Eggplant Dip for I Heart Cooking Clubs

Awhile back, I participated in a blog roundup called Tyler Florence Fridays. Well, that roundup sadly came to an end a few months ago. Lucky for me, the people who ran that blog have started up something new called I Heart Cooking Clubs. All the recipes submitted are by a certain chef, just how Tyler Florence Fridays worked, only the chef on I Heart Cooking Clubs changes every few months.

In April, they are featuring the recipes of Mark Bittman. When I first read who the chef was, I though, who the heck is that?. Then when I was searching for recipes, I realized I actually followed his NY Times blog Bitten. Duh, Melissa. An interesting thing about Mark Bittman is that he's never had any formal training, he's never worked at a restaurant. So I guess that means there is hope for all of us cooking enthusiasts yet. Read more about Mark and his philosophy on eating simple here.

If you know anything about Mark Bittman, you'll know he's all about simple and easy. He frequently posts "101" lists on his blog, which go through 101 ways to make something quick. Some of these lists include, 101 salads, 101 make-aheads, etc. I got the recipe below from "101 20-minute dishes for Inspired PIcnics"

This is a departure from my normal recipe post because the recipe is so simple. It doesn't even require an ingredient list.

Eggplant Hummus Dip
from Mark Bittman's 101 20-minute dishes for inspired picnics , #22

Cook whole unpeeled eggplant in a dry, hot skillet, turning occasionally, until collapsed and soft. (Or grill, or roast, or hold with a fork over an open flame.) While it’s cooling, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic and parsley in a bowl. Chop the eggplant flesh (leave the peel behind) and roughly mash in the bowl. Add red pepper flakes if you like. Serve with pita



Chef's Notes:
Yup, that's the whole recipe. You thought I was kidding when I said he was a simple cook, didn't you? Since there aren't any measurements, I'll list the amounts I used:

1 large eggplant
1/4 c. hummus (my grocery store was out of plain old tahini)
1 tablespoon of lemon juice - but I ended up squirting in a little bit more after I tasted it
three shakes of salt and pepper
1 clove garlic (if I was just using tahini, I probably would have used 2, but hummus already has garlic in it.)
I'm not sure of the amount of parsley, but after it was chopped, it was about a palmful
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

This is for the potluck roundup on I Heart Cooking Clubs, so I guess it's appropriate that I'm taking it to a BBQ tonight. I'm excited to see what everyone thinks!