RATatouille …
Origin
The word ratatouille comes from Occitan ratatolha and the recipe comes from Occitan cuisine. The French touiller means to toss food. Ratatouille originated in the area around present day Occitan Provença (French: Provence) and Niça (French: Nice); the Catalan “xamfaina” and the Majorcan “tombet” are versions of the same dish.
I have no clue what any of that means…when I hear the word Ratatouille…I think if this…
Image from Imdb.com
Yes a RAT..a cute funny rat from the Disney Pixar Movie Ratatouille…
Watching it SEVERAL times over the past weekend inspired me to try and cook the actual dish…sans help of a rat of course…
I was also inspired by the movies famous Chef…Chef Gusteau…who says…”Anyone can cook”. So I decided to try the Ratatouille recipe from my favourite chef…Miss Julia Child’s…Mastering the Art of French Cooking…
Not going to lie, her cook book intimidates the hell out of me. It is not an easy read and she does everything to the letter and only uses the best ingredients…Insert LARGE glassof wine here to get me through just actually understanding the recipe.
DAMN this woman was thorough …Does this really say what I think it says…???
DRY EACH PIECE…Who has that kind of time? Yet I am committed to following the recipe…until I get too damn lazy…
So, Julia and Chef Gusteau and I begin… (you see I have a clear grasp on reality…)
Ingredients
1 lb. eggplant
1 lb. zucchini
1 tsp. salt
4-6 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1/2 lb. (about 1 1/2 cups) thinly sliced yellow onions
2 sliced red or green peppers (about 1 cup)
2 cloves mashed garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 lb. firm, ripe, red tomatoes, peeled, seeded and juiced
3 Tbsp. minced parsley
Step 1-
Peel the eggplant, cut into lengthwise slices 3/8″ thik, about 3″ long and 1″ wide. Scrub zucchini, slice off the ends and cut into slices about same size as the eggplant. Place vegetables in a bowl and toss with 1 tsp. salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain and dry each slice in a towel.
Step 2-
One layer at a time, saute eggplant and then zucchini in 4 Tbsp hot olive oil in a 10-12″ skillet for about a minute on each side to brown very lightly. Remove to a side dish.
And Yes…I even dried EACH piece with a towel…
Step 3-
In the same skillet, cook onions and peppers (add an additional 2 Tbsp. of olive oil if needed) for about 10 mins, until tender but not browned. Stir in garlic and season with salt & pepper to taste.
Step 4- And…here is where I get a little Ghetto and deviated from Julia’s recipe a little…I just could not justify this next step…
Slice tomato pulp into 3/8″ strips. Lay them over the onions and peppers. Season with salt & pepper. Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until tomatoes have begun to render their juice. Uncover, taste the tomatoes with the juices, raise heat and boil for several minutes until juice has almost entirely evaporated.
…Now I can see doing this when fresh local tomatoes are in season and super tasty…but I just bought pre-peeled and cut tomatoes..and saved myself a good 30 minutes prep time and lord knows how much frustration…
Step 5-
Place a third of the tomatoe mixture in the bottom of a 2 1/2 quart casserole (about 2 1/2″ deep). Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. fresh, minced parlsey over tomatoes. Arrange half of the eggplant and zucchini on top, then half the remaining tomatoes and parsley. Put in the rest of the eggplant and zucchini and finish with the remaining tomatoes and parsley.
Step 6- FINAL STEP!!
Cover casserole and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover, tip casserole and baste with rendered juices. Correct seasoning if necessary. Raise heat slightly and cook uncovered about 15 minutes more, basting several times, until juices have evaporated leaving a spoonful or two of flavored olive oil. Be careful of your heat; do not let the vegetables scorch in the bottom of the casserole!. Serves 6-8.
And for the best part…SERVE!!!
Even tho it was a lot of work to prepare…it was…
DEELISH!!
And fun too, I kept talking in my best Julia accent while cooking…
I served this fab dish up with Red Wine…I chose a Malbec because …well…that is what I like…However if there were more people drinking than just me…I would choose something lighter in body…like a Beaujolais or a Pinot Noir…
If your a white wine Drinker…I would serve a Pinot Grigio..or a nice Sparkling wine…
The only thing I would do different next time, I will be making it again. Is to double or even triple the recipe so I could freeze the extra and have great ready to sides or pasta toppers. It was a lot of work for just one dinner…But EMPTY plates were all around! WIN!~
AND YOU COULD WIN TOO!!!
