1/4 glass red vinegar - (I have put my white
-tarragon vinegar)
1 onion - I have put a red onion (Tropea variety)
-cut in thin slices
peanut oil - for frying
a pinch salt
a pinch pepper

Wash and dry eggplants, then cut them in cubes of about 0,78 inches (2 cm).
Put them in a colanderwith salt and let them sit for about one hour. Then
wash and dry them.
Fry them in a lot of seed oil then, when they have took colour, dry on a
kitchen paper; set aside.
Cut the celery stalks in pieces of about 0,78 inches (2 cm) and fry them in
the same oil (dry when they are golden). Dry on a kitchen paper and set
aside.
Now throw away about the most of the fried oil and brown the onions; then
put also tomatoes. After 10 minutes, add: sugar and vinegar, capers,
pine-seeds, squeezed raisins , celery and eggplants. Season with salt and
pepper. Let cook on a sweet fire for about 15 minutes and mixing often.
Serve the dish cold because it's better than hot.

Nutritional facts per serving (daily value): Calories 68kcal; Protein 2g
(4%); Total Fat 1g (2%)(Sat. 0g (1%)); Chol. 0mg (0%); Carb. 14g (5%); Fiber
5g (22%); Sugars 8g; Calcium 37mg (4%); Iron 1mg (4%)
----------

Esportato da Shop'NCook Menu 3.4.2 (http://www.shopncook.com/it)

--
Kisses
Pandora

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]
says...

Quoted message said:

Melba's Jammin' <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

George Shirley posted this a week or so back to
rec.food.preserving:

George's Eggplant Caponata (freezable)

Serve as an antipasto, with pasta, over an omelet,
or just chilled as a sidedish.

1Z4 cup olive oil
2 chopped onions
1 lb diced eggplant
4 or 5 chopped tomatoes (I like plum tomatoes best)
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 Tbspn capers
1Z2 cup chopped green olives
2 Tbspn wine vinegar
2 Tbspn lemon juice
2 Tspn honey

Start with the oil and onion and then the eggplant
and tomato and cook for 30 minutes. Stir it
occasionally. Then put everything else in and
cook for 10 more minutes. Chill and serve, serve
hot if desired. Chill and freeze.

If you don¹t have capers put in more olives. I
often find capers heavily discounted at Big
Lots because most cooks around here don't
know what they are. I generally buy a couple
of large bottles. If you don't have lemons use
more vinegar. Often you need to add a hit of
vinegar after thawing the frozen version to pep
up the taste.

I often double or triple the recipe to make enough
to freeze at one time. For two people I put it in
quart freezer containers although pints would
make more sense for two. Once frozen I then
dump it into a vac bag and seal it, last longer
in the freezer without degrading that way.

What type of eggplant does he use, Italian, Japanese, Indian, or
the standard eggplant? If he uses the standard eggplant, does he
salt it prior to cutting it up to leach out the bitterness? Does
he keep the skin on or peel it off?

I like the recipe and plan on trying some today... I might add a
few peppers (jalapeno and Serrano) to two jars.

I would skip the peppers - caponata is supposed to be mildly sweet/sour,
not spicy. I would use sugar instead of honey, and some pine nuts are a
nice addition.

--
Peter Aitken

Peter wrote on Wed, 22 Aug 2007 16:01:43 -0400:

PA> In article <[email hidden]>,
PA> [email hidden] says...
??>> Melba's Jammin' <[email hidden]> wrote in
??>> message
news:[email hidden]...
??>>
??>> I like the recipe and plan on trying some today... I might
??>> add a few peppers (jalapeno and Serrano) to two jars.

PA> I would skip the peppers - caponata is supposed to be
PA> mildly sweet/sour, not spicy. I would use sugar instead of
PA> honey, and some pine nuts are a nice addition.

One of my local supermarkets sells it at its "olive bar". It
*is* very good and I will have to try to make it. The caponata
that I liked was not particularly hot.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

Pandora said:

<[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggionews:[email hidden]...> Thought this was the same as carbonara but apparently not. Help!

