aikido and aubergines

[kirkcudbright]

Tonight I went to an aikido class at our spinoff dojo, led by Robert Choy, head instructor of the San Francisco dojo.

It wasn't a regular class night for them, so the class consisted of 4 black belts (Dave, Jay, and myself, from MIT; plus Heather, the head instructor of Kokikai Boston), and 4 orange belts (6th/5th kyu - just up from white belt). Incidentally, 3 of the 4 orange belts were a family - father, daughter, and nephew. Unfortunately, MIT Club Sports Council seems to be composed purely to thwart such family/community involvement. This is one reason Kokikai Boston exists, because its founders couldn't deal with the MIT shit anymore.

Okay, unexpected rant aside, it was a good class, and I'm sorry lyonesse missed it.

---

In other news, our 13 year old loves eggplant - at least this preparation.

From Sundays at the Moosewood Restaurant (which, ironically, is the only non-pure vegetarian Moosewood cookbook - they include fish recipes). Also, the recipe title is Eggplant "Coucharas" - the quotes are part of the name, implying that it's a veggie version of a traditional meat dish, but Teh Google is failing me. Whatever, it's good.

Eggplant Coucharas

2 medium eggplants with smooth skins
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 eggs, beaten
2½ cups grated cheddar cheese
½ cup grated romano cheese
¼ cup matzo meal or bread crumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

Stem the eggplants, and cut in half lengthwise. Cut each half crosswise into four pieces. Simmer eggplant chunks in water to cover for 15 minutes, or until pulp is tender. Drain and set aside to cool enough to handle. Use a spoon to separate pulp from skins, taking care not to tear the skins.

In a bowl, mash the eggplant pulp with garlic, and mix in remaining ingredients, except for ½ cup of the cheddar cheese and the nutmeg, and combine thoroughly. Add more matzo meal if the mixture seems too thin.

Place a skin, shiny side down, in the palm of your hand. Mound it with the eggplant mixture, and place on a well-oiled baking sheet. Continue until all the mixture is used (may not use all the skins). Sprinkle with reserved cheese and optional nutmeg. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Comments

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

Well, cuchara is the Spanish word for "spoon" and it sort of makes sense to call them eggplant "spoons" if you think of the skins like little spoons, or perhaps they mean something more like "spoonfuls". Anyway, sounds tasty.

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

Alternately, when I try my own hand at googling "Couchara," what I get are a lot of people's names. So perhaps this is eggplant as the Couchara family makes it :)

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

yeah, i'm pretty bummed too. but dragging my toe (which is now swollen up to the first joint) across a mat just seemed like a really bad idea :/

[kirkcudbright.livejournal.com]

There's a note that I didn't transcribe, which says This tasty eggplant gratin is baked on "spoons" of steamed eggplant skins. So I think you're right on the etimology.

Also, it's in the Jewish section of the cookbook, so it's definitely all about the family that makes it. :)

[kirkcudbright.livejournal.com]

Slippery canvas mats...

[kirkcudbright.livejournal.com]

I can also recommend soaking your foot in hot salt water (as hot as you can stand it, for as long as you can stand it).

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

yeah, i've been doing that, along with cutting away clearly dead flesh, swabbing on antibiotics, and covering the whole mess. in fact i can barely walk.

Robert Choy

[zyxwvut.livejournal.com]

Hey, I know him. He comes to Chun-Li's tests (not on the mat, probably because of politics).

Z

P.S.: Speaking of which, remind me to tell you an interesting conjecture on the part of nickykaa from ancillary conversations at your place last month.

Re: Robert Choy

[kirkcudbright.livejournal.com]

After class, he was talking about Nick, and I mentioned you, and he seemed to know who you were.

I was also talking with Dan McDougall Sensei after our recent seminar, and he implied that whatever went down with Nick and Kokikai was mostly to do with Jonathan Bannister Sensei, who (as I mentioned) has also recently left Kokikai. OTOH, Dan (who otherwise remembered Nick fondly) declined to involve himself at the time, figuring that it was something that Nick and Jonathan had to work out.

Argh. Or whatever. It was all before my time (and yours). Next time I'm in the Bay Area, I'm visiting your dojo as well as Golden Gate Kokikai.