THIS….
All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me what Movie inspired you to try a recipe or simply cook OR who your fave Celeb Chef is and why…and your Entered…That simple…The winner will be chosen at random and will get this FAB Hamilton Beach Electric Skillet …!! I have this and LOVE it, use it all the time. It honestly is the easiest “Clean Up” appliance I own…LUV…
For Extra Entries…
- Follow Ghetto Foodie on Twitter & be sure to let me know that you did!! = 1 Extra Entry
- LIKE Ghetto Foodie on Facebook and leave a comment on the FB Wall letting me know that you did… = 1 Extra Entry
**If you already do this…be sure to let me know and you will still get your 2 entries…and thank you for the Luv!! **
- Tweet this... I’m Ratting out @ghettofoodie & @hbcanadanews FAB #Contest http://tinyurl.com/7m6px33 = 1 Extra Entry
- Follow @HbCanadaNews on Twitter & Like their FaceBook page & leave me a comment here letting me know that you did…if you already do these..let me know and you will still get your entries!!! = 2 Extra Entries
Good Luck…Let your Inner Celebrity Chef …SHINE….
Cheers and a Huge Thank you to Hamilton Beach for the Fab Prize…
*Contest Opened to Canadian residents only.
*Contest Closes Sunday March 4th at 12 midnight Toronto time..;) and the winner will be
announced the evening of
Monday March 5th on this Blog, Ghetto Foodie Twitter site and Ghetto Foodies Facebook page.
*Winner will be chosen by Random.org
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Who…Be sure to visit CocktailDeeva.com
Follow you on twitter @Emmaleewalpole
Already follow HBCanada on twitter and FB
My fav chef is Anna Olsen
I like her too…her recipes seem doable…Cheers
My favorite celeb chef is Ricardo. He’s a chef in the province of Quebec (Canada). Now he has a show on Food Network Canada. My son is 6 years old and he likes to watch his shows with me.
Oh I like Chef Ricardo…very entertaining to watch…and Fab recipes…Thank you for entering…Cheers
I’m following Ghetto Foodie on twitter. @thescorpiowoman
I twitted : https://twitter.com/#!/thescorpiowoman/status/173071191752450048
I already follow HbCanadaNews on twitter and like their facebook page
My kids have the Ratatouille game on their Leapsters, and laugh hysterically at all the mixtures that are created. I think I know which movie is on deck for tonight’s family movie night, too!
I would have to say I have been inspired by the infamous chef “MY MOM” and have worked hard at replicating hers and my grandmothers traditional Hungarian recipes. Although not famous in the traditional sense, folks would rave about my grandmother’s apple pies (made from scratch, including pie crust), and I have done a fairly good job at replicating. Including the grated apple
Fingers crossed I win, I could use some time saving appliances!
Best Celebrity CHEFS EVER!!! TY
Watching Bridget Jones Diary inspired me to cook Turkey Curry but I made it chicken curry instead …Followed Ghetto Foodie on Facebook & Twitter (Can you believe I wasn’t already!? CRAZY) and @Hbcanadanews on twitter and liked their FB page. I want that skillet, it’s very sexy looking.
OMG I wanted to make the Blue Soup and the Green Cajeeled Goo.!!! lol one of my Fave movies of all time..Cheers and TY!
I can’t think of a movie that inspired me to try something new, but I used to love watching What’s for Dinner, and Bitchin’ Kitchen is always fun!
Oh I luv Bitchin Kitchen…So fun and kick ass…
Following on twitter @winitcanada
Fan on Facebook Julia G
After watching the AWESOME movie “Big Night” many a year ago…pre-kids…my husband and I were inspired to try making Timpano. We failed miserably…but after consuming a couple of bottles of red wine, that was hardly a surprise. lol
Not going to lie…I had to google Timpano…lol
I already follow Ghetto Foodie on Twitter! (heatherlike)
I like Ghetto on FB too
Heather T
I tweeted about this great giveaway!
https://twitter.com/#!/heatherlike/status/173147177613406208
I already follow HB on Twitter & FB. Thanks!
Already follow you on Facebook and Twitter. Also follow HBCanadanews on Twitter and Facebook.
I was inspired by a Jamie Oliver cookbook my ex boyfriend gave me years ago. Funny thing is, I never prepared anything from the cookbook until he was my ex! Jamie’s chicken, sausage and shrimp jambalya is delicious! There are many ingredients and that’s why this dish has sooo much flavour. Not too difficult to make either! Good luck to everyone!
