Obligatory Posting Title Goes Here

Sorry, couldn't think of a clever title. My brain is all used up! Things are super, super busy at work, which is a good thing, I guess! And I am busy in my spare time doing work for my Reserve job. It just never ends! In what few moments I do have that aren't taken up by work or children, Hubs and I are enjoying Top Chef Masters. I just absolutely love watching these famous, award winning chefs being put through the ringer, and watching some of them has made me add a few more restaurants to my must visit list! I am also enjoying the current season of So You Think You Can Dance. I so prefer this show to American Idol. It is the only show I watch where I consistently have at least one moment per episode where I am moved to either cry or laugh out loud because the art is just so beautiful.

It is looking like this week and next are going to continue to be incredibly busy at work. My parents are arriving Thursday night and staying through the weekend, then the bonus kiddos come for the summer, and next week I leave again for Colorado and Virginia. So...the radio silence may be happening a bit more often than I would wish at least for the near future. But, before I go, here's another quickie recipe that is a great fit for just about everyone (unless you ahppen to hate eggplant, that is). When my in-laws were here we purchased some gorgeous eggplants at the farmer's market because my FIL mentioned he absolutely loved eggplant. It wasn't until I got home and started preparing it that I realized he (of the Italian descent) meant he liked it fried. lol! Anyway, here's the way I like to make it:

Pu's Garlic Eggplant

2 regular or Chinese eggplants
3-4 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
1 scallion, diced
4 Tbsp soy sauce
1 TB rice vinegar
1 TB Shaoxing wine
1/2 tsp sugar
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4lb ground pork (optional)
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1 TB chili garlic sauce
1 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 TB water (to thicken the sauce)

Peel & chop the eggplants into 1 inch pieces. Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a wok or pan over medium-high heat and stir-fry the eggplant for about 5-7 minutes or until the eggplant softens and begins to carmelize. Remove the eggplant from the pan and add the last tbsp of oil to the pan. Add the garlic, ginger and scallion and cook very briefly before the adding the ground pork (if you are using meat--otherwise make sure your sauce is already made and skip to the next step right away). While the pork it cooking, make your garlic sauce by combining the soy sauce, rice vinegar, Shaoxing wine, sugar, pepper, garlic chili sauce and chicken broth. Stir-fry until the pork turns white and is nearly cooked, then return the eggplant to the pan and stir-fry for an additional minute for a minute to mix everything together. Quickly stir the garlic sauce in. Turn down the heat to low-medium cover and simmer for about 5-7 minutes, or until the eggplant is very tender. Mix the cornstarch and water together and add the mixture to the middle of the pan, stirring quickly to thicken. Serve over rice.