Roast the eggplant. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and add the onion. Stir until tender, about five minutes, then add the garlic. Stir until fragrant, about a minute, and add the tomatoes, salt (1/2 to 1 teaspoon), pepper, sugar and basil sprigs. Turn the heat up to medium-high. When the tomatoes are bubbling, stir well and then turn the heat back to medium. Stir often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and are beginning to stick to the pan, about 25 minutes. Remove the basil sprigs. Preheat the oven to 400°. Set aside 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and mix with the bread crumbs. Oil the inside of a two-quart gratin or baking dish with olive oil. Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce over the bottom of the dish. Slice the roasted eggplant about 1/4 inch thick, and set an even layer of slices over the tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon a layer of sauce over the eggplant, and sprinkle with basil and Parmesan. Repeat the layers one or two more times, depending on the shape of your dish and the size of your eggplant slices, ending with a layer of sauce topped with the Parmesan and bread crumb mixture you set aside. Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over the top. Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until bubbling and browned on the top and edges. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.

A lowfat version of the classic eggplant parmesan.

Steam thick slices of eggplant until barely tender, then roll them in flour and place in a well-buttered pan that has been rubbed with a cut clove of garlic. On each slice of eggplant, place a spoonful of the diced tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, then cover each mound with shredded cheese. Place under the broiler until golden brown, then serve. Optional: garnish with a crisp slice of bacon.

Older recipes seem to be a bit frightened of garlic ... I've never felt the "rub garlic on the pan/pot/salad bowl" method really delivered much garlic flavor.

Pare and dice the eggplant. Cut the onion, green pepper and bacon into small pieces and brown. Add flour and stir until brown, then add the tomato puree and stir until smooth and thick. Add seasonings. Grease a baking dish and fill with half the diced eggplant. Pour half the tomato sauce over this and half the grated cheese. Repeat, using the remainder of the ingredient. Bake at 300° for 90 minutes.

Seems like a primitive way to make eggplant parmesan. Amusingly, this recipe, which was printed right below the statement "Sunset Kitchen Cabinet recipes are twice tested: first by Sunset readers in their home kitchens, and finally by Sunset Magazine's director of home economics," neglected to include cheese in the list of ingredients.

Dip slices of eggplant in flour, then egg, then crumbs. Sauté in small amount of hot fat for 5 to 10 minutes (or deep fat fry at 375° for 2-4 minutes) until slices are tender and golden brown. Season with salt and pepper.

Use panko crumbs for extra crispiness, and feel free to add seasonings to the flour and crumbs. Be sure to flour the slices before dipping them in the egg -- it helps the egg to adhere to the eggplant.

The broiled variation: instead of frying, broil the eggplant for 5 to 10 minutes on each side.

Fry bacon until crisp, then crumble. Sauté onion and green pepper, then add eggplant, salt, pepper, tomato puree and water. Cook for 10 minutes. Pour into baking dish, then top with cheese, crumbs and bacon bits. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.

In our house, anything with crisp bacon crumbled on top makes us sit up and take notice.

Cut large lengthwise slice off medium eggplant. Remove eggplant flesh from shell and cut in cubes. Cook in small amount of boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, brown mushrooms, onions and garlic in butter. When partially browned, add drained eggplant, then salt and pepper to taste, and cream. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until eggplant is soft. Fill eggplant shell with mixture and top with bacon. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Another eggplant recipe topped with bacon! Not that I'm complaining ...

Cut eggplant into 10-12 slices 1/4" thick. Sprinkle with salt. Combine 1 beaten egg, milk, bread cubes, parsley, 1/2 tsp. salt and basil. Add meat and mix well. Spread mixture on half of the eggplant slices, then top with remaining slices. Combine other egg and 2 TB. water, then dip eggplant "sandwiches" in egg mixture. Brown on both sides in hot shortening. Transfer to a baking dish, overlapping pieces to fit. Combine tomato sauce and water and pour over. Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes.

This dish is crying out for some cheese sprinkled on top. And bacon.

Combine first seven ingredients, then add lamb and mix well. Shape into 18 meatballs. In skillet, brown meatballs in hot oil, then drain off the fat. Blend the tomato sauce with the mustard and pour over the balls. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, then uncover and cook for 15 minutes more.

I'd serve this with a rice pilaf of some sort. Maybe add a little Greek yogurt at the end, too.

Trim stem from eggplant and cut into 8 lengthwise wedges. In a frying pan over high heat, heat olive oil and brown the eggplant on one cut side, about two minutes. Then turn, add 1/2 tsp. salt, basil and 3 TB. water. Cover pan and cook over medium heat, checking at 2 minute intervals to add water (2 TB. at a time) until it is absorbed. Shake pan or turn pieces as necessary until eggplant is tender. Season if needed with additional salt and pepper.