I have his pots… they dont make me a better cook tho…lol
I like chef Michael Smith because his recipes are full of flavour
I follow ghettofoodie on twitter
I follow HBCanadaNews on twitter and Hamilton Beach Canada on facebook
Thanks for the contest!
Michael Smith is my favourite chef because he inspires me to get cooking…or have him cook for me.
He’s quite popular…
Following on twitter: @shelk
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/shelk/status/173172263749824513
Already following @HbCanadaNews on Twitter & Liked their FaceBook page.
I really loved the movie Julie & Julia as it made me want to try out all of Julia Child’s recipes.
I liked Ghetto Foodie on FB and followed on Twitter.
I retweeted.
I liked HBCanadaNews on FB and followed on Twitter.
One of my FAVE movies for sure..totally inspired me to get the book…
I really loved watching Julie & Julia. My friends and I were so inspired to try her dishes that we spent several weeks going over Julia Child’s cookbook and tried various different recipes.
Following everyone mentioned and Like you all on Facebook.
Saw a rerun of Seinfeld the other day and it inspired me to make Jumbalaya.
LOL Luv it!!
My favorite celebrity chef is Michael Smith. Humble man, easy to make recipes with great flavour. And he uses common ingredients which most of us already have at home! (He also doesn’t judge about butter use…lol.) By the way, I *definitely* already follow GhettoFoodie on Twitter and “like” on Facebook. Cheers!
Comment
I’m not sure what happened up there but my favourite chef if Gordon Ramsey cuz he tells it like it is & love watching him.
I follow you & hb on twitter
I like both your fb pages
I also tweeted
I love my electric skillet & use it all the time. I’m here trying to win one for my dad now.
I follow on twitter, like you on facebook, and desperately need one of these bad boys because i don’t have one, and really really want one. I like Gordon Ramsey – he swears almost as much as I do. Oh, and he can cook, almost as good as me. LOL #InMyFnDreams
I do luv his gusto and his swearing….LOL
Oh my goodness, there was a movie with Meryl Streep, I can’t remember the name of it, but they had an amazing looking chocolate cake that had some French name during the movie. I looked it up and tried to make it – it was a DISASTER! French cooking is NOT for me, but I think that skillet would be perfect for feeding my guys
The Movie was Julie and Julia….one of my faves!!!
Follow on Twitter @diduknowcanada
Fan on Facebook – Stacey K.
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/diduknowcanada/status/174294880808480768
I follow Hamilton Beach on Twitter and Facebook
@diduknowcanada – Stacey K.
Thanks!!
Lovely giveaway! I haaved liked yourFacebook page as Lisa Carbone and follow you on Twitter @LittleMama71 (I will also retweet this giveaway)
Thanks, Lisa
Thanks Lisa and thank you for entering…Cheers
I follow @HBCanadanews on Twitter as @LittleMama71 and have “liked” their Facebook page as Lisa Carbone
Thanks, Lisa
I also loved Ratatouille (because I’m a huge fan of French Food) but what really inspired me was Julie and Julia! Totally wanted to cook every day like Julie did but then reality kicked me in the butt again and instead I just… watched the movie. Ha!
I do love to cook though; fervent foodie. It’s a passion of mine.
Her Cook book is Killer…but this recipe was fab and tasted AMAZING
Following you on Twitter (both your @CocktailDeeva and @GhettoFoodie accounts)
@CarolAuCourant
I follow @HBCanadaNews on Twitter as well.
@CarolAuCourant
Tweeted! https://twitter.com/#!/CarolAuCourant/status/174328936220725250
Dee – your husband must be so proud of you. I looked for you at the Academy Awards.
My favourite celebrity chef is Hubert Keller because he is an incredible chef and very interesting. I really enjoyed/was impressed when he was on Top Chef Masters and the challenge was to make a meal in a dorm room and he made pasta in a shower! He locked me in as a fan!
I follow you on Twitter as @LisaJLKHansen.
I already like you on Facebook as Lisa K-H.
tweeted:
https://twitter.com/#!/LisaJLKHansen/status/174748855462674433
I follow @HbCanadaNews on Twitter as @LisaJLKHansen.
I like Hamilton Beach on Facebook as Lisa K-H.
my fave celeb chef is PAULA DEAN THE BUTTER QUEEN.
