Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant

This weekend Alan returned to northern Wisconsin to visit family, and I fended for myself it Marquette. I was hoping the alone time would allow for some much needed creativity and even more needed productivity. Although I cannot not deduce if I was as creative or productive as I needed to be, (I may have been—I don't know) I did pick up a new pick book. Elizabeth a fellow TA in the English department (and one of the five people who reads this blog) encouraged me to stop by Snowbound Books on Friday while she was working.

I didn't expect to find a book, but among the new arrivals was Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant. The front cover is purple and has a photo of an eggplant, my power vegetable. I was instantly drawn to it. The book is a collection of essay about cooking and eating alone. I have read about half of the essays so far, and most of them are either insightful or funny. "The Legend of Salsa Rosa" by Ben Karlin, a UW Madison alum, told the story of a young Ben learning to cook in Italy during a semester abroad. His hit dish, Salsa Rosa, which he made to impress all of his friends and family when he returned from Italy, ends up not being Italian at all. Another local interest essay was "Asparagus Superhero" by Phoebe Nobles. Her essay explores all things asparagus in Michigan, including asparagus pee. (Don't be ashamed—we've all had it.) Overall, this collection of essays was the perfect fit for my weekend. It had good insights on not only eating alone, but being alone as well.

So, the big question is: what did I eat this weekend? Friday's dinner was baked Superior trout, roasted brussel sprouts, and a roasted beet with goat cheese salad. (I am including a picture, but I took it with my phone so it isn't the best quality). Saturday night I cooked up a graham masala with veggies from the farmers market. In the midst of the fall harvest, I am alone, but with much more than just an eggplant, and Alan is returning soon too.