I didn’t realize how much I loved eggplants until I made Imam Bayildi for my news magazine. The above are from the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market.They are so versatile and easy to cook with, not to mention delectable. Cooking was a departure for me, as you can usually find me with more familiar ingredients like sugar, butter and eggs, although I am trying to cut down on the latter two, in an effort to see if I can transform my regular baking to vegan baking.  In addition to the Imam Bayildi, I also couldn’t resist making my annual orange cardamom muffins, but this time instead of using eggs, I used apple sauce and also substituted some whole wheat flour for white and added flaxseed. The results were spectacular, you wouldn’t even know that eggs weren’t in the recipe. In fact, the apple sauce (organic, from Trader Joe’s) made the muffins extra fluffy, just the way I like them.

It was nice to have time to do what I wanted to do this weekend, not what I had to do, not what I’m trying to do and not what I had to do for others. It was nice just thinking about myself and my inner Max, especially since I was in my long johns. Once you get in those things, it’s hard to get out, let me tell you.

I felt like the cluster of thoughts floating in my head had ironed out, even if it was just for one day. Cooking and baking help me think and take my mind off everything. I think it’s the methodical nature of it all. If you follow the recipe, you (hopefully) get the same result, the exact opposite from the reality that life has to offer. That’s comforting and scary all at the same time. I still haven’t reconciled the ease I feel in my baking life with my real life. That’s nearly impossible when you’re doing everything you can to aid progress to your journalism/writing career.

Tomorrow, however, is another day.