Kid Icarus and me.

All right, Day One of my post-Ratatouille week of good cooking. Like I said, I've really regressed into the title of Iron Chef Microwaveable Single Serving in recent days, so I'm going to start out with an old familiar tune.

ROUND 1: EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Ah, the noble aubergine. Such texture, such delicate taste, such accomodating nature. Just look at that colour -- how could I call something so dignified an "eggplant"? No, it'll always be an aubergine to me.

It's tasty, it works well with any sauce you throw at it, and it's simple to handle. Chopped and fried, they quickly turn into a gooey mess, but here's my workaround:

Cut in half lengthwise

Scoop out center with a spoon

Parboil the halves, face up (i.e. boil them in just a few centimetres of water)

Take them out, and peel off the skin (it helps to get a knife underneath the top layer)

There you go. Your Aubergine will now behave like a vegetable, rather than a gelatinous membrane. Now you can chop it up for your stirfry, work it into your pasta, and so on. Tonight, I fried up some mushrooms and garlic in another pan, added a bit of tomato sauce, spooned it into the halves, coated with parmesan, and baked it until the cheese got toasty.

True, they had all the structural support of an old pair of moccasins, but at least they respond to cutlery.

Mmm. You know, the eggplant will always have a special place in my heart -- they're one of the first things I put in my culinary repertoire, after all. If I ever design a personal coat of arms, you can be sure that you'll see that wonderful shade of purple worked in there somewhere.

All right -- Round One wasn't difficult, but it's got me fired up. Tune in tomorrow for Round Two! (and I'm taking suggestions!)