I follow you on fb. SUMMER WALKER
I follow you on twitter.
FOKXXY is my twitter name.
tweeted.
https://twitter.com/#!/fokxxy/status/174882972967768064
I follow them on twitter and facebook. SUMMER WALKER
I don’t remember why I started liking cooking in my early 20′s but my true love is baking, I love to bake..my friends tell me all the time that I should start selling my baked goods, but if I start selling then it will be a job! lol I love cooking and baking but hate the clean up ;( My nickname is Betty Crocker
Anyways my fav chef is Gordan Ramsey 
lol
Following Ghetto Foodie on Twitter; @ginette4
Like on facebook; Ginette Dube Anger
Following Hamilton Beach on twitter; @ginette4
Like Hamilton Beach on facebook; Ginette Dube Anger
Recepie i once tried was a sandwich that Adam Sandler made in the movie Spanglish.
i follow you on twitter
i tweeted here https://twitter.com/#!/ClimaClub/status/174949303457038337
i follow @HbCanadaNews on Twitter
i Follow @HbCanadaNews FaceBook
I follow both on Twitter, and like both on FB already. ; ) I also tweeted out the link just now.
Fave celebrity chef is probably Michael Smith – especially love his Chef at Home show. So simple and good, I used to watch with my son when he was just 3 and 4. I will admit to buying one of David Rocco’s cookbooks though I have yet to use it….for cooking. Flipping through it, admiring the photos, the handsome Italian chef…these are pastimes of value, I say. LOL!
Cheers and thanks for a great contest. ; )
tweeted
https://twitter.com/#!/ginette4/status/175275883362394114
It’s Complicated – that movie made me want to go to Paris and try the meals she cooks/mentions during the movie.
https://twitter.com/#!/clerk79/status/175378495785025536
following via twitter @clerk79
I love Chef Gordon Ramsey! That man can make a brilliant Risotto!
I follow on twitter (@missbobloblaw)
tweeted!
https://twitter.com/#!/missbobloblaw/status/175400219175952384
I like hamilton beach on fb (Talking Momcents) and follow on twitter (@missbobloblaw)
#1
I like hamilton beach on fb (Talking Momcents) and follow on twitter (@missbobloblaw)
#2
I like Jamie Oliver and his food revolution. He sends a positive message regarding eating healthy to young kids.
I liked Ghetto Foodie on FB, followed on twitter, RT, liked HBCanadaNews and followed them too!
I really love watching Ina Garten. I love her show on the Food Network. I tried making her chicken pies and they were AMAZING!!!
I follow Ghetto Foodie on Twitter (@loucheryl)
I like Ghetto Foodie on Facebook (Cheryl Andrews-Morreale)
I follow @HbCanadaNews on Twitter & Liked their FaceBook page. (1st entry) @loucheryl & Cheryl Andrews-Morreale
I follow @HbCanadaNews on Twitter & Liked their FaceBook page. (2nd entry) @loucheryl & Cheryl Andrews-Morreale
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/loucheryl/status/176115091522060288
After Eat, Pray, Love I made pasta dishes for a month.
I tweeted!
I follow Ghetto Foodie On Twitter.
CONGRATS!!!! YOU WON!!!!
I must admit that many ‘foodie’ movies inspire me to cook. From Chocolat to Julie & Julia. I enjoy cooking & rarely follow a recipe to the ”T’; I like to put my twist on a recipe. I also follow Ghetto Foodie on FB & Twitter:)
Dee
Does it count that my husband was also inspired to make ratatouille because of the movie? Julia Child inspired me to make a proper shaken omelette and I actually practiced with beans in a pan, just like she suggested!
I follow GF on Twitter (greenurlifenow) and Liked GF on FB and posted this on the FB page. Also follow HB Canada on Twitter and Liked HB Canada’s FB page.
Oops, forgot this part. Fave celeb chef is Gordon Ramsay.
I like Bitchin’ Kitchen – good food, very entertaining.
I am following Ghetto Foodie on Twitter.
I am following HBCanadaNews on Twitter.
I still like Martha Stewart, too – traditional and perfect.
I am in awe of you taking the time to dry out the ingredients! I make ratatouille all the time in the summer. It’s a family favourite. I just throw it all in a saucepan and let it simmer as long as possible. Basically because I’m lazy.
My fave celeb chef is Nigella Lawson. She makes everything sound do-able, she loves real ingredients, and anything I’ve tried to make from her site or books has always turned out.
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