AUBERGINE
Aubergine or eggplant is a peculiar-looking vegetable that comes from nightshade family (yes, the toxic family!) probably originating in Africa but, as with many other foods, spread throughout the world due to its popularity. Although aubergine is not toxic, it still retains some of the typical nightshade bitterness, especially the aubergines with the round ring at the bottom of the vegetable. This ring is where the flower grows but when it's cut off, the ring becomes apparent. Aubergines with an oval, elliptical ring are less bitter, so depending on your preference, you know which kind of aubergine to choose. The best season for this vegetable is the summer.
Aubergines come in many varieties, but the most common is the purple-dark colored eggplant with a fairly mild flavor. However, you can also find aubergines colored in orange or in white, and they also come in different sizes. What is common to all eggplants though is their spongy interior, which is essentially made up of plant cells with many tiny air pockets around them. When you cook aubergine, this spongy part melts together into a smooth mass, and is often used as a flavor carrying "caviar" (it can be flavored with garlic, lemon juice, or thyme, just to mention a few possibilities). This spongy interior is actually something to care for depending on what we want to do with the aubergine. If you want to fry it in oil, this sponge will soak up the oil just like a normal sponge soaks up water. This will result in a very oily aubergine and no oil left in the pan! In some dishes, this effect is desirable, but if you want to minimize the sponge effect you can precook the aubergines so the air pockets get filled with water, or you can salt the slices of aubergine so that the water is drawn out of the cells and into the air pockets.
When you buy aubergines make sure they are fairly hard, without blemishes, and nice and shiny with tensed skin. Storing the aubergines should be done at room temperature, as they normally grow in a hot climate and the cold will deteriorate their flavor and offset their color.
A popular way of cooking an aubergine is by making the so-called aubergine caviar. Simply cut the aubergine in two halves, score the flesh without cutting the skin, and stuff it with garlic, thyme, or other aromatic ingredients. Sprinkle with a good splash of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and then put the two halves together and wrap the aubergine in aluminium foil. Bake it in the oven at fairly high heat for 40-60 minutes, or until the flesh of the aubergine is soft and can be scraped out with a spoon. Then just mix the mass into a smooth "caviar". This can be used to complement lots of dishes.
Other popular uses of aubergine is the Greek moussaka, or the Mid-East dip baba. There is also a dish of Arabic origin - Imam bayaldi - that makes use of the sponge effect to make the aubergine really oily. This is a nice way to get many flavors carried into the aubergine, although the big amount of oil may be too much for some people.
Aubergine goes well with: many things, so experimenting is encouraged. The classic additions to aubergine include basil, cheese, garlic, herbs like thyme or rosemary, black pepper, onion or shallot, tomatoes, and olive oil. As said though, try other things with aubergine to spice things up.