Eggplant Parmigiana

Italian mothers claim that "male" eggplants are sweeter, and you can tell the difference because they're oblong, whereas "female" eggplants are more rotund and slightly more bitter-tasting. I have no idea if this is true; I just pick one that looks fresh and unbruised, and hope for the best.

Make the tomato sauce:

1. Sautee in the bottom of a large sauce pot:

Olive oil
5 or 6 cloves garlic, chopped

2. Add to the pot:

2 cans whole tomatoes (pick a good brand, like Rienzi or Progresso, and kind of split them open and get some of the seeds out if you can)

2 large cans of tomato sauce*

(*Notice I said SAUCE. Not a jar of sauce, but a CAN of tomato sauce.)

A fistful of fresh oregano
A large pinch of salt
A large pinch of pepper

3. Cook on low heat for 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. While your sauce is simmering...

Prepare the eggplant.

1. Slice into rounds and set aside:

1 large, fresh eggplant

2. Pour into a large bowl:

A hill of seasoned breadcrumbs

3. Lightly beat and set in a small bowl:

2 eggs

4. Batter your eggplant.

The process: Take your eggplant slices, one at a time, and dip them in the egg, then lightly pat into the pile of flour, making sure both sides are coated. Set your eggplant slice down on a plate and repeat with the rest of the eggplant slices. If you run out of egg or flour, just add more.

Fry the Eggplant

1. Heat in a frying pan on medium high:

1 cup or so of vegetable oil

2. When oil sizzles with a few droplets of water, fry a few eggplant slices at a time, making sure to check underneath and flip quickly so they don't burn. If your pan is smoking and the eggplants seem to be cooking too fast on the outside, lower the flame. Set fried eggplant slices on a paper towel to drain. If your pan runs low on oil, just add more.

3. When all of your eggplant slices are fried, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

4. Get a large baking pan and begin the eggplant layering process. What you'll need:

Your pot of cooked tomato sauce
Your fried eggplant slices
1 package of mozzerella cheese, sliced
1 container of Romano or Parmesan cheese

5. Layer into the pan as follows: eggplant slices, sauce, mozzerella, sprinkle of Parmesan. Do this until you run out of ingredients.

6. Bake your eggplant casserole in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and slightly golden brown.

Serves: an army!

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