Best Bites from Scott: Italian Sausage Eggplant Gratin


Our Best Bites

A peek into our kitchen...
the recipes our team makes again and again!

Hi, Reader!

Hey everyone, Scott here! Chris’ sidekick, husband and resident photographer. It’s my turn this month to share something delicious with you from The Café’s voluminous cavern of recipes that Chris and I have cooked and shot over the past 15 years.

I can’t tell you how many “favorite recipes” I have from over 2,000 blog posts. My only regret is that, after the week of testing and testing a recipe, we never see it again in our kitchen since the curious cook I live with is on to yet another new creation! No complaints here though, because everything that Chris creates is amazingly delicious and fun to shoot!

For you photo buffs reading this blog every week, just a little insider information. I shoot with two Canon mirrorless cameras, one overhead on a tripod arm and one for horizontal and vertical front and closeup shots. My favorite lens is my macro lens, which allows me to really get really close to the subject and share the beauty of the food Chris creates. We shoot exclusively in natural light, which means no nighttime shooting. Natural light, when controlled, makes food really shine and brings out the beautiful shapes, colors and textures of each new creation.

That being said, this month’s Best Bites is coming out of the plethora of Italian recipes Chris has created over the past decade and a half. I have a weakness for Italian dishes and her Eggplant Italian Sausage Gratin recipe is my “happy food”, you know, the one I request for my birthday (it's that good!).

I know you’ll love this Eggplant Italian Sausage Gratin recipe as much as I do, so, as Chris always says, bon appetit, or, should I say, buon appetito!

*** Spoiler alert: have you noticed a higher than normal number of Italian recipes on The Café lately? Well the cook and I are celebrating our 50th anniversary this summer with our whole family in….. Italy! We’ll pack all of you up and take you with us, so get your traveling gear ready.

Scott

P.S. Oh, and I’m definitely not the only one who loves this dish. Scroll through the reader comments - they say it even better than I can.

I make this all the time! It's rich decadent and amazing!! The flavors are so powerful, you can't stop eating! 10 Stars!! - Linnea
I have made this multiple times with rave reviews each time. This is a hit with people who don’t like eggplant and people who don’t like sausage. You don’t have to peel the eggplant. You will hardly notice it. Baking the eggplant instead of breading and frying is also genius. There is absolutely no reason to change one thing in this recipe. It’s perfect! - Cici

Welcome to The Café! We’re Chris and Scott, part of a family team sharing easy, elegant, well-tested recipes since 2011. Our mission is simple: to help you feel confident, inspired, and successful in the kitchen, so you can enjoy delicious food and the joy of gathering family and friends around the table!

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The Cafe Sucre Farine

I'm married to Scott, my best friend and amazing photographer. I'm also a mom & grandmother and I love talking about food, cooking, hospitality, and easy entertaining. Subscribe and join over 58,000 newsletter readers every week!

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