A Table Passed Down: CAPONATA
I am starting a series of posts with recipes highlighting an old Italian cookbook that belonged to my grandmother. It's not a cookbook written by one person. It's a compilation of recipes from a community of Italian cooks. Each one is signed by the recipe author, and in some cases explains the area of Italy it comes from or a story about its origin or if it was passed down by generation. It's like reading Italian culinary history!
This book was never meant to be perfect or polished. It was meant to be useful & a window into each cook's heritage. It was meant to be useful. It lived in kitchens, not on shelves. Pages were folded, stained, with handwritten notes in the margins. Each recipe came from a different kitchen, but they had the same intention: feed people well! My grandmother cooked from this book instinctively, adjusting without thinking, trusting what she knew. The recipes didn't teach her how to cook; they reminded her what mattered while doing it.
A Table Passed Down is my way of honoring the collective spirit behind this cookbook. It's also a window into my past, honoring when I fell in love with the kitchen. In this series, I'll be recreating recipes inspired by these shared dishes, classic Italian food made the way it was meant to be simple, comforting and deeply personal. I'll be adding modern measurements and tips but keeping the heart of the recipe intact. With every dish, I'll share:
- what the recipe is
- where it originated (when I know)
- why it matters to me & my own memories attached to it
- how I'll update it for my own kitchen
I would like A Table Passed Down to be about honoring original recipes but also preserving them. It is about acknowledging that food carries history, not just one family but many of many. Every recipe is shaped by the hands who made it, the table it was served at, and the people nourished by it. I feel very connected to the generations that came before me, simply by envisioning them gathered around the table, enjoying the very same meal I am preparing today both professionally and personally.
I invite you to join me on this journey. To Cook slowly & from your heart. To trust your instincts. To gather people, you love around your table nourishing hearts and souls.
The best recipes were never meant to stay inside a book; they were meant to be shared!
CAPONATA
Caponata is one of those dishes that never belonged to just one cook. Every family had a version, every kitchen made it a little differently. Some sweet, some sour. Served warm, or cold the next day. Eaten on bread, alongside fish, or by the spoonful. There are actually 5 different versions of the recipe in this one book originating from different areas of Sicily. Attached you will see the original recipe and how I updated my version.
What is Caponata?
It is an eggplant dish built on contrast: soft eggplant, bright vinegar, sweetness from tomatoes or sugar, and the unmistakable bite of capers and olives. It is rustic, forgiving, and improves with time, which is why it appears so often in shared cookbooks like this one. It will feed a crowd, stretches ingredients, not budgets and tastes even better the next day. It is the perfect make ahead dish to impress!
Ingredients:
2 Eggplants, cut into 1-inch pieces.
1/2 cup of olive oil, divided.
2 Cups Tomato Puree or chopped Italian tomato.
1/2 cup of pitted green olives, chopped.
1/4 white wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced.
1 onion, diced.
5 celery stalks, diced.
2 TB capers
2 TB Sugar
Salt & Pepper
Method:
1 - Prepare the Eggplant:
Generously salt the eggplant and set aside for an hour. Use a clean, dry towel to gently squeeze any moisture from the eggplant. Sauté eggplant in 1/4 cup oil, until browned on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
2 - Build the base:
Add the remaining 1/4 cup oil to the pan & sauté the onion and celery, until soft, then garlic until fragrant but not browned. Add the tomatoes (I use puree because my family prefers a smooth texture), olives & capers. Set to low & heat through.
3 - Bring it together:
Add the eggplant back to the pan, cover & simmer. While simmering warm the vinegar & sugar until sugar melts. (microwave works well) Add to the pan. Salt & Pepper to taste. Stir gently and let simmer for 5-10 minutes.
4 - Let rest before serving:
Caponata is best after it sits. Let cool slightly, taste & adjust seasoning.
How my Grandmother’s Caponata is meant to be served:
- Over Crusty Bread
- Alongside grilled fish or chicken
- As part of an antipasto or charcuterie board
- Warm it up in a skillet, crack an egg in it, sizzle, cover in parmesan & start scooping
- Straight from the fridge by the spoonful
The original recipe for Caponata in my grandmother’s book was created by a woman named Carmela Cannata. I hope somewhere her children & grandchildren are still sharing this recipe around the table!
Tutti Mangia!