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COPYRIGHT 2003 Vegetarian Times, Inc. All rights reserved.
The Greek and Italian words for eggplant--melanzane and melitzanes--come from "mad apple," suggesting what people used to think would happen to you if you ate one. A member of the nightshade family, eggplant--which is really a fruit--won't make you crazy. And it isn't poisonous--another myth that took years to overcome.
This month's menu features Ratatouille Stuffed Eggplant, which makes a very attractive presentation, and rightly so. No one has ever disputed eggplant's visual appeal, and now the fruit is everywhere--in part because there are so many ways to prepare it. But when frying, be stingy with the fat because the porous flesh can absorb lots of oil--unless the eggplant is very fresh, has been soaked in salt water or rubbed with salt, or the oil is very hot. Eggplant tends to be bitter unless the flesh is salted and drained for at least 10 minutes in a colander. To help the process, apply gentle pressure by placing a dinner plate over the eggplant.
Ratatouille is a country French standard closely resembling a ragout. To make Ratatouille Stuffed Eggplant, begin by baking the "mad apples" in a moderately hot oven, with a quick finish under the broiler. This treatment gives the eggplants a rich and smoky flavor. The softened flesh becomes an essential part of the ratatouille, which is then stuffed into the eggplant shells...
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