5/13/2010

Eggplant: Love it or loathe it?

Original post by Nancy Luna - Orange Country Register

I get asked to judge a lot of food contests — a fun part of the job.

But, when Zov’s Bistro asked me to sample eggplant recipes from amateur Orange County cooks — I struggled to find an excuse to skip out.

However, any contest run by Zov Karamardian — Orange County’s Queen of Upscale Mediterranean cuisine — is a must experience for any foodie.

Plus, Zov is convincing. Here’s what she says about the funny-looking purple vegetable: “Eggplant is a widely misunderstood vegetable that evokes strong passions among gourmands….they either love or loathe it.” The poor eggplant.

I should give it a chance, I thought.

Zov with winner Jihan Assi

So we took our seats, tasted each dish Wednesday and named a winner from four worthy contestants. The best part of judging was sitting next to Zov, listening to her culinary comments on each dish.

“Eggplant should be cooked all the way through. Never al dente.” “Cinnamon is the secret ingredient in many good dishes.”

After the scores were tallied, Jihan Assi’s stuffed eggplant was crowned the ultimate winner. The Tustin resident’s dish called for mini-size eggplants stuffed with ground beef, onions and tomatoes. Every bite was tender and flavorful. (Read Zov’s blog for the recipe)

“All of the entries were tasty, but Jihan’s stuffed eggplant really captured all of the criteria that we were looking for – taste, texture, presentation and originality,” said Zov, whose critically-acclaimed eggplant sandwich is a signature item on her Tustin bistro menu.

The Winning Dish will be on the Zov menu for one day next week

Other contestants included Yuko Graham of Orange, Priscilla Willis of Huntington Beach and Mirna Bard of Costa Mesa.

For her winning dish, Jihan received a plaque, a $100 Zov’s gift certificate, and perhaps the best prize of all for an amateur cook — her dish will be served at Zov’s restaurant on Friday, May 28.

I can’t wait to go back for more.

(Joining Zov and me on the judges’ panel were Greer Wylder of Greer’s OC and Teri Williams of Great Taste Magazine)

Click here to read the original post at the OC Register website