From start to finish, the fragrant allure of vanilla cast its spell over this evening’s dinner. An Eggplant Parmesan recipe from “A Century of Flavor”, Nielsen-Massey‘s exclusive cookbook, catapulted this iconic dish to a new level. The vanilla accent mingled with sweet diced tomatoes, cinnamon, oregano, basil and savory onions and garlic, separated by layers of Provolone and Parmesan cheeses. A salad composed of arugula with sugar snap peas, walnuts and orange zest, dressed with Sidi Yassine Huile d’Argan Extra Vierge from Morocco, and garlic bread, juxtaposed flawlessly with the featured star. Bon Appétit’s recipe for Roasted Apricots with Honey-Vanilla Créme Fraîche deliciously concluded our meal. A little caveat was my use of peaches instead of the apricots, sending everyone scrambling for knives to cut through the thick skins!
