Egg(plant) on My Face

So I hesitate to post this knowing that the most comments I ever got on this blog was for a throw away post on kale -- I never knew how controversial vegetables were :). But I LOVE eggplant. LOVE it. But only when other people make it for me. I like it when I order it in restaurants, in eggplant parm, in my very favorite dim sum dish which I can only see described as eggplant and shrimp, I love random eggplant dips, and miso dipped eggplant that's grilled. I really do love eggplant.

I have had terrible luck cooking eggplant though, and I don't want tons of tips, I've read the tips, I've watched the alton brown episode. I am just no good at eggplant. I didn't grow up with it, I don't exactly know the ins and outs of eggplant even though I've read and watched shows on them and I just don't think I care enough, I prefer buying my eggplant already prepared.

At least, I was no good. I tried this recipe last night and though it could use some tweaking (on my end, not necessarily theirs -- for one thing I had no scallions in my fridge), I think it came out lovely. My boy, who is not an eggplant fan, said that "if it was too much trouble, you don't have to make it again." Code for, I don't really like it.

But it was not too much trouble at all. We get two eggplants in our csa every week. While making this recipe is slightly more intensive than just throwing out the eggplants, it's not that much more intensive, and takes way less time (in the sense that we cannot bear to throw out perfectly good veggies, so those eggplants have to rot in the fridge before we can just toss them-- I realize it's not hands on time). This meal was thrown together in less than 30 min and was a great main course for me and a nice side for my boy. So one eggplant recipe down, millions more to go!

As for our other continuing problem, to update you on the status of our house, we have three and a half rooms cleaned and two and a half to go (I am counting the pantry as a half room).

Also, there is absolutely no sign of the rat, we've moved every single piece of furniture in every room and swept behind and under them (even the two and a half rooms not counted as thoroughly cleaned). This has confirmed to my boy that one of his two theories is correct. Either our rat was someones pet who came to visit and then left (explaining how it was able to resist the uber tempting Reese's peanut butter cups on the traps) or, the rat was a ghost rat. Yes, I realize the latter theory is ridiculous. I tried to convince him that he was wrong based on the fact that the rat ate our Easter candy. My boy pointed out that Casper and Slimer both ate food. So now our rat has been classified as a Casper/Slimer type ghost. I am so glad that got cleared up. It will be much easier to catch him now! Where's Egon when you need him?