It’sremarkablehowthemostubiquitous,seemlymundaneingredientscanbeutterlytransformedwithafreshperspective.Forexample,eggplantsshowupinnearlyeveryculture,everygrocerystore,andeverycookbook.Forthewiderangeofvarietiesavailableacrosstheworld,accompaniedbythedistinctivepalateofflavorsthateachlocaleprefers,there’strulyaneggplantpreparationforeveryone.Despitetheabundanceofoptions,itseemswe’redrawnbacktothesamerecipestimeandagain,stickingtothefamiliarforthesakeofsimplicity.Thatwascertainlythecaseforme,whichiswhythepromiseofanall-eggplantcookingclassheldbothintrigueandskepticism.WhatnewwastheretolearnaboutthisstaplevegetablethatInaivelypresumedhadalreadydivulgeditsculinarysecretslongago?haveattemptedtocookaneggplantturnedouttobeoneofthemostrevolutionary.Believeitornot,steamingtheseburnishedvioletnightshadescreatedoneofthemostsuperlativeeggplantdishestohitmyplateinyears.Previouslyignoranttothisdramaticmetamorphosis,theideaofsteamedeggplantsoundedaboutasappealingasstewedgymsocks.Onthecontrary,thesoftenedandshreddedfruitisdownrightsilky,luxuriouslycaressingthetonguewithunexpectedrichness.HailingfromChina,thisunsungheroofeggplantcookerycomestolifewithanimpossiblycreamyglazeoftoastedsesame,soysauce,vinegar,andagentlekickofheat.Suchcomplexflavorsseemtocontradictthesimpleprocedure,butthat’sthetruebeautyofthissecretformula.Thisradicaldeparturefromthestandardmenuwasrightthereallalong,hiddeninplainsight
