The Incredible Eddible Egg..plant

Common Eggplant

I used to think that I was not a big fan of eggplant.  I used to think that I did not like the taste and that eggplant was one of those vegetables that only vegetarians and hippies ate.  Like most things I did not like to eat it was only I had never experienced them prepared well.  It was not until I shared a meal at a Chinese restaurant that I experienced eggplant in a way that I not only liked, but loved.  The dish was simply Japanese eggplant stir-fried with the "chef's special sauce".  I tried the dish if only for curiosity sake and my life has not been the same since.  While the sauce of the dish was a large portion, I fell in love with eggplant itself.  It was soft and almost creamy with an earthy flavor to it and non of the bitterness that I usually thought accompanied eggplant.

So what exactly is an eggplant?  The eggplant, also known as an aubergine, is a fruit (technically a berry) that is consumed like a vegetable that comes from a plant originating in India.  The eggplant has been known to Asia for over two millennia and been cultivated in China since 500 B.C.  Arabs and Persians introduced it to Africa before the middle ages and it was from there that the eggplant was brought to Italy around the 14th century.  The first varieties of eggplant were so bitter that Europeans initially thought it caused insanity and kept it mainly for its ornamental purposes.  Only after years of cultivation and selective breeding has the eggplant improved in flavor.

Japanese, white and common Western Eggplants

 

There are multiple varieties of eggplants.

There are many different varieties of eggplant with Asian and western being the most commonly available.  Asian varieties are either long and thin or round with skin colors ranging from creamy white to deep purple.  Western eggplants, the more common one in the US, are shaped like a like a big pear with shiny lavender to purple-black skin.  The eggplant grows on a three foot high plant that bears purple-blue flowers.  The yellowish flesh of the eggplant is dense and spongy with a bland flavor that absorbs other flavors well.  Eggplants contain small brown seeds that are edible. The skin is also edible, but can be quite bitter in certain varieties.  Younger and smaller eggplants have less seeds and tend to have skin that is more tender and less bitter.

Eggplant flower

In order to choose a good eggplant look for one that is plump, firm, and heavy. It should be free of blemishes with smooth shiny skin.  Fruits with wrinkled or spotted skin are likely to be old and bitter tasting.  Press the skin lightly to check for ripeness.  If the imprint remains, then the fruit is ready.  Asian eggplants tend to softer than western ones.  Eggplants are available all year long, but their peak season is during the late summer. 

Now that you know what an eggplant is and how to pick one, what do you do with it?  Eggplants are wonderfully versatile and lend themselves to all manner of dishes and cooking methods.  Eggplant can be grilled, baked,stuffed, au gratin, purred, steamed, fried, or sauteed.  It is delicious hot or cold and makes a wonderful addition to any dish or serve as the main ingredient.  Eggplant plays a pivotal role in Asian and Mediterranean cuisines where it is often paired with tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil.  Some of the more commonly known eggplant dishes are moussaka, ratatouille, baba ganoush and eggplant Parmesan.

Eggplant Hors D'oeuvres

Stuffed Eggplant

Whole Eggplant Being Grilled

Moussaka

Roasted Eggplant

When preparing your eggplant is is important to keep in mind that the flesh of the fruit quickly discolors when cut.  Cooking it soon after it is cut or sprinkling it with lemon juice will help avoid that.  If the eggplant is large sprinkling the pieces  with salt and letting it sit for at least thirty minutes will help draw out some of the moisture from it as well as some of the bitterness.  This process also helps to keep the eggplant from absorbing too much oil during the cooking process.  Soaking the fruit in water will also draw out some of the bitterness as well as peeling it since most of the bitterness is concentrated just under the skin. 

Sliced Eggplant Being "Salted"

Eggplant bruises easily so it should be handled carefully.  It is also sensitive to temperature fluctuations.  Fresh eggplants should be stored in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator where they will keep for about a week.

Hopefully this post inspires someone who has not had or has not prepared eggplant to get adventurous with this versatile fruit/vegetable.  Not only is it delicious, it is good for you.  So get out there and try the incredible, edible, eggplant!

Review of Fadi's Mediterranean Grill on Beechnut

   One of the things that I love about Houston is that it is so multicultural.  You can find great cuisine from all over the world in Houston.  And not only can you find it, but chances are that it will be good.  My wife and I dined at what is turning into one of our favorite Mediterranean places, Fadi's Mediterranean Grill. 

