In the Kitchen at Mamma Agatas

One of the highlights of our trip to Amalfi was the day we spent at Mamma Agatas cooking school.  We arrived at 10:30am and departed at 5:00pm.  The day was a tasting, eating, drinking and cooking experience.  We made pasta, eggplant parmesan, and chicken.  We drank wine, limoncello, tangerinecello, fennelcello.  And we ate the best lemon cake.

Mamma's Secrets for Frying Eggplant

At Mamma Agata's cooking school we learned a lot about how to successfully fry eggplant.  The 4 most common mistakes made when frying eggplant are 1) using the wrong oil  2) buying eggplant that are too fat, 3) slicing eggplant improperly, and 4) not getting all the water out of the eggplant prior to frying.  

Mamma suggests using peanut oil, never olive oil.  Peanut oil allows you to fry the eggplant at a higher temperature.   

According to Mamma, long skinny eggplant are best.  These have the least amount of water in them.   One variety suggested was the Japanese eggplant.

Eggplant should be peeled in stripes, leaving intermittent rows of skin.  They should be sliced length wise.

You can remove most of the water by sprinkling with sea salt and letting set 15-20 minutes then wringing out the eggplant as you would a wet rag.

Lemons Growing in Mamma Agata's Terraced Garden!

When Life Gives You Lemons Make Limoncello!

The Green Door -- Mamma Agata

Midnight, one more night without sleepin'

Watchin' till the mornin' comes creepin'

Green door, what's that secret you're keepin?

There's an old piano

And they play it hot behind the green door;

Don't know what they're doin'

But they laugh a lot behind the green door.

Wish they'd let me in 

So I could find out what's behind the green door.

Knocked once, tried to tell them I'd been there;

Door slammed, hospitality's thin there.

Wonder just what's goin' on in there.

Saw an eyeball peepin'

Through a smoky cloud behind the green door;

When I said "Joe sent me"

Someone laughed out loud behind the green door.

All I want to do 

Is join the happy crowd behind the green door.

Midnight, one more night without sleepin',

Watchin' till the mornin' comes creepin'.

Green door, what's that secret you're keepin? 

Green door, what's that secret you're keepin?

Green door!