Ratatouille

When I first saw the movie poster of Ratatouille, I always thought that it was just an ordinary cartoon for kids. As I went on with the show (and that was 6 years ago), I found so much inspiration in it. As a person who loves to cook, the movie Ratatouille brought me to become "a chef" in my own little ways around my humble kitchen. The dish Ratatouille has always been a target of mine. Finally, I was able to make my first. A no- bake version.

Please take note of my ingredients because the vegetables I used were the ones present in my chiller. Actually, you can use any vegetables. The original recipe is composed of round slices of eggplant, yellow and green zucchini, tomatoes, perfectly layered, baked then served with a special sauce.

As for my Ratatouille, though it didn't turn out quite beautiful and presentable like the traditional dish, I can say that I still enjoyed a good mixture of flavors and texture in my mouth.

Ingredients: 

• Round eggplant sliced thinly
• Red tomatoes or red capsicum sliced thinly
• Squash sliced thinly
• * Yellow and green zucchini sliced thinly
• 5 cloved garlic (minced)
• 1 small can of Hunt's diced or crushed tomatoes
• 5 tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese
• 3 tbsp quick- melt cheese or grated Mozzarella
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped sweet basil
• salt and pepper

How To:

• In a sauce pan, blanch vegetables until half-cooked, set aside.
• In another pan, saute garlic in olive oil. 
• Add chopped herbs and canned tomatoes. Stir for a few seconds.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.

• In a baking dish or any microwavable container, pour about 1/2 cup  of the tomato puree with herbs.
• Layer vegetables
• Top vegetables with the remaining tomato puree
• Add Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top.
• Cover and pop it in the microwave for 30 sec or a minute.

Serve it with rice, pita or how Anton Ego likes it--- plain Ratatouille.

Anton Ego: "In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the *new*. The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations. The new needs friends. Last night, I experienced something new: an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions about fine cooking is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto, "Anyone can cook." But I realize, only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist; but a great artist *can* come from *anywhere*. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau's, who is, in this critic's opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau's soon, hungry for more." imdb Ratatouille (2007)