Win Movie Tickets to Private Screening of Julie and Julia in LA

(Meryl Streep as Julia Child. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.)

It's finally here! Julie and Julia is opening in theaters nationwide next Friday, August 7th.

However, 20 lucky Food Blogga readers will get a chance to see an early, private screening of the film in Los Angeles on Thursday, August 6th.

Here's how to win your free tickets!

Just tell me why you'd like to see the film.

For an extra chance at winning, tweet about this give-away, and let me know.
I'm @foodblogga

10 winners (each receiving 2 tickets) will be announced next Monday, August 3rd! Good luck, everybody!

More about Julie and Julia:
Read my movie review.
Check out my delicious day with Julie and Julia in LA.
Food Blogga is selected as Julie and Julia's "Blog of the Day"

A Recipe for Easy Baked Eggplant Parmigiana

I realize that most of the country is melting right now, and that everyone is looking for no-bake dinners and salads. But sometimes, in spite of the heat, a girl's gotta have some warm, belly-filling, Italian comfort food, like eggplant parmigiana, or more affectionately, eggplant parm. As far as I'm concerned, eggplant parm is a year-round food, but it's the best from August-October, prime eggplant season.

Eggplants have a long history. The earliest ones were grown in India between 4,000-5,000 years ago. Eggplant was introduced to the Mediterranean region in the early Medieval period. That's when Italians discovered eggplant, and they still prize it for its rich, creamy, flavorful flesh.

Eggplant parmesan, also known as melanzane alla Parmigiana or Parmigiana di melanzane, is a treasure of Neopolitan cuisine. It consists of thick slices of breaded eggplant that are fried in olive oil until golden then layered with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and basil and baked until bubbly.

In the US eggplant parmigiana is most commonly found at pizzerias, delis, and Italian-American mom-and-pop restaurants. It's typically inexpensive, delicious, and satisfying, but not low-cal. So if you love eggplant parm, but don't love the calories that come with it, then make your own baked eggplant parmigiana.

As for the hot weather, just crank your AC, then make a big batch of eggplant parm in your comfortably cool kitchen.



Baked Eggplant Parmigiana
Serves 4
Print recipe only here.

Traditionally, eggplant is fried in oil on the stove top. However, baking it drastically reduces the calories and fat without sacrificing flavor. Plus you get to eat more.

Eggplant:
2 large eggs
a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
a couple of pinches of salt
3/4 cup bread crumbs (preferably plain)
1/4 cup grated Reggiano-Parmigiano cheese
1 large eggplant, cut into 3/8-inch thick slices (yield 10-12 slices)

Marinara Sauce:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 shallot, diced
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano tomatoes*
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more if you like some heat)
a couple of pinches of salt
2 heaping tablespoons each of finely chopped fresh basil and parsley
3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Reggiano-Parmigiano cheese

1. In a small bowl, whisk eggs, crushed red pepper, and salt. Pour into a wide, shallow bowl or plate.

2. Mix breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup grated cheese in a separate wide, shallow bowl or plate.

3. Slice eggplant. Dip one slice at a time in the egg mixture, allowing excess to drip into the bowl. Dredge in the bread crumbs, ensuring that the entire slice of eggplant is coated with the crumbs. Place on a large baking sheet. Repeat with remaining slices.

4. Bake eggplant at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes, or until golden and crisp.

5. While the eggplant is cooking, the marinara sauce can be made. In a medium pot over medium heat, warm 2 teaspoons olive oil. Add shallots and saute 2-3 minutes or until translucent. Add the canned tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt. Stir until well combined. Reduce heat to medium-low. Let sauce lightly bubble for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Turn off heat. Stir in the fresh herbs.

6. To assemble the eggplant parmigiano, use either one 9-inch round or 8-inch square baking dish. Start by covering the bottom of the dish with a layer of marinara sauce. Add 4 slices of baked eggplant (larger slices on the bottom), and top with 1/3 of the shredded mozzarella and 1/3 of the grated cheese. Repeat two more times, or until all ingredients are used.

