One of my best memories from the holidays was my Italian grandmother’s eggplant side dish…
She didn’t have a recipe, but somehow it got passed down from her to my mother and now, my sister and I have mastered it…all from observing and helping in the kitchen, during the holidays! I hope by showing these simple but time consuming steps, you might like to make it part of your traditions too!!
Since this dish is served cold or room temperature, you could make it a day or two ahead. I used four medium sized eggplants. First peel the skin off with a vegetable peeler. Then Victor sliced the eggplant lengthwise, about one eighth to a quarter inch thick.
Because eggplant is bitter, this next step will take the bitterness out of the eggplant and give it a smoother taste. This should be done the night before you cook it because it has to spend all night being pressed. Simply line a dinner plate with two layers of paper towels, then layer the eggplant slices, salting each layer, I probably did six to eight layers. Then top it with two more layers of paper towels…
Now to press, lay some heavy books on top of the plate, like the photo…make sure you put them in a sink or on a running board, because it will drip the bitter juices from the eggplant. I did two batches, because I brought it to Thanksgiving dinner with eight people. You will want leftovers for people to bring home…the sandwiches this eggplant makes are special and wonderful!!
The next morning after all the bitter liquid is squished out of the eggplant, you will want to rinse each piece and lay them on a double layer of paper towels and roll them up to dry, like the photo above shows.
Now it’s time to cook them in a fry pan or I used a griddle, which allowed me to cook a lot at once. Coat the bottom of the pan or griddle with oil, cook eggplant until browned on both sides, then drain on double layers of paper towels to blot the oil. Add oil as need as you cook. You will use almost a roll of paper towels for this dish, but it is worth it and only made on special occasions. My grandmother and mother used to use brown paper bags to drain the oil off the eggplant!! I would have done that, but in Virginia they still give plastic bags at the stores, no paper!!
After all the eggplant slices are cooked, it’s time to put it all together. With your favorite tomato sauce, and a dinner plate or one a little bigger, make a layer of eggplant, spoon a thin layer of tomato sauce over the eggplant and sprinkle with pecorino Romano cheese. Make another layer over the first one, and sprinkle with cheese, continue making layers, I did around six layers.
And this is what it looks like when it’s done.
And this is how it looked among our Thanksgiving feast, celebrated at Gina and Tom’s home!! We also, enjoy this cherished dish for Christmas and Easter, and did I say it makes the most delicious sandwiches with leftovers!!
🎁
Now, I will show you how to make holiday gifts out of sea shells!! In my last post, I demonstrated how to make Mod Podge pumpkins, this is the same process, but I would say, a little easier!!
These are the materials needed to make ornaments and little ring and earring holders. The shells that work best are clam and scallop. I picked these all from our beach on Cape Cod. I also used napkins that I had on hand, Mod Podge, sand paper, gold acrylic craft paint, ribbon and beads for ornaments.
It’s easy to find shells with holes in them, like these…they make great tree ornaments!!
After separating the layers of a napkin, cut the design out, bigger than the shell, paint the Mod Podge onto the inside of the shell, then place your design over it and paint again, pressing the design carefully in as you go, careful not to tear the napkin. Once the Mod Podge was completely dry, I used sandpaper to remove the excess napkin around the seashell. Then I painted the back of the shell gold and also the edges, to give it a finished look! When it is all dry, spray both sides with polyurethane. For the ornaments just add ribbon and beads and you have a beautiful gift!
So far these are the shells I made for jewelry holders, but I will make more, since I found more napkins at The Train House!! By the way, the shells don’t have to be perfect, after the edges and back are painted gold, they look unperfectly perfect…they makes nice hostess gifts for the holidays!!
🎄
One of my favorite rooms in The Train House is our newly renovated library, so I thought I’d give you a peak of it decorated for Christmas!
This is the tree this year, it’s the same decorated tree, but looks warmer with the dark teal walls and gold ceiling.
And our nativity scene, among vintage books that used to be my father’s.
Another view of our decked out library!!
Victor made this bookcase just to fit my Dicken’s Village, with an outlet for the fairy lights!!
