Friday Nights

Who doesn’t love Friday nights? The workweek is over, Saturday is usually filled with something enjoyable (or errands), which is at least better than Sunday- which only brings feelings of that Monday start again. I remember loving Friday nights all through my childhood. Homework could be put off till Sunday night-procrastination being the name of the game. My younger years of TGIF shows and pizza of evolved into movies in the village with friends (being dropped off by parents) which then morphed into meeting up for happy hour and/or dinner and dancing.
Somehow about two years ago excitement of my Friday nights dropped off a bit.

Which isn’t to say that I don’t enjoy that end of the week when I pick out some movie on my hard drive to escape with only to still turn in around 11 p.m. {sigh} Still I’m so grateful that I had those memories of childhood and youth growing up in a suburb where at least I had the option of going out and being social, learning out to be awkward about boys and experience all those uncomfortable things that come with being a teenager.
When I ask the girls of my town how they celebrate their Friday nights they tell me they pretty much the same thing as every other night, minus the homework. I knew that they wouldn’t be going to the movies, any discotech (as they refer to clubs or dance bars) or even out for pizza. There aren’t sleepovers or other random reasons to get together. I feel like they are so deprived of so many of the things I was lucky enough to experience.

So for two of my students, who have become my best friends in town, I decided to make a reason to get together.

I’ve been helping Amina and Nurlana prepare for the FLEX exam for over a year now (FLEX is an exchange program that brings post-soviet country students to the U.S. to live with a family and study at high school for one year). They both attended GLOW camp, Amina last year and Nurlana this year. Both of them changed drastically after only a five day camp and have really stepped up their leadership as a result. They’ve both helped me with my summer clubs and now believe in their ideas and dreams in a way that is rarely seen in my town, especially among girls. They both are super enthusiastic about practically everything American and they now constantly talk about America. Oh and their English and improved tenfold in the last year as they are as good as many university students. With all their hard work and eagerness to keep learning and practicing (I alternate every other day with each of their 2 hour lessons) they’re undoubtably some of the best speakers in my town. They’re also only 14 years old.

Next week is their first chance to take the FLEX exam and while it’s a tough competition and only about 40 students get selected every year I am just so proud of them for working so hard and believing that they can do it. (They’ll have two years to qualify if this year doesn’t work out.)

This past Friday night I invited both of them over for a Friday night meal. They love pizza, which we’ve made together but they only have it once a year as the good cheese doesn’t often come to our town and it’s a pretty penny for even 100 grams. I decided to expand their palates a bit I’d show them how to make eggplant parmigiana instead-same concept of pizza minus the time to make the dough. (Note: Parmesan cheese—or anything even remotely close—doesn’t come close to my town so we substitute the only other meltable cheese when available.)
This week was a bit trying for a number of reasons, I wasn’t feeling so well on Wednesday and I thought of pushing off getting together until after the exam. But when I saw Nurlana at club on Thursday and she told me how excited she was for Friday night I just couldn’t bring myself to cancel. She had plans for Friday night, I thought, and I wouldn’t allow myself to crush that excitement.

They arrived at 5, went through my stash of magazines and we chatted about school and our afternoons. I showed them how to cook the eggplant and make the sauce, testing as we went to make sure the flavors were good. While we chopped, sliced and diced we chatted about boys and movies and America. After Amina grated the cheese and they assembled the dish it went into the oven. I gave them spoons while they devoured the extra cheese like American kids gooble up candy. Just about 10 minutes later it was ready and served—pictures were taken through the testing and they were quite pleased. They even said they’ll probably make it again. I told them how often this dish is served in restaurants throughout Italy and the U.S. but now I can actually make it for myself at home.

After dinner there was more photo taking, girl talk and some dancing. I was glad to provide an outlet for them to just be teenage girls. Even though they had to leave around 8:30, I promised we’d do another Friday night after the FLEX exam. Maybe we’ll even make s’mores.

My recipe for simple, 3 step Eggplant Parmigana:
[I don’t bread or fry the eggplant as is traditionally done and I think roasting it just brings out enough of the flavor. Plus it cuts down on cooking time and mess. Also you would use mozzarella cheese here as well but obviously that just doesn’t work for me.]

Eggplant
5-6 small to med eggplants sliced
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Tomato Sauce
3 cans diced tomatoes or about 5-8 fresh tomatoes chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves chopped
Table salt and ground black pepper

8 ounces mozzarella shredded (2 cups)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 ounce)
10 fresh basil leaves torn, for garnish


1. Slice eggplant. Rub salt on each slice and place in a colander or bowl. Let about 30 minutes. After liquid has drained, white excess salt and moisture off eggplant and lay on baking sheet and cover with oil. Roast in oven, flipping eggplant halfway through until cooked through on both sides.

2. While eggplant bakes chop tomatoes and garlic. Heat olive oil in pan and add garlic, sautéing for 2 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and some red pepper (or red pepper flakes if you have) over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Bring sauce to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, until slightly thickened and reduced, about 15 minutes Stir in basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. To assemble, spread some of the tomato sauce in bottom of a baking dish. Layer in half of eggplant slices and then sprinkling cheese. Repeat with another layer adding in fresh basil. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve with garlic bread or side pasta.