Not much basil, for a dish with basil right there in the name.

Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove stems, seeds and pith. Immerse in boiling water to cover and remove when water returns to a boil. Drain. Arrange cupped side up in a baking pan. Trim stem from eggplant, then cut eggplant into 3/4" cubes and combine with 6 TB. of the olive oil and the garlic in a large frying pan. Cook over medium heat until eggplant is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Divide hot cooked eggplant evenly among the pepper half shells. Sprinkle with the the crumbs and drizzle with remaining olive oil. Bake uncovered at 375° for 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature and serve with lemon wedges.

Vegetables dishes that are specified to be served at room temperature make me think of them as more like salads than main courses.

Cut eggplant into lengthwise slices about 1/2" thick. Coat with flour, dredge in egg mixture, then sauté in olive or vegetable oil over medium high heat until well browned and tender when pierced. Drain the eggplant on paper towels. Line the bottom of a shallow casserole dish with half the eggplant. Spoon half the meat sauce on top, covering with half the mozzarella cheese. Repeat with a layer of eggplant, then the remaining meat sauce and mozzarella. Top with Parmesan. Bake uncovered in a 375° oven until bubbly, about 40 minutes.

Meat sauce for this recipe is ground beef, Italian sausage, green pepper, onions and mushrooms, cooked with tomato sauce.

from Sunset Italian Cook Book (1972)

Same as Eggplant Parmigiano (above), but add 1 package of frozen spinach (thawed) to the meat sauce and decrease the mozzarella to 1/2 lb. Layer and bake as before.

Sauté green pepper and onion in butter in a medium skillet until tender. Blend in tomato sauce and salt, and bring to a boil. Add cubed eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until eggplant is almost tender. Place half of eggplant mixture in pie shell, then top with half of cheese, then remaining eggplant mixture, then remaining cheese. Bake at 400° for 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Not sure how best to slice the eggplant for this dish. The original recipe says "sliced and quartered," which is on the ambiguous side. "Diced" would be too small and thus probably mushy, so I chose "cubed."

Pare a large eggplant cut into 1/2" slices, then cut the slices in strips 1/2" wide. Roll strips in seasoned flour, then dip in a mixture of egg beaten with milk. Last, roll the strips in the crumbs. Fry in hot, deep fat (380°) for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve at once.

The book notes on this recipe: "a little trouble but well worth it." The next recipe is similar, for an Eggplant Sauté, but the eggplant slices are lastly dipped in cornmeal and then browned in bacon fat, then covered and cooked slowly until tender.

Cut eggplant in half and scoop out the pulp, leaving shells 1/2" in thickness. Dice pulp and boil, covered, in salted water for 5 minutes, until just tender. Brown sausage, drain off fat, mix with eggplant and rice, and season with salt and pepper. Brush the inside of the eggplant with butter, stuff with the sausage mixture, and bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

The cookbook recommends this be served with tomato or mushroom sauce.

Salt and pepper thick slices of eggplant, then dip in beaten egg and then in breadcrumbs or cornmeal. Brown on both sides in leftover bacon drippings. Place a layer of the browned slices in a baking dish, then cover with a layer or tomato slices or canned tomatoes. Sprinkle on chili powder, if desired, and chopped onion, and then a generous portion of the shredded cheese. Repeat with another layer of the eggplant, tomatoes and cheese. Bake, covered for 20 minutes in a 375° oven, then uncover and bake for 10 minutes longer.

The cookbook: "Accurate measurements are not necessary in making this dish."

In a skillet, brown the beef and the onion. Drain off fat. Stir in tomatoes, garlic salt, 1/2 tsp. salt, thyme and cinnamon. Add eggplant. Cover the skillet, reduce heat to simmer, and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine flour and 2 TB. cold water, then stir into skillet mixture. Cook and stor until thickened and bubbly. Sprinkle cheese atop mixture, cover, and continue heating until cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

Shredded Swiss cheese is a fairly rare ingredient in this sort of dish, since it has such a strong flavor.

In a large skillet cook the onion and garlic in oil until tender but not brown. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take care not to break up the veegtable pieces. Serve hot a vegetable side dish or cold as an hors d'oeuvre.

The ratatouille in the Pixar movie Ratatouille, which astonished the harsh food critic, was colorfully layered and a bit fancier than this version, which, frankly, will not astonish anybody.

Check out this site for a version that approximates the version seen in the movie.

