I grew up in a home where eggplant was nearly a banned word. My father hated the thought of eggplant, never mind getting him to eat it! My first real exposure was when John and I travelled through Turkey on our way home from Africa. There I heard that a young lady had to learn how to cook "aubergine" (a much nicer name than eggplant) 30 different ways before she could get married. I was a newlywed myself and didn't even know one way to cook eggplant! I don't know if that was a fact but it intrigued me and I made a point to eat as many eggplant dishes as I could. That trip was the beginning of my love for eggplant. In more recent years we have had the privilege of going to Romanian several times and they too make some amazing eggplant dishes. I love the colors, I love the shapes, I love the versatility...let's just say I love eggplant! Imagine my delight when I went into our cooler looking for lunch veggies and found Eggplant! I was so surprised! We have never had it this early. So whether you are cooking Asian, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern or Eastern European foods this unassuming, underrated vegetable should be a vital part.
Here is a recipe that I am going to make for my mom's birthday! It comes from a young lady we have known for many years. She is now a vegan chef and has her own food blog. You will enjoy looking at all the beautiful photos. Here is her link https://chefani.com/ and here is a video for making the eggplant sticks https://chefani.com/vegan-baked-parmesan-eggplant-sticks-with-marinara/ Enjoy!
