At first glance, you notice the beautiful deep purple color. It looks more like a work of art than a vegetable. The eggplant is regal, I imagine the eggplant being high society in the fruit world.
Eggplants belong to the nightshade family of fruit, which also includes tomatoes, sweet peppers and potatoes. They grow in a manner much like tomatoes, hanging from the vines of a plant that grows several feet in height. While the different varieties do range slightly in taste and texture, one can generally describe the eggplant as having a pleasantly bitter taste and spongy texture.
Eggplant was not a fruit I grew up eating. My mom wasn't adventurous when it came to cooking, she was a great cook but very simple when cooking. In my early 20’s I actually use to walk past eggplant at the vegetable market. Eggplant was always attractive to me. I would stop and touch it because of the loveliness of the fruit . The smooth texture also drew me to the eggplant.
When I finally decided to try my hand at cooking the plant, I used a simple recipe. I sautéed it in olive oil with salt and pepper. Now I cook it so many different ways. Sometimes I cut eggplant in discs and make small/ veggie pizza’s in the oven. Eggplant casserole is good.
Don't be afraid to try new foods, be adventurous. It will widen your perspective on food and you will not get in a rut and cook the same food every week.
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