    Fadi's is set up cafeteria style where you can go down the line and pick out your food.  One of my favorite things about Fadi's (besides the food) is the fact that they allow half orders.  This gives patrons a chance to not eat as much food if they are not as hungry or, and more importantly to me, it gives people a chance to try multiple things without breaking the bank. Oh, and you will want to take advantage of that because Fadi's is not short on choices.  I commonly get half orders of stuff just so I can try them out.

   For tonight's meal my wife and I both went with our standard entree, the lamb shank.  She also had some tabouli, a half order of roasted garlic and mushroom hummus and a side of dolmas.  To accompany my lamb I had a half order of the same hummus, a half order of a yogurt, dill, and walnut dip, and a full order of the grilled vegetables.  I also had an order of varied "pickles".  We both also got pita bread.

   My original plan was to start with the "weaker" dishes and move on to the stronger ones, but the truth is there weren't any really bad dishes here.  So, I guess I will start with some of the shared stuff and move onto the entree.  The dolmas, or stuffed grape leaves, were delicious.  They were stuffed with rice and had a nice tangy bite as from lemon.  All this was underscored with a pleasant mint flavor.  The dolmas were also nicely constructed.  They held up to being bitten into or even dipped.

  The yogurt dip was exquisite.  It was rich, thick and creamy.  It had the consistency of a nice cream cheese dip.  The flavor was quite good, highlighting the yogurt, while still  showcasing the walnuts and dill.  Speaking of which, the dip had some nice walnut pieces mixed in.  What I liked best about the dip is that it played well with others, whether that be mixing it with the lamb or intermingling with the hummus. 

   That leads me to the hummus.  Fadi's really knows how to make hummus. I would even venture to say that this is one of the best things about Fadi's.  There is always at least two or three types of hummus to choose from.  This iteration is one that I won't soon forget.  The hummus itself was full bodied and lush, almost feathery.  It was thick, but not too viscous.  The flavor of the chickpeas and tahin never overpowered the roasted garlic and mushrooms.  In fact, it was as if the hummus was just the vehicle for the other flavors, giving it a much more robust flavor profile.

   The grilled vegetables I had were quite nice.  First of all, they were served as a cold dish, not hot.  This was a delightful surprise.  The vegetables were thickly cut so they really held up to the grill.  They were soft, but nut mushy.  Truth is that they still had just the right amount of bite to them.  If I had any issues with them it was just that they could have used a little seasoning.

   The tabouli my wife ordered was also marvelous. It was parsley heavy giving it a nice fresh feel and taste.  Now, some might not like their tabouli to be proportioned like that.  For her, it was just right.  The tabouli was quite zesty, having been flavored with a great deal of lemon juice and spices.  It was a cooling side dish for a hot summer evening.

  For those of you who might now know, happiness is fresh, warm pita straight out of the oven.  And that is exactly how Fadi's serves them.  They have a working oven right where you can see it and they are cranking out fresh hot pita.  The pita works well with your dips or to make makeshift wraps at your table.  One of my preferred things to do is to dab some hummus and yogurt dip on the pita and wrap it all around some tasty lamb.

   Now we reach the pièce de résistance: the lamb shank.  If you love lamb, then you need to eat at Fadi's.  This is one of the best places to eat lamb that I have found in Houston.  If you know of a better place, PLEASE TELL ME!!  Now, why is this lamb shank so good?  To start, the meat is so tender.  More than fork tender.  Melt in your mouth tender.  You can just practically look at it and it falls off the bone.  It has been so masterfully cooked that even the connective tissue is appetizing forming a slightly gelatinous morsel bursting with flavor.  The meat itself is quite flavorful.  You can tell the meat has been cooked for a long time very slowly allow the meat to absorb the flavors.  The liquid is then used to make the sauce for the lamb combing tomato, lamb, and other savory elements.  If I have anything bad to say about the lamb, it is only a very minor point of contention.  The accompanying vegetables were a little bland.  But the truth of the matter is that you don't really get the lamb shank for the vegetables.

   Fadi's is a place where you get a wide variety of choices.  You get to decide how much and which food you want.  So next time you are looking for a place to eat, whether it be by yourself, with another person, or a large group, give Fadi's some consideration.