Shantung Cold Eggplant with Sesame Sauce

For a quick, simple, and economical dish, you can not beat this common northern Chinese pairing of slippery cool eggplant and rich sesame sauce. It is especially good in summertime, when eggplants are plentiful and the urge to cook and chew is at low ebb.

• The long, slender variety of eggplant sold in Chinese and Japanese markets is superior in this dish. The skin is tender, the flesh is sweet, and there are few seeds. If