01 Mar 2025 Bingham’s Buono Bistro
By Chef Don Bingham
Who doesn’t love perusing a cookbook? Admittedly, it is time to purge the hundreds of cookbooks that Nancy and I have — and yet, we are constantly on the lookout for the old, the new, the forgotten, and the cherished recipes from bygone cooks and chefs. While we tend to favor traditional Southern and American cuisines, we are more and more amazed at the diversity of foods available in cookbooks and prepared within blocks of our house!
We can easily dine on Mexican and Tex-Mex, or numerous Chinese and Thai foods, Greek, German, and last, but not least — Italian! Cookbooks are readily available for almost any cultural cuisine you might desire.
On a recent trip to a conference in Dallas, we observed the multitudinous offerings of BBQ, fried chicken, burgers and fries galore, sandwich shops, and of course, Buc-ee’s! For decades, the local grocery stores have offered aisles dedicated to food and ingredients that offer the tastes of Mexico, Asia and Italy.
There are those dishes that make weekly appearances on our dining table — mostly varieties of grilled meats, rice, beans, potatoes, and salads, and one of our favorites will always be pasta. My wife makes a simple marinara sauce that is adaptable for most Italian dishes that call for a red sauce. Even homemade pizza at our home will find this marinara sauce as the foundation for the Italian wonder — delicious pizza!
The top of the list would have to be an Italian meal with eggplant parmesan and marinara sauce, a salad with homemade vinaigrette, pasta, and crusty bread as one of the featured utensils! The recipes found on the next page are simple, and with just a short amount of prep time, they will make a delicious dinner!
As these recipes are simply seasoned, cooks may want to add extra spices and seasonings of their choice to bring their unique personality to the menu. Some “extra” flavor-adding ingredients that would work well with these recipes are red wine, bay leaves, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic, and/or generous drizzles of olive oil. Isn’t it great that when there is no time to cook, Italian cuisine, and more, is just down the street?
What pleasure there is in the variety of cultural dishes available for our home cooking as well as for dining out!
Mangiare e bere bene! (Eat and drink well!)
Fried Eggplant with marinara sauce
1 large eggplant
Cold water and salt
Peel eggplants, then cut them into 1/4″ to 3/8″ thick slices. Place slices in a deep pan, then cover with cold, lightly salted water and store in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to one hour. Drain and pat dry before coating and frying.
In a shallow pan, mix:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 pinch oregano
1 pinch basil
2 whole eggs, beaten
Vegetable oil for frying
Remove eggplant from the refrigerator, drain off the water and pat dry. Dip each slice completely in beaten eggs, then press into breadcrumbs mixture. Coat both sides well. Fry in a deep fryer or in a half inch of vegetable oil, turning at least once, until golden brown. Serve with marinara sauce.
Fresh Marinara Sauce
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/3 cup red or white wine
4 cups chopped tomatoes
3-4 fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the butter and oil. Add the onions and garlic. Cook 1-2 minutes. Add wine and reduce a bit. Add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Cook for 30 minutes. Blend to a puree in a blender, food processor or emulsifier.
Pasta
Fill a large pot with water, bring it to a boil, add salt, then add the pasta and stir occasionally until it reaches “al dente” texture. Then drain the water and serve with your desired sauce; specific cooking times depend on the pasta type, so consult the package for directions.
Caesar Salad
1 head romaine lettuce
Italian dressing
Croutons
Romaine Lettuce: Wash lettuce 24 hours ahead. Pat leaves dry. Wrap and refrigerate to crisp for serving. To serve: Toss salad until greens are coated with dressing, add croutons, toss lightly. Serve on chilled plates. Serves 6-8.
Italian Dressing
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup salad oil
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Mix all ingredients except Parmesan cheese in a blender or processor, or by hand, for 15-20 seconds. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, then mix for an additional 10 seconds. Makes 1 1/4 cups.
Croutons
Hot dog buns, ciabatta or sourdough bread
Butter
Olive oil
Parsley or poppy seeds (optional)
Slice and cube one package of hot dog buns, Ciabatta or sourdough bread. Spread cubes on a shallow baking sheet and lightly coat with butter and olive oil. If desired, sprinkle with parsley or poppy seeds. Bake at 300 degrees, brown until golden, dry and crisp. Makes approximately two dozen.
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