7. Bake at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until the sauce begins to bubble and the cheese turns golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

*San Marzano tomatoes are Italian plum tomatoes that are prized for their sweeter, less acidic flavor. They can be found in Italian specialty markets and some major supermarkets.

You might also like:

Farro with Grilled Vegetables Salad





Mediterranean Wheatberry Salad with Lentils and Chickpeas





Penne with Fresh Ricotta and Baby Heirloom Tomatoes





Here are a few more Mediterranean eggplant dishes you might like:
Eggplant Rolatini and Eggplant and Red Pepper Tapenade at Proud Italian Cook
Mediterranean Eggplant at Karina's Kitchen
Italian Grilled Eggplant Cakes at Andrea's Kitchen
Roasted Eggplant and Pepper Pasta Salad at What Geeks Eat
Lentil and Eggplant Pasta with Rosemary at Tofu for Two

Grilled Rib Eye Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Want to make your plain 'ol grilled steak suddenly sexy? Drizzle it with chimichurri sauce, a bold Argentinian sauce made from a mixture of herbs, garlic, oil, and vinegar.

In most Latin American and South American countries chimichurri sauce is used either as a marinade or a dipping sauce for grilled meats. Since chimchurri sauce is so flavorful and easy to make, it's becoming increasingly popular in The States as well.

Chimichurri sauce isn't just for grilled steak; it gets along beautifully with other grilled meats, such as chicken and pork, and even tastes great on seafood, eggs, tofu, vegetables, and many sandwiches.

So next time you make grilled steak, toss the A-1, and make a batch of chimchurri sauce instead. Then turn on some salsa music, and get ready to sizzle.

Grilled Rib Eye Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
Serves 2
Print recipe only here.

Chimichurri sauce can be made up to one week ahead. Just note that the garlic flavor will intensify over time. If that's not appealing to you, then either add the garlic later, or saute it first in some olive oil before adding it to the sauce.

Chimichurri Sauce:
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano OR 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/2 jalapeno (the more the seeds the hotter the flavor) OR 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 garlic clove

Steaks:
2 (8-ounce) rib eye steaks
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. For the chimichurri sauce, place all ingredients in a small processor; process until smooth. Alternatively, finely mince ingredients and whisk with oil and vinegar in a small bowl.

2. Place in an air-tight container for a minimum of 1 hour or up to several days in advance. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes prior to serving.

3. Preheat the grill to high.

4. Remove steaks from the refrigerator 15-20 minutes prior to grilling. Season them with salt and freshly ground black pepper and rest on the counter top.

5. Place steaks on the grill, and cook 4-5 minutes, or until lightly charred. Flip steaks over, and cook 5-6 minutes for medium rare. (For the most accurate results, use a meat thermometer. 135 degrees F is medium rare; 140 degreees F is medium; 150 degreees F is medium-well.)

6. Remove steaks from the grill, and place on a platter. Tent loosely with some tin foil, and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. (Don't skip this step! It will keep the steak juicy and tender on the inside.)

7. Plate your steaks, and drizzle with chimichurri sauce. Serve immediately.

You might also like:

The Southwest Hamburger

Grilled Steak Tacos with Watermelon-Mango-Jicama Salsa

Grilled Lamb Sandwich





Here are more chimichurri sauce recipes:
Chimichurri (made with capers) at Herbivoracious
Short Ribs with Chimichurri Sauce at From Argentina With Love
Steak with Mint Chimichurri Sauce at No Recipes
Chimichurri Sauce at ECurry

My Mom's Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffin Recipe

I wanted blueberry muffins a couple of weeks ago. Not just any blueberry muffins. I wanted my mom's blueberry muffins, because I have loved them since I was a little girl. So I made a phone call:

Me: "Hi, Mom. Could I have your recipe for blueberry muffins?"

Mom: "Oh, sure, honey." (Sounds of papers shuffling.) "Here it is -- my recipe for Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins."

Me: "Nooooo. I want your recipe for blueberry muffins."

Mom: "Honey, this is my recipe. It's the one from Jordan Marsh. I have been using it for as long as I can remember."