Sprinkle eggplant lightly with salt and let stand for a few minutes, then pat dry. Sauté in melted butter on both sides until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Brown meat in the same pan, stirring until crumbly, then stir in parsley, onion, pepper, salt and tomatoes, and cook until flavors are blended. In a square baking pan, put a layer of half the sauteed eggplant, then the meat sauce, then the remaining eggplant. Stir the water into the drippings in the pan and pour over. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35 minutes.

Suprisingly few of these recipes call for salting the eggplant before cooking.

Mix together lamb, onion, tomatoes, pine nuts or almonds, pepper, cinnamon and 1 tsp. salt. Spoon into a buttered casserole dish. Lightly brown eggplant on both sides in butter, then arrange over the meat mixture. Season tomato sauce with remaining 1 tsp. salt, and pour over eggplant slices. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for two hours.

I substituted ground lamb for cubed lamb, and omitted the monosodium glutamate called for by the original recipe.

Place the whole unpeeled eggplant in enough boiling salted water to cover it completely, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and cool. Cut it into quarters lengthwise, then peel each quarter. Cut crosswise into 1" pieces. Arrange layers as follows in a buttered casserole dish: eggplant pieces, dots of butter, salt and pepper, uncooked mushrooms, tomato sauce, bread crumbs mixed with the grated cheese. Repeat with another layer. Place uncovered casserole in a 350° oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Boiling a whole, unpeeled eggplant ... that's a little bizarre.

Cook onion in oil until soft, then add tomato paste, water, oregano, parsley and salt. Simmer 10 minutes. Coat eggplant slices with the sauce, and arrange half of them in bottom of a greased casserole pan. Cover with Swiss cheese slices and spoon half the remaining sauce over the cheese. Top with remaining eggplant. Mix remainder of the sauce with the bread, stirring to coat well, and spoon over the eggplant. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover loosely with foil and bake at 350° for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for 30 minutes more. If desired, slip casserole under broiler for a few seconds to brown the topping.

The cookbook notes "The topping resembles tomato-bread pudding," which doesn't sound especially appetizing, although I would bet it tastes fine.

Cook eggplant in boiling salted water for 3 minutes, then drain. Place in shallow baking dish. In saucepan, cook onion, green pepper, garlic and oregano in butter until tender. Add soup, water and salt, then heat. Pour sauce over eggplant. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with croutons and grated cheese. Bake at 425° for another 15 minutes.

Original recipe called for frozen chopped onion and green pepper, but the condensed tomato soup was enough, even for a "fast and fancy" cookbook.

Brown beef and onion in small amount of hot fat. Spoon off excess fat. Sprinkle flour over meat and stir. Add next six ingredients and mix well. Season eggplant with salt and pepper, then arrange slices over meat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Top with shredded cheese.

Compare with the identically-named recipe, above. Similar, but spiced differently.

Dip eggplant slices in beaten egg, then in crumbs. Brown slowly in the hot oil. Place one-fourth of the eggplant slices in the bottom of a casserole dish, and top with one-fourth of the cheese slices. Combine tomato sauce, Worcestershire and oregano. Spoon one fourth of the sauce over the cheese. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used, ending with sauce. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour.

In 1963, an eggplant dish with "Italian" right in the name still called for American cheese ...

Brown beef and onion in hot fat. Spoon off excess fat. Sprinkle flour over meat and stir. Add tomato sauce, green pepper, oregano, chili powder and salt, and mix well. Season eggplant slices with salt and pepper. Arrange slices over meat sauce. Cover and simmer until eggplant is tender, about 15 minutes. Top with shredded cheese.

In 1963, an eggplant dish with "Mexican" right in the name still called for American cheese ...

Heat the oil and butter in a large pan or Dutch oven and sauté the onion until limp, about 3 minutes. Brown the meat in the same pan, then add the eggplant, garlic, carrots, celery, tomatoes, beef broth, salt, sugar, pepper and nutmeg. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, then add the macaroni and parsley and simmer for 10 more minutes, or until the macaroni is tender. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the soup when serving.

I imagine this would resemble minestrone, but with eggplant.

Pare and dice the eggplant. Add eggplant to a small amount boiling water to which the marjoram has been added, and cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Drain well. Cook onion in the 2 TB. butter until tender but not brown, then add to the eggplant along with the parsley. Combine melted butter and crumbs. In a greased pie plate, arrange a layer of eggplant mixture, then a layer of crumbs, then repeat. Pour cream over top and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes.

I have no idea what this Blackberry Farm is, but that's the name the book gave it.

