Hello Michael!
Monday June 24 1996 22:26, you wrote to say:
 IH>> The only thing that they find disconcerting is that it is a
 IH>> British recipe.
 ML> Big chuckle.
I have been having quite a battle on Cuistot.032 which is a french language 
cookery area, over French attitudes to food, and British food in particular. 
The more I cook for the French, the more I realise that nowadays at least, 
they really don't have much to crow about. The average educated brit probably 
has a far wider appreciation of food than his French counterpart.
 IH>> As we grow our own Oregano, and of course Aubergines (oops -
 IH>> eggplants)
 ML> For some reason, the stores around here been featuring the small white
 ML> ones - which look very much like eggs, and probably not at all like a
 ML> female aubergiste. I think that the purple ones actually taste better;
I think they're a different variety, honestly. I know the little egg like 
ones and they certainly justify their american name. Like you I prefer the 
purple ones, not that I'm crazy about them in general. For my taste they need 
to be cooked very carefully if they're not to be either slimy or bitter or 
both. Your comments about Aubergistes, made me rush to my reference books - 
as I expect you knew it would - (:-)))) Aubergine is derived from the Catalan 
word Alberginia which is itself a transliteration of the Arab Al-badinjan. 
(though my books don't tell me about badinjan). Certainly aubergines are 
greatly appreciated in the middle east. I suppose that I will just HAVE to 
post the recipe for Imam Bayildi -"The Sultan Fainted"
=== Cut ===
MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02
      Title: Imam Bayildi "Ottoman"
 Categories: Starters, Vegetables, Arab
      Yield: 4 servings
      4 md Aubergines; washed & dried
      6 tb Olive oil
      2 md Onions; thinly sliced
      2 md Green peppers; seeded
      2 lg Garlic cloves
      2 md Ripe tomatoes; sliced
      3 tb Tomato puree
      2 ts Salt
    1/2 ts Cayenne pepper
      1 ts Allspice
      2 tb Parsley; chopped
     12 tb Cooking oil
    450 ml Water
           Parsley; chopped for garnish
  One of the great classics of "Ottoman" cooking. There exists a great
  deal of controversy about the origin of this dish. The Greeks
  vehemently claim it to be theirs, while any self respecting Kurd or
  Armenian will be offended if it be called anything but theirs. There
  are very few dishes in the Middle East which have stirred up as much
  controversy as the dish that made the Imam faint. Some say that he
  lost consciousness because his wife had used too much expensive olive
  oil, others, more cynical, make the innuendo that the Imam ate so
  much of the dish (free of course), that he just made it home before
  passing out on the famous patterned couch. Here is the recipe, though
  without quite as much olive oil.
  Make a slit about 5 cms long down each aubergine -which should have
  the stalk left on. Salt the insides and leave for 15 minutes.
  Coarsely chop the garlic and deseed and slice thinly the green
  peppers.
    Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onions,
  green peppers and garlic and fry gently until the onion is soft but
  not brown. Add the sliced tomatoes, tomato puree, salt, cayenne
  pepper abd allspice and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring
  occasionally. Stir in the chopped parsley - which should ideally be
  the flat leaved variety, and set aside.
    Rinse out the aubergines under cold running water and then pat dry.
  Heat the cooking oil in a frying pan, add the aubergines and fry
  gently, turning several times, until the flesh begins to soften. Take
  care not to spoil the shape. Remove the aubergines from the pan with
  a slotted spoon and place, side by side, in an ovenproof dish, slits
  uppermost.
    Carefully prise open the slits, and spoon some of the onion mixture
  into each aubergine. Add the water to any remaining onion mixture,
  stir and pour over the aubergines. Bake uncovered in a preheated
  190C, 375F gas mk 5 oven for about 1 hour.
    Remove and set aside to cool. transfer to a serving dish and chill
  until ready to serve. Garnish with some chopped parsley.
  Recipe "Middle Eastern Cookery" Arto der Haroutunian
    Mmed IMH Georges' Home BBS 2:323/4.4
MMMMM
=== Cut ===
All the Best
Ian
--- GoldED 2.50.A0918 UNREG
---------------