Me: "You mean all these years that I thought I was eating your blueberry muffins, I was actually eating Jordan Marsh's muffins?"

Mom: "I'm afraid so, honey. Do you still want it?"

Me: "Well, of course I still want it. But I won't call them Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins. I'll call them My Mom's Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins."



I gotta tell ya, it wasn't easy discovering my mom's blueberry muffins were actually Jordan Marsh's, the now defunct, but once hugely popular department store. I remember shopping at Jordan Marsh with my mom when I was a kid; it was the place where we bought shoes and handbags and kitchen appliances, but not blueberry muffins. That's because they didn't sell them in Rhode Island. For the beloved Jordan Marsh blueberry muffin -- a moist, cakey, berry-studded delight with an irresistible crunchy sugar topping -- you had to go to Massachusetts.

The iconic Jordan Marsh blueberry muffin was created by baker John Pupek in 1961. Pupek took pride in his muffins, folding in the blueberries by hand and overseeing the baking of each batch. Apparently his muffins were so delicious that they transformed disagreeable children into angels. After Jordan Marsh closed in 1990, Pupek opened his own bake shop where he sold the cherished Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins as well as other sweets made famous by the store. Much to the dismay of his loyal customers, Pupek closed shop in 2004. Physically worn out, the baker needed a rest. Upon his retirement, Pupek swore to never sell the Jordan Marsh muffin name. He told the Boston Globe, ''if people said they had a Jordan Marsh muffin and it was horrible, it would kill me."

Fortunately the treasured Jordan Marsh blueberry muffin recipe is available online and in some cookbooks, such as Nick Malgieri's How to Bake. Since we're in prime blueberry season, now is the perfect time to make a batch (or two) of these blueberry muffins. Just don't be surprised if after making them, you suddenly have a urge to toss your old blueberry muffin recipe, or to go shopping for a new pair of shoes.

My Mom's Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins
Makes 12 regular size muffins
Print recipe only here.

1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pint blueberries, rinsed and patted dry
1 teaspoon sugar for blueberries
1 teaspoon cinnamon for blueberries

Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line a 12-mold regular size muffin pan with paper muffins cups.

Using a hand mixer, cream butter, sugar, and salt until soft. Add eggs, and mix until light and fluffy. Mix the flour and baking powder together, and stir into the batter, alternating with the milk. Stir in the vanilla. Mix until just incorporated.

This is my mom's tip, and it works beautifully: In a small bowl, sprinkle blueberries with 1 teaspoon each sugar and cinnamon. Gently toss until well coated. Fold into the batter. Spoon batter into the 12 muffin cups.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are light gold and a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 5 minutes before removing each muffin and placing on a wire rack to cool.

You might also like these sweet blueberry treats:

Mom's Blueberry Sweet Rolls with Vanilla Glaze

Peach and Blueberry Galette

Lemony Blueberry Corn Bread with Basil

Food Blogga is Julie & Julia's "Blog of the Day"

(Meryl Streep as Julia Child. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.)

A few years ago when I was at the bookstore, I picked up a copy of Julie Powell's memoir Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment. It was described as the story of a woman, who within the span of one year, cooked all 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and then wrote a blog about it. I wanted to buy the book since I loved Julia Child, but I remember thinking to myself, "What the heck is a blog?"

I bought it, and less than 48 hours later, had finished reading it. Powell writes with passion and wit. Whether or not you like her sharp tongue and irreverent humor, you can't deny that the girl is a talented writer. So I was pleasantly surprised when I heard that her book was being made into a film. Three years after reading Julie & Julia and tens of thousands of food blogs later, I was tickled to actually meet Julie at a promotional event in LA.


(Amy Adams as Julie Powell. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures.)

Today I'm thrilled to announce that Food Blogga is "The Blog of the Day" on the official Julie & Julia movie web site. I am flattered to be among such esteemed company and to be associated with this delightful film.

Since today marks the 367th post on Food Blogga, it's safe to say that I have gotten the hang of this blogging business. Thanks, Julie. Plus I now know how to make a mean boeuf bourguignon. Thanks, Julia.