I'm not sure I've seen a recipe where a dried herb is used to flavor boiling water. Seems like the herb flavor would be tremendously diluted.

Cut eggplant in half lengthwise and place in greased baking dish. Combine oil and garlic and brush half of it over cut surfaces, then sprinkle with parsley and oregano. Top eggplant with tomato slices, then drizzle with remaining oil mixture. Sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper. Bake uncoverd at 400° for 1 hour. Sprinkle with additional snipped parsley and Parmesan cheese.

If I were making this today, I'd use at least three times the amount of garlic.

Dip eggplant in butter, then in mixture of bread crumbs and salt. Place on greased baking sheet. Spoon sauce atop each slice, then sprinkle with oregano and cheese. Bake at 450° for 12 minutes.

One of the simplest eggplant recipes ... it's like little eggplant pizzas.

Cook diced eggplant in salted boiling water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain. Meanwhile, stir milk into soup, then blend in the egg. Add drained eggplant, onion and stuffing, and toss lightly to mix. Turn into a greased baking dish. For the cheese topping, crush the stuffing and toss with the melted butter, then sprinkle over the casserole. Top with cheese. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

I wasn't planning to include this recipe, but I've always been fond of packaged stuffing mix.

Cook eggplant in small amount of boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Drain well. Place a slice of cheese between two slices of eggplant. Combine egg, milk and salt. Dip eggplant "sandwiches" in egg mixture, then in potato chip crumbs. Cook in hot vegetable oil until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Original recipe called for American cheese, but I think any kind of sliced cheese will do ... and any kind of sliced cheese is bound to be better than American cheese.

Slice eggplant into 1/2" slices, then cut into 1/2" strips. Make batter of flour, salt, milk, egg and oil. Dip sliced eggplant in batter, then drain on a wire rack, then fry in deep hot fat (375°) for 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and Parmesan cheese.

We very rarely deep-fry anything, but I think this one would be worth the trouble.

Cook eggplant in boiling salted water for 7 minutes, then drain. Melt butter in saucepan and cook onion and celery until tender but not brown. Blend in flour, dill seed and salt. Add milk, all at once, then cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and bubbles. Stir in shredded cheese, then fold in cooked eggplant. Place mixture in a baking dish. Combine cracker crumbs with melted butter and sprinkle over top. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes.

You can pretty much assume that if I omit the kind of cheese in these recipes, then it originally called for American cheese.

Wash the eggplants, peel horizontally in strips, then slice into circles. Dry the eggplants in a little oil until browned. Place in an ovenproof casserole dish. Heat butter in a saucepan, then add onions, tomato and ground meat. Cover and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat. Pour meat over eggplants. Add enough water to barely cover. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes, then garnish with parsley.

Odd recipe ... sort of "drowns" the dish in water.

Peel the skin of the eggplant in stripes. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh without breaking the skin, making two "boats." Heat olive oil in a skillet and fry the egglants on all sides until lightly browned. Drain and place in a roasting pan, shallow sides up. Melt the butter in a separate pan and cook the meat, onion, parsley and tomato paste together. Stuff the eggplant wit the meat mixture and place some tomato slices on top. Pour 1 1/4 cups water into the roasting pan. Cook at 375° for 30 minutes, or until the eggplants are cooked, then serve with rice.

This is one of the simpler versions of stuffed eggplant that I've seen.

Grill the eggplant, then peel. Mash the flesh into a bowl, and stir in the yogurt, garlic, bell pepper and tomato. Combine the olive oil and lemon juice to make the dressing, adding seasoning to taste. Pour over the salad and garnish with a few olives.

The cookbook notes that this salad is served everywhere in Turkey, from "a seaside bar to a five-star hotel."

Peel the eggplant and cut into 1/2" rounds, place them in a colander in a sink. Put a weighted plate on them, leave for 30 minutes, then squeeze any remaining water out of them with paper towels. Heat oil in a skillet, fry the eggplant slices, and let drain on addiitonal paper towels. Saute the onion and garlic as well until onion is wilted. Add the tomatoes, mashing them down. Stir, and add salt and pepper to taste. Add oregano, basil and parsley. Rub oil on an oven-proof dish, place a layer of eggplant, a layer of sauce, thin slices of mozzarella, and then a little basil and oregano over it all. Build the dish in such layers, topping with sauce and cheese, then evenly spread with Parmesan. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

An eggplant parm by another name ... the cookbook notes that it should be made in an oven-proof serving dish that is higher than it is wide.

