Jason Driskill

There’s a little corner market in the short distance between my house and the 24-hour IGA. I always notice how affordable their produce is on my way back from IGA when I’ve spent all my money. Today I took the time to go inside and check them out, and I was shocked at how much cheaper they are than the supermarket. Eggplants are 79¢ each - a price no less than inspirational. And I promptly bought one and took it home to whip up a batch of Norma’s Eggplant Parmesan. My roommate Amy (vegetarian for over eight years) swears it’s the best eggplant parmesan she’s ever tasted. I couldn’t ask for a better endorsement. I found the recipe on Cookbooks.com (an excellent online culinary resource).

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NORMA’S EGGPLANT PARMESAN

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1 large or two small eggplant
1 egg, beaten with 1/4 c. milk
3/4 c. whole wheat bread crumbs
3 c. Marinara Sauce
1 pt. Ricotta cheese
6 slices Mozzarella cheese,
1/4-inch thick grated Parmesan cheese
2 lb. cooked broccoli
1 pt. large mushrooms, sliced and quickly stir-fried in a nonstick frypan.
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and slice eggplant 1-inch in thickness and about 3 1/2-inches in diameter. Dip eggplant into egg mixture, then into bread crumbs. Place eggplant on a baking sheet and bake in 400 degrees oven for about 25 to 30 minutes or until eggplant is just tender.

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Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place the eggplant in a large casserole or individual casseroles. Pour 1/2 cup Marinara Sauce over each piece. Place a small scoop of Ricotta cheese in center and top with a slice of Mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle lightly with Parmesan cheese. Place broccoli and mushrooms around eggplant. When ready to serve, place the prepared eggplant in the 500 degrees oven for about 15 minutes. Bake until the cheese is melted and begins to turn brown.

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I must point out that what I feel made this dish so successful was that I made the Marinara Sauce from scratch, with red wine. For dessert: vanilla ice cream sprinkled with fig vinegar.

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I had a job interview today. It seemed to go well. It was for a clerical position, completely devoid of any art or academic merit. It’s made me consider my employment history, how the past three listings on my resume (Aquinas, Watkins, and my own Secret Show Series) are all building up toward an administrative position in either the arts or art education. I realized today that beyond my immediate need for employment is something more to consider: consistency and development. I applied for a posting on Craigslist for a Program Administrator for the Fine Arts Grad Program at CCA. The position couldn’t be more choice - it takes all of my education and art experience and combines it with all of my Kinko’s and Aquinas experience: it’s a dream job.
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The contrast between applying for that job and interviewing for the clerical job today has made me realize something. There are jobs out there that I really want, as well as jobs that I can do because I have to work somewhere. The jobs that I really want are scarce and require more qualifications than I currently have. The jobs that I can do, simply for the sake of having a job, are tempting because even though they don’t further my development, they have a nice numb, complacent, stability to them. They’ll pay the bills, they’re mindless, they require little more than my time and presence. And after so many years of school, and so many shit-jobs trying to balance school and work, I feel drawn to this sort of work. I want to be comfortable. This leaves me feeling as though I don’t have as much sense of direction that I thought I did, even only a few weeks ago.
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I need a more definitive plan for my future.
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Tomorrow I’ll be meeting with a temp agency at TempPositions on Geary Street. I am hoping they’ll be able to offer me a few leads.