Sweet and Sour Eggplant Salad (Seen-een-kee)

I can eat a whole jar of this. Seen-een-kee, at least that's what my babashka calls it. It tastes like Morocco in my mouth. Slime like-yet full of texture, tomatoey-yet an explosion of flavors in my mouth, comfortey-yet I can eat this on a sweltering summer night. So when I called my babashka to retrieve this "recipe" she quickly uttered, "no way will you be able to make this". Of course I stubbornly replied, "yes i will-just give me the recipe." Looking back I realize why she believed I would fail at replicating this dish. There is no recipe! During our conversation, she frequently stressed that she eyeballs everything and has no idea of exact serving size, ingredients, portions, etc. I had a conundrum-how would I be able to make mine taste like hers if there was no recipe? Well this is what I got out of her for now...I'm sure when I decide to tackle this recipe, I will need to alter it in order taste like hers. But here it is: Babashka's infamous Seen-een-kee that I always BEG her to make and always am happy to take home (unlike other foods).

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large eggplant or 2 smaller eggplants, chopped into medallions
• 1 onion slivered
• about 1 tspn sugar
• about 1 tspn sour salt (never heard of this in my life)
• 1 can of tomato juice (small?)
• all purpose flour

DIRECTIONS:
1) Sliver onion and place into frying pan lightly coated with olive oil. Saute the onions. (low heat)
2) Chop eggplant and add a pinch of salt
3) Coat each side with flour (lightly)
4) In a pot, fry the eggplant on lightly coated pan with olive oil (low heat)
5) Mix the onion with the eggplant
6) Put salt and sour salt into tomato juice. Flavor to your liking of sweat and sour.
7) Pour tomato juice into pan and cover the pan.
8) Mix veggies periodically in order to not burn
9) Cook until soft and let it simmer

Babka (kugel)

My grandma has always called it "Babka". However, it is also called Kugel-its Jewish twin moniker. I have always loved eating this at my grandma's. I was never one to complain eating dessert for dinner. It's a sweet luscious gob of mushy noodles swimming in your mouth. I always lust for more..

INGREDIENTS

• Package of egg noodles or vermicelli (Vermisheli in russian)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon butter or soft cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• handful of raisins

DIRECTIONS

1) Boil water, add a pinch of salt
2) Cook noodles until soft
3) Drain noodles
4) In a bowl-mix egg, noodles, cinnamon, sugar, cream cheese/butter, raisins
5) coat thinly frying pan with vegetable oil
6) poor noodle mixture in and cook on low for 5-10 minutes
7) To flip place a plate on pan and flip, put other side on frying pan
8) cook 2nd side for 5-10 minutes