Italian eggplant is similar in flavor and texture to the more familiar Western, or globe, eggplant. But this Italian variety is smaller, lobed, and often shaped like a teardrop, with dark purple skin and green leaves.
How to prep:
Eggplant is one vegetable for which slight undercooking will not work. It must be completely cooked through until it’s meltingly soft, smooth, and creamy; only then will it be flavorful on its own, as well as receptive to the other flavors with which you’ll blend it. It takes well to pan-frying, oven-roasting, grilling, and stir-frying.
How to store:
It’s best to use eggplant when it’s very fresh, but it will keep for two or three days in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.
