Dinner and a Movie

Friday night nearly always finds us eating with our hands in front of a movie. For the record, the Mothership has not selected the movie for weeks and weeks. I'm just saying.

We usually have pizza or tacos or something like that but since it's Lent tonight needs to be meatless. The "solidarity" recipe on the Catholic Relief Services calendar uses eggplant and since 2 out of 3 people in the household are not huge fans of the aubergine, and because I did make them eat eggplant parmesan recently, I'm opting for saganki.

Many moons ago I worked as the seating hostess for a Greek restaurant in town. I believe that everyone should be required, by law, to work in food service at some point in their career. Makes for much more patience when dining out. Anyway, it was a pretty decent gig. I worked the lunch shift so I could stay out all night at clubs (I was in love with a rhythm guitar player at the time), sleep until 10 a.m., shower, walk the 10 blocks to the restaurant and eat avgolemano for breakfast before my shift started. Plus, I always had tip money. Sweet.

I became enamoured of Greek food, particularly of aforementioned avgolemano, and of saganaki. Kasseri cheese soaked in brandy, floured and then lightly fried before being set on fire with more brandy. The flames were then doused with lemon juice and you were left with a pan of molten cheese goodness. It made for a dramatic table-side experience but more importantly, you got to enjoy gobs of gooey fromage smeared on pita bread. Not much in the world is better than melted cheese.

The Child saw Emeril make saganaki the other night on the Food Network and she was captivated. Wait until she tastes it. Opa!