Eggplant

As many as 40 varieties of eggplant are sold in supermarkets. They range from the familiar long purple eggplant to the Japanese and pale lavender Chinese species, which are narrow and as long as 10 inches. Whichever you choose, make sure the vegetable is firm and the skin smooth and shiny.

Chinese eggplants require no particular preparation before cooking and can be cooked with or without the peel. The flesh of other varieties, however, should be steeped before stewing, baking or frying to draw out its excess, sometimes bitter, juices. This is the best method: Peel the eggplants, slice them according to your recipe, place them in a colander in the sink and sprinkle them with salt, allowing 1 tablespoon of salt per 2 pounds of eggplant. Let the slices steep for 20 minutes, rinse them with cold water and pat them dry.