Cut the eggplants in half and scoop out the pulp, leaving a half-inch of shell. Put the shells in lightly salted boiling water for 5 minutes, then remove carefully and drain. Chop the eggplant pulp and mix wih the pepper, onion and garlic. Heat some oil in a frying pan and saute the eggplant mixture for 10 minutes. Add flour, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Add enough boiling wtaer to give it a malleable but not runny consistency. Spoon it into the eggplant shells and top with remaining bread crumbs. Put a little water in a baking sheet, place the eggplants on the sheet, and bake at 325° for 30 minutes.

This dish seems a bit under-seasoned to me. I'd recommend adding some herbs.

Cut the eggplants in half and scoop out the pulp, leaving a half-inch of shell. Put the shells in lightly salted boiling water for 2 minutes, then remove carefully and drain. Chop up the eggplant pulp and mix with the olives, anchovies, tomatoes, capers and black pepper. Moisten with olive oil, then carefully spoon the mixture back into the eggplant shells and place on a cookie sheet with a layer of water on it. Bake at 325° for 30 minutes.

Similar to the stuffed eggplant in the previous recipe, but this one sounds much tastier.

Wash eggplants, leaving stems intact. Make a deep slit from the stalk to the base, but do not cut through completely. Sprinkle salt into slits and wait for 20 minutes. Cut peppers into strips. Chop onions and tomatoes. Heat a quarter of the oil in a skillet and sauté the peppers, onion and garlic for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, spices and half the parsley to the onions and peppers mixture. Cook for 10 more minutes. Rinse eggplants and pat dry. Heat remaining oil and fry the eggplants for 10 minutes, turning frequently. Drain on paper towels. Place eggplants slit side up in a dish in which they will fit snugly. Carefully open the slits and pile in the onion, pepper and tomato mixture. Pour enough boiling water in the dish so that it comes halfway up the side of the eggplants. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes. Allow the eggplants to cool, then lift out of the liquid with a slotted spoon and sprinkle with remaining parsley.

To me this seems like "main dish caponata."

Broil eggplant for 20 minutes, turning them regularly until skin is blackened and blistered. Cover with a clean dish towel for 10 minutes, then peel off the skin. Squeeze the eggplant flesh to squeeze out any bitter juices. Using a food processor, purée the eggplant with the garlic, lemon juice, tahini, salt and cumin. Garnish with olives and serve.

Jack is a hummus partisan, but to me this dip is clearly superior.

Cut the eggplants into round slices, then quarter them. Salt them, leave them for 20 minutes, then rinse off the salt and pat them dry. Heat 2 TB. of the oil in a skillet and cook the onion for 10 minutes, until soft. Dice the celery and add to the onion, and cook for 10 more minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for 5 more minutes. Pour in the vinegar and sugar. Add olives and capers. Simmer for 10 more minutes. Pour remaining oil in another skillet to a depth of 1" and warm over medium heat. When oil is very hot, add dry eggplant pieces. Cook for five minutes, turning, until browned on all sides. Remove and drain on paper towels. Stir eggplant into tomato and celery mixture. Season and then stir in chopped parsley. Let salad stand for 24 hours in the fridge, to give the flavors time to intermingle.

I'd make sure those "cracked green olives" were pitted. Few things are worse than taking a bite of what you think is a delicious piece of food, and unexpectedly biting a hard pit (or bone).

Salt eggplant to draw out bitter juices. Place all ingredients except cherry tomatoes in skillet. Cover and cook over low heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook another 3 to 5 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

Not sure if this recipe belonged to my mom or it was something I'd saved. She never tried serving us eggplant when we were young.

Slice eggplant thinly lengthwise. Evenly coat each slice with salt and purge of bitter juices for 30 minutes, then rinse and dry. Slice the pieces into thin strips to resemble pasta. In a large pan heat the oil. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook for 3 minutes. Add the eggplant pasta and toss to coat. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add the cream and increase the heat to thicken the sauce. Add the basil and parmesan and toss to combine. Season with pepper and serve hot.

On his TV show, Brown made the whole thing in under 90 seconds. Or maybe it was a minute, I forget. In any case, I'd cook it long enough for the eggplant to soften and become more pasta-like.

Preheat oven to 425°. Prick eggplant and place on baking sheet and roast 30 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to handle, then remove skin and place flesh in a food processor. Puree and transfer to a bowl, then stir in other ingredients.

Boil eggplants until tender. Slice in half, scoop out flesh, and chop. Mix eggplant with garlic, mozzarella, rice, and seasoning. Stuff the eggplant shells and fry the eggplant until golden brown, turning once (the moist stuffing should cling to the insides of the shells and not fall out). Spread a baking sheet with tomato sauce, put eggplant in sauce and bake until bubbling.