I admit it, I am a foodie whore! I love the covers on all food magazines. I am not sure which I love the best or for that matter if I even love them because of the food or just the photos. I use to be strictly a Food & Wine gal, then I added Bon Apetite when there was nothing else available on a layover and I discovered they had re-done their magazine and I loved it. Then after another layover in New York, I discovered the redone Gourmet and fell in love again, then along came Donna Hay and the list keeps growing and the stacks get bigger! But, I have to admit, I am really digging Gourmet and their pretty glossy covers! Every month when I am walking to our mail box and I see the package sticking out, I can hardly wait to see which one it it and I am always ripping off the plastic on the Gourmet before hitting the from door! Unfortunately, I have been so busy that I have not really had a chance to look through the August edition and now we are well into September, so last weekend I sat down and read through it! Not only are there some great articles this go around ; but, I am very excited to be trying out some new recipes!  Such as ……..

All day I was thinking about the Moroccan Eggplant Salad we would be having for dinner. I could not wait to make it! There really is nothing quit like the smell of cumin toasting and then being crushed while it is still slightly warm. Not to mention the charred almost burnt smell of eggplant. As I was peeling the blackened skin off it the eggplants you could really smell the smokiness between your fingers, so much so, that you could taste it just by inhaling – intoxicating! The blend of olive oil, red wine vinegar, the sweetness of red onion and coolness of parsley was the perfect paring! Even before I tasted it I knew this salad was going to be good ….

I had some heirloom tomatoes sitting out on the counter that were so ripe that you could smell summer, you know the smell of fresh tomato vines being slightly crushed between your fingertips as you pick one off of a vine, this smell was all over the kitchen. In fact these guys were bursting with juice and screaming summer when I pierced their skins with a knife. I coarsely chopped them, added some spicy salt and a sprinkling of smoky paprika and served it along side the eggplant salad.

All that was left was a nice glass of red wine and some warm pita breads – perfectly easy dinner!

Recipe