From our home to yours, I would like to wish you all a Holiday Season filled with love, peace and good health…I am so grateful for you all!
❤️
Visions of My 70s 
Well, my friend, you outdid yourself again! I LOVE the eggplant recipe and it somewhat reminds me of eggplant lasagna!!!! Sure is yummy, and isn’t it funny how Italian food always tastes so good as leftovers?
I also love your library and I just want to grab a book and curl up in the corner chair and read. It looks so inviting and serene. Will you be spending the holidays in VA? How awesome. I wish you, Victor, and all your family a happy, healthy, and blessed Christmas! ❤️
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Thank you, my friend, I always appreciate your feedback❤️ Yes, the eggplant could be like lasagna if you put ricotta between it, but then you couldn’t have sandwiches with the leftovers…or could you??😋
I love decorating for Christmas, but I think I love looking at it more when it’s done, getting that cozy and serene feeling, like you said!! We will be going back to The Yellow House for a few weeks, then coming back to The Train House for Christmas, always lots of going back and forth, but it’s worth it, to be with our family!!
Love, peace and health to you, Art and your family during this holiday season💚
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❤️❤️ the recipe and the shell mod podge
We did mod podge cactus and Christmas trees this weekend. I will text you some pics.
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I’m glad you liked the recipe, you know how it is when you can’t get a real recipe from our mothers😂 Now VJ wants to make it and it will get passed down the same way…4 generations!!
Can’t wait to see your cactus and Christmas trees, we’ve become Mod Podge obsessed🤗❤️💚❤️
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Great blog mom! The eggplant was delicious…
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Thanks VJ❤️ So glad you’ll be making it, that will be 4 generations💚
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My mouth was watering looking at the eggplant. I didn’t make it for Thanksgiving
this year but will make it for Christmas.
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I know, my mouth waters when I think about it too😋 I bet you’ll have lots of paper bags to use for it😂
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Your library looks so inviting for Christmas – your father’s books, lucky you!
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Thank you, I love to be inviting🤗 Those are my father’s college books from Boston College, he was a chemistry major!! Thanks for stopping by to comment❤️
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Hi Carol,
Sorry it’s Taken so long to respond to your blog. I’m in Florida now visiting my sister for Christmas; I was busy getting ready and didn’t
check my mail. It’s a great blog and brought back lots of memories.
My mom made eggplant using my Gram’s recipe, very much like yours,
except the eggplants are sliced round, not lengthwise. My mom would set some of the fried eggplant aside for me( I don’t like tomato sauce, not very Italian). I love what you and Vic have done with the”Train House.”
I think the Library is my favorite room-it’s beautiful and so inviting,
a very special place. Your Christmas seashell ornaments help to bring the Cape into your home, wherever you are. I have made some, and the kids made some when they were younger and still put them on the
tree, and they still look good. I’m glad you had s good Thanksgiving with your family. I’m not sure of the date, but I think it was also VJ’s birthday.
Wish him a belated HappY Birthday for me, hope he is well.
Dee and I wish you Victor and your family a blessed and Merry Christmas
and a New Year Filled with good health andGod’s bleaasings
With Love,
Lucille
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No problem, Lucille, I was just worried about you…glad you are safe and enjoying your holidays with Dee and family🙏🏽❤️
I love hearing about your mom’s eggplant, I too, sometimes, like having the eggplant plain, you can really taste the flavor that way.
My little Parker, who loves books, enjoys the library, I very often find him curled up in a comfy chair, engrossed in reading, I would say that’s his favorite room too!!
I can’t believe it took me this long to make Christmas ornaments out of shells, but it was fun and they came out really nice, I just wish I had time to make more!! I like putting them on presents with a bow, just a little something extra!!
You have such a good memory, yes, it was VJ’s birthday in November, along with my grandsons too, it’s a busy month, but all good
💚
Wishing you, Dee and your family, love, peace, joy and good health, during this holiday season and all through the new year🙏🏽🎄❤️
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Carol, you can happily add a 4th generation to the holiday eggplant tradition. Josh always makes it when we get together on special occasions.
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That’s so touching that he makes her eggplant❤️ I bet it’s really good too!!
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