Caponata is a sicilian dish made with eggplants, celery, tomatoes, etc.
This is my pic:http://i17.tinypic.com/4pvam29.jpg
and this is my recipe:

EGGPLANTS CAPONATA (sicilian recipe)

Category: vegetable
Yield: 6 porzioni
Preparation time: 1 h
Source: Pandora

700 gr eggplants
50 gr green olives - stoned
1 tbs capers
4 stalks celery - only the white part
1 tbs pine-seeds
200 gr fresh tomatoes - ripe; peeled and cut in
-little cubes
1 tbs raisins - softned for about 10 minutes in a
-colewarm water
1 tbs sugar
1/4 glass red vinegar - (I have put my white
-tarragon vinegar)
1 onion - I have put a red onion (Tropea variety)
-cut in thin slices
peanut oil - for frying
a pinch salt
a pinch pepper

Wash and dry eggplants, then cut them in cubes of about 0,78 inches (2 cm).
Put them in a colanderwith salt and let them sit for about one hour. Then
wash and dry them.
Fry them in a lot of seed oil then, when they have took colour, dry on a
kitchen paper; set aside.
Cut the celery stalks in pieces of about 0,78 inches (2 cm) and fry them in
the same oil (dry when they are golden). Dry on a kitchen paper and set
aside.
Now throw away about the most of the fried oil and brown the onions; then
put also tomatoes. After 10 minutes, add: sugar and vinegar, capers,
pine-seeds, squeezed raisins , celery and eggplants. Season with salt and
pepper. Let cook on a sweet fire for about 15 minutes and mixing often.
Serve the dish cold because it's better than hot.

Nutritional facts per serving (daily value): Calories 68kcal; Protein 2g
(4%); Total Fat 1g (2%)(Sat. 0g (1%)); Chol. 0mg (0%); Carb. 14g (5%); Fiber
5g (22%); Sugars 8g; Calcium 37mg (4%); Iron 1mg (4%)
----------

Esportato da Shop'NCook Menu 3.4.2 (http://www.shopncook.com/it)

Yes, eggplant caponata is a traditional Sicilian dish... the recipe
above is accurate (but should be a bit less runny), and often contains
white raisins too sometimes fennel bulb, and somer add anchovy.
Progresso foods used to produce eggplant caponata packaged in six
ounce cans the same size as tomato paste cans.

caponata with fennel, olives, and raisins
Bon App?[censored] | January 2005

Gemma Sanita Sciabica of Modesto, California, writes: "My husband's
family produces olive oil, and I'm the company's recipe developer. We
often hear from customers who love our oil but complain that they
don't have the time to cook. Their comments inspired me to share my
favorite recipes, which show just how simple great Italian food can
be."
Caponata is a Sicilian specialty typically served as a relish or side
dish. It also works as an appetizer on bread rounds.

Makes 6 cups.

6 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds unpeeled eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
3 cups coarsely chopped red bell peppers
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh fennel bulb (about 1 medium)
6 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 1/4 cups tomato sauce
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-
high heat. Add eggplant, bell peppers, fennel, and garlic; saut? until
eggplant is tender, about 10 minutes. Add olives and raisins, then mix
in tomato sauce and vinegar. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and
simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and simmer until
caponata is thick and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally,
about 15 minutes longer. Mix in basil. Season caponata to taste with
salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Serve at room temperature.
---

Sheldon

Sheldon said:

Progresso foods used to produce eggplant caponata packaged in six
ounce cans the same size as tomato paste cans.

They had it in two sizes, 3 and 6 oz., I think.

It was very good and very reasonably priced.
I miss it.

"Mark Thorson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Sheldon said:

Progresso foods used to produce eggplant caponata packaged in six
ounce cans the same size as tomato paste cans.

They had it in two sizes, 3 and 6 oz., I think.

It was very good and very reasonably priced.
I miss it.

Go on and make some up yourself, and prepare to freeze some too. It seems
most recipes make quite a lot, about 1-2 quarts of caponata. I tried using
various "Italian" herbs, but I like it better with just plain veggies,
excepting of course parsley. I like a pinch or three of hot pepper flakes,
but I don't want this dish spicy, better bland.
m2cw
Edrena

The Joneses said:

"Mark Thorson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Sheldon wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Progresso foods used to produce eggplant caponata packaged in six
ounce cans the same size as tomato paste cans.

Quoted message said:

They had it in two sizes, 3 and 6 oz., I think.

Quoted message said:

It was very good and very reasonably priced.
I miss it.

Go on and make some up yourself, and prepare to freeze some too. It seems
most recipes make quite a lot, about 1-2 quarts of caponata. I tried using
various "Italian" herbs, but I like it better with just plain veggies,
excepting of course parsley. I like a pinch or three of hot pepper flakes,
but I don't want this dish spicy, better bland.

No need to freeze caponata... when properly prepared it's self
preserving... can keep in the fridge for rmonths. But of course a
couple-three quarts will be eaten in less then two weeks. Eggplant
caponata is very addictive.

Also an important aspect is how the individual ingredients are
prepared, for instance the eggplant is not peeled and properly done
i'ts sliced in long narrow uniform strips... all the other ingredients
are prepared uniformly too. Eggplant caponata is not cobbled together
[censored] nilly, it's a very precisely orchestrated dish, actually a work
of art..

Caponata doesn't freeze well anyway, it'll turn to mush.

