Jul2

Ratatouille

I recently saw the Pixar-Disney film, Ratatouille and was inspired to make the dish.

So I did.

Messy Chef Ratatouille

  • Orange Pepper, chopped
  • Green Pepper, chopped
  • Eggplant, cubed
  • Yellow Squash, sliced thin
  • Zucchini, sliced thin
  • 6-8 cloves garlic, smashed
  • One sweet onion, large (halved; one half is for the sauce, one half is rough-chopped for the stew)
  • One can plum tomatoes in sauce (San Marzano)
  • Fresh parsley
  • Italian Seasoning (dried)
  • EVOO
  • Salt, pepper

I served mine alongside couscous.

Baked Ratatouille

First, start the tomato sauce. Sauté onion and garlic with EVOO in a hot pan, and add cut tomatoes, with half the can of sauce. Discard seeds. Hate the seeds.

Cook down for 10-12 minutes, adding salt to help break-down the tomato. If you have extra eggplant, add a few pieces to thicken the sauce.

Pulse the sauce in a food processor, then add back the (now cold) pan. Thin-chop on a mandolin the green/yellow squash. Rough chop the other vegetables.

Layer the vegetables in a oven-proof dish, mixing in sauce, EVOO, and salt and pepper. Bake the casserole for 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees.

Serve hot, over couscous. My recipe made too much for two people; I saved one portion with extra couscous for lunch, and reserved about 1/2 for a ratatouille soup later in the week. Many recipes say the flavor improves with a few days on the mixture.

Ratatouille, garlic bread, and couscous

As good as Remy’s served at Gustou’s?


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About Messy Cuisine

What is Messy Cuisine?

Several years ago, friends and I decided to produce our own cooking show. What might we call it? The Messy Chef was born, a moniker inspired by my own mother’s description of my abilities in the kitchen. “You might cook well, but you sure are messy.”

Messy Cuisine is a website dedicated to restaurant reviews and future online video productions of The Messy Chef. I hope to find ways to make the site more interactive for visitors.

How do I see all the restaurants you have reviewed?

Under the navigation section, choose Category > Restaurant Reviews and the page that is displayed will show all reviews in alphabetical order.

Is Messy Cuisine a business?

No, a pasttime and a passion.

Messy Cuisine Logo

Who designed the logo for Messy Cuisine? I did. It was produced using Adobe Illustrator. It’s adapted from the typeface PMN Caecilia.

Tell me more about the Restaurant Reviews…

Unlike the NY Times, or other well-established locations, the reviews I write may be based on one or more visits, but sometimes it is just one. Typically, I’ll cover the best and worst points. I usually mention what I had, and make comments too on the service and the atmosphere of the restaurant. The ratings I assign are not derived from some complex rubric, but are a genealized, overall reaction to my meal at the particular restaurant. I do not discriminate on price: cheap eats can earn a top rating, just the same as an expensive restaurant. I think price and formality, however, can affect your choice when dining, so I’ve begun to use a 3-tiered indicator for price to guide your choices.

About the Chef

Not a chef, really… a gourmet, or simply an enthusiast for good things in life. I have shared reviews of places I eat online for over 6 years. I typically go out a lot, due to convenience and a desire to try new things. At home, I gravitate towards Italian cuisine, but also French technique and simple dishes and dinners. My baking skills aren’t great, but I do love a good pie or croissant.

Show Models

Probably my favorite TV program for cooking is TV Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa, for its style and content. We’re also inspired by NBC’s hit comedy show, The Office, and have attempted some take-offs on that filming style and charactature.

The Blog

The blog is powered by WordPress, the open source blog engine. I evaluted several content management systems (CMS) when beginning, but I was most familiar with this and its templating system.

Where else do you recommend I learn about good food online?

I really like a number of food blogs, which I link to up above in the main navigation area, a blogroll, so to speak. I also have included a link below to Vaynerchuck’s Wine Library TV.

WLTV