I really hated eggplant until recently. And not because I didn't give it a really good chance. I tried it grilled, fried, baked, steamed. I realized that sometimes, it was insufferable (stringy, bitter, flavorless), and sometimes, it was pretty good (mushy, but in a good way). I started to tell people, "I'm not crazy about eggplant, but it depends how it's prepared."
Then, I "discovered America," as my mom would say.
I realized that it wasn't exactly eggplant I hated unilaterally, but American eggplant. You know, the huge fat kind, usually found sliced into thick circles and either grilled or baked into chewy eggplant parmesan. There's something about it that makes it rather noxious.
I realized I really like Chinese eggplant (the long thin kind, sometimes called Japanese eggplant), especially the way, har har, the Chinese cook it. I'm not being racist, I swear! I find Chinese eggplant to be more tender somehow, with an uncanny way of soaking up all the flavors you bathe it in, whether it be spicy garlic sauce, or curry, or teriyaki.
Tonight, I decided to branch out a bit and tried Italian eggplant prepared the way my former Iraqi roommate did it (see below): sliced thin lengthwise, then toasted on the pan with a generous drizzle of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. It came out delicious, just tender enough on the inside and a bit crispy around the edges, like a slightly roasted, thicker banana chip or something.
Do you know how many kinds of eggplant there are? At Berkeley Bowl the other weekend, I saw no less than 5 kinds (pictured below). The Italian I bought, and then American, Chinese, Thai, and Indian. Crazy.
