Caponata With Fennel, Olives and Raisins

"Caponata is a Sicilian specialty typically served as a relish or side dish. It also works as an appetizer on bread rounds. Roberta Gangi: Few salads epitomize Sicilian cuisine as much as caponata, which probably takes its name from an essential ingredient (though not the principal one), capers. Like so much of Sicilian cuisine, caponata comes to us from the Arabs. Indeed, a case could be made that their contributions to Sicilian food, and to some extent the Sicilian language, are the Arabs' most enduring legacy in the living culture of twenty-first century Sicily. There are various recipes for caponata; some include artichokes or sweet peppers. In order of amount, the necessary ingredients are eggplants (aubergines), celery, green olives, tomatoes (a modern addition), onions, capers, virgin olive oil, vinegar, sugar. The ingredients must be prepared carefully. The celery, for example, should not be overcooked and must remain firm. The cured or salted capers must be thoroughly rinsed. The aubergines may be steamed slightly and then sautéed, though some purists prefer frying. The histories of human migrations are full of agricultural introductions; domesticated wheat probably arrived in Sicily only around 7,000 BC. Like many fruits and vegetables, aubergines (Solanum Melongena) may have been known to the ancient Romans, perhaps as something encountered on the eastern fringes of their Empire. The eggplant is native to southern India. It was introduced in the Mediterranean region by the Arabs in their rapid expansion ever westward from the Middle East. Chilled caponata, with its slightly exotic aroma and taste, is the perfect complement to the cold salads of summer, but is enjoyable year round. If somebody in Sicily offers you "Baroque" caponata they plan to sprinkle powdered unsweetened Modica Chocolate over it just before serving --an interesting touch but not welcome by all diners. Here's a basic recipe."
 
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photo by Phil Franco photo by Phil Franco
photo by Phil Franco
Ready In:
1hr 15mins
Ingredients:
11
Serves:
6
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ingredients

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directions

  • Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add eggplant, bell peppers, fennel, and garlic; sauté 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 sugar, salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Serve at room temperature. Makes 6 cups.

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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Hi!! <br><table> <tr><td></table> <br><img src='http://www.recipezaar.com/members/home/58382/Phil%20Franco.jpg'></td><td> <br> <br>Updated January, 2008. I worked for the Navy for 38 years prior to my present job as a research engineer with Penn State University. I'm originally from Long Island. I met my wife, Grace Mastellone, when I was 16 and she was 13. We've been married since 1963 and we've been living in Pennsylvania since 1974. We have two married sons and 5 grand children. We enjoy eating out at Italian restaurants as well as Applebees.</td></tr></table> <br><embed type=application/x-shockwave-flash wmode=transparent src=http://w141.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http://w141.photobucket.com/albums/r78/philfranco/1166725960.pbw height=480 width=600> <br>VENICE <br> <br><embed src=http://www.youtube.com/v/lTOy32KzG0E type=application/x-shockwave-flash wmode=transparent width=525 height=450></embed> <br> <br> We have two sons, Philip and Joseph. <br><img src='http://www.recipezaar.com/members/home/58382/boysnew.jpg'> <br>Our son Joe is a professional body builder. His website is <a href=http://www.Fitfranco.com>www.FitFranco.com</a> <br><img src='http://www.recipezaar.com/members/home/58382/Joe.jpg'> <br> <br><embed src=http://www.youtube.com/v/curTOTUJVOs&rel=1 type=application/x-shockwave-flash wmode=transparent width=425 height=355></embed> <br> <br>More Body Building pictures of <a href=http://franco_j.tripod.com/2006joecontest.html>Joe</a>Joe won this <a href=http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/2006ocbgoldtri.htm>contest</a> <br> <br> <br> <br>Not all carbohydrate foods are created equal, in fact they behave quite differently in our bodies. The glycemic index or GI describes this difference by ranking carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels. Choosing low GI carbs - the ones that produce only small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels - is the secret to long-term health reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes and is the key to sustainable weight loss. This <a href=http://www.glycemicindex.com/>free GI database</a> can be used to find the GI value of your favorite carbohydrate foods that have been tested over the past 25 years from all around the world. You can also check the glycemic load (GL) and grams of carbohydrate per serving. <br> <br>We also have 5 grandchildren. A picture of Phil and Tricia's three boys: <br><img src='http://www.recipezaar.com/members/home/58382/grandsonsnew.jpg'> <br> <br>Philip at a Giants game: <br><img src='http://www.recipezaar.com/members/home/58382/Phil.jpg'> <br> <br> <br>Lucas and Angelina were 3 in March of 2006. This is their picture: <br><img src='http://www.recipezaar.com/members/home/58382/cousinsnew.jpg'> <br> <br>Anthony in is the youngest of the grandkids. He was born on 1-11-06. This is his picture: <img src='http://www.recipezaar.com/members/home/58382/Anthonynew.jpg'> <br> <br> Anthony's Baptism: A picture of my Mom, my wife Grace, Anthony and my sister, Marianne. <br><img src='http://www.recipezaar.com/members/home/58382/baptismnew.jpg'> <br> <br>This is a picture of Mom and Pop. He died in December of 2005 at the age of 94. We miss him dearly. He also liked to cook. <br><img src='http://www.recipezaar.com/members/home/58382/mom_popnew.jpg'> <br> <br> <br>I have a collection of several Italian cookbooks and I enjoy cooking with my wife. In the past five years we've visited Italy 4 times and each time I come back several pounds heavier. <br> <br> The thing that bothers me most are nuisance telephone calls, especially at dinner time. <br> <br> <br>One of my favorite foods is pizza and in particular <li><a href=http://www.recipezaar.com/mycookbook/book/62122>Pizza Rustica!!!</a></li> which we usually make for Easter. <br> <br>I enjoy spending a quiet evening at a local restaurant with my wife. We also get pleasure with our grandkids at our beach house in Ocean City, New Jersey. We have part of the first floor in this triplex. <br> <br><img src='http://www.recipezaar.com/members/home/58382/condonew.jpg'> <br> <br>That's our family in Ocean City,NJ in 2002. Since then we've <br>added three grandchildren. <br><img src='http://www.recipezaar.com/members/home/58382/Familynew.jpg'></td></tr></table>
 
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