From the heady stoner culture of New Orleans comes a gourmet recipe for a creamy, hedonistic pasta course. Served at a legendary underground supper club for cannabis food enthusiasts called the Enlightenment Cafe, this recipe was devised by a native of Humboldt County known only as Shadow, who brought his knowledge of stoner cookery to the Big Easy. This chef subdues the taste of the cannabis by using a long cooking time to extract the psychoactive cannabinoids into his oil. Shadow’s method for extracting ganja oil involves cooking one ounce of quality cannabis with a half-liter of first cold-press olive oil in a double boiler at 115°F to 135°F for three straight days, adding water every two hours. While you can certainly attempt this method, a standard infusion of cannabis into high-quality olive oil will do the trick.
Described as an “ethereal and fleeting exhalation” by High Times food columnist Ashley Boudreaux, this eggplant Alfredo pairs perfectly with a crisp green salad.
STONES 6
1 large eggplant, sliced 1 inch thick
2 cups merlot
1 tablespoon finely chopped mushrooms
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
3½ cups plus 2 tablespoons THC Oil (see recipe)
3 eggs
½ cup milk
1 egg white
3 cups bread crumbs
2½ cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 pound penne pasta
10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) butter
1½ cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1. Preheat the oven to 250°F.
2. Soak the eggplant slices in merlot for 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, mix the mushrooms, garlic, tomatoes, and 3 cups of the THC Oil in a 4-quart glass baking dish. Bake for 1½ hours, then remove from the oven and let cool. Use a slotted spoon to remove and discard the veggies, reserving the oil.
4. When the eggplant is done marinating, mix 2 eggs and the milk in a shallow pan or bowl. This will be your egg wash. In a second pan or bowl, mix together 1 egg, 1 egg white, the bread crumbs, 2 cups of the Parmesan, and the Italian seasoning to form a batter. Dip the eggplant slices in the egg wash, then dredge in the batter and set aside. Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices.
5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta.
6. In a large frying pan, warm the reserved ganja oil on high heat, then fry the eggplant slices until golden brown.
7. Cook your pasta according to the package directions and drain, tossing it with 2 tablespoons of the THC Oil.
8. Now you’re ready to make your sauce. In a separate frying pan, melt the butter with the remaining ½ cup THC Oil, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk the heavy cream into the mix. Add remaining ½ cup of Parmesan, the nutmeg, and salt. Stir until thickened.
9. Serve sauce over the fried eggplant and fresh pasta.