I’m from a line of chefs. My paternal grandparents catered after my grandfather retired from baking. My parents catered as young adults, and prepared the food for their own wedding. My older brother is a prolific chef, and I’ve been practicing my own culinary arts on and off.
At the age of eight, I became quite concerned about animal rights, and decided to become a vegetarian. My parents were supportive, and adopted many vegetarian cooking practices into their repertoire. My father began cooking eggplant, often from his own garden. And while I’ve left my veggie days behind me, I’d like to inculcate in my daughter an appreciation for vegetarian cuisine, and challenge myself to execute this dish.
It would have been within my parents’ rights to reject the idea of their son becoming a vegetarian, cooking the meals for him which he could take or leave. A lesson from this is to encourage my child’s inclinations, especially those motivated by compassion, even when they prove challenging. They become life long lessons and memories.
I’ve chosen grilled eggplant as the centerpiece of this post. It’s a challenging dish to prepare, as eggplant can easily betray its pithy side. Properly done, it is crispy outside and creamy inside.
Peeled, Chopped
Soaked and salted
Oiled and peppered
Grilled, with Carne Asada
Completion
Served with lettuce, carrot strips, sour cream, on Naan Bread.
My wife is a skeptic regarding eggplant - she found this meal tasty and gave it her full endorsement.