On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 20:10:37 +0200, "Pandora" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Thought this was the same as carbonara but apparently not. Help!

Caponata is a sicilian dish made with eggplants, celery, tomatoes, etc.
This is my pic:
http://i17.tinypic.com/4pvam29.jpg
and this is my recipe:

EGGPLANTS CAPONATA (sicilian recipe)

recipe snipped and saved

Looks delicious. I can't wait to try it.

koko
---
http://www.kokoscorner.typepad.com
updated 8/21

"There is no love more sincere than the love of food"
George Bernard Shaw

email hidden said:

Thought this was the same as carbonara but apparently not. Help!

LOLOL! I guess you got a big surprise. At least they are both good
to eat. 😉

--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for the chicken, a lifetime commitment for the pig.

The Ranger said:

What type of eggplant does he use, Italian, Japanese, Indian, or
the standard eggplant? If he uses the standard eggplant, does he
salt it prior to cutting it up to leach out the bitterness? Does
he keep the skin on or peel it off?

I rarely salt eggplant and have never been sorry when I didn't. I'd
use just about any type for it. I think Japanese and Indian (the
round ones) would be great caponata.

Quoted message said:

I like the recipe and plan on trying some today... I might add a
few peppers (jalapeno and Serrano) to two jars.

Well, let's just say that's "different".

--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for the chicken, a lifetime commitment for the pig.

email hidden said:

Love the sound of that recipe - nothing at all to do with pasta then!

You could combine it with pasta - I think it would be tastey. Try it,
you might like it.

Quoted message said:

How silly do I feel now!

Don't. It's an honest mistake, made by a non-Italian speaker.

--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for the chicken, a lifetime commitment for the pig.

The Ranger said:

Melba's Jammin' <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

George Shirley posted this a week or so back to
rec.food.preserving:

George's Eggplant Caponata (freezable)

Serve as an antipasto, with pasta, over an omelet,
or just chilled as a sidedish.

1Z4 cup olive oil
2 chopped onions
1 lb diced eggplant
4 or 5 chopped tomatoes (I like plum tomatoes best)
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 Tbspn capers
1Z2 cup chopped green olives
2 Tbspn wine vinegar
2 Tbspn lemon juice
2 Tspn honey

Start with the oil and onion and then the eggplant
and tomato and cook for 30 minutes. Stir it
occasionally. Then put everything else in and
cook for 10 more minutes. Chill and serve, serve
hot if desired. Chill and freeze.

If you don¹t have capers put in more olives. I
often find capers heavily discounted at Big
Lots because most cooks around here don't
know what they are. I generally buy a couple
of large bottles. If you don't have lemons use
more vinegar. Often you need to add a hit of
vinegar after thawing the frozen version to pep
up the taste.

I often double or triple the recipe to make enough
to freeze at one time. For two people I put it in
quart freezer containers although pints would
make more sense for two. Once frozen I then
dump it into a vac bag and seal it, last longer
in the freezer without degrading that way.

What type of eggplant does he use, Italian, Japanese, Indian, or
the standard eggplant? If he uses the standard eggplant, does he
salt it prior to cutting it up to leach out the bitterness? Does
he keep the skin on or peel it off?

I like the recipe and plan on trying some today... I might add a
few peppers (jalapeno and Serrano) to two jars.

The Ranger

In his recipe for Moussaka he says he uses Ichiban eggplant. No
salting.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

hahabogus said:

"[email hidden]" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Thought this was the same as carbonara but apparently not. Help!

It's more or less a eggplant veggie relish. I believe caponata means
eggplant

From http://www.basic-recipes.com/r/cap/caponata3.htm

Caponata

1 eggplant (diced, skin on)
1 medium onion, diced
1 (4 oz.) can mushrooms (drained)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
3 tablespoons of pignoli nuts (optional)
One 6 ounce can of tomato paste
1/4 cup of water
1 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 cup of olives, stuffed, sliced (3 oz. jar drained)

Simmer first six ingredients in covered skillet 15 minutes. Mix remaining
ingredients, then add to above and simmer 25 additional minutes or until
mushy. Serve with crackers (sesame, wheat, etc.).

Caponata

2 medium eggplants
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup of chopped plum tomatoes
1/4 cup of capers
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of basil
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Peel eggplant and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Heat oil in a large skillet.
Sauté garlic and eggplant until eggplant is lightly browned. Remove
eggplant from skillet. Add celery and onions to skillet, sauté until
tender. Add tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes. Drain capers. Add eggplant,
capers, vinegar, sugar, basil and salt. Simmer 5 minutes more. Remove
from heat. Chill in refrigerator. Serve with Italian bread. 8 servings.

how does this differ from ratatouille? other than ratatouille usually
also has zucchini?

your pal,
blake