If you recall The Regular Pork Chop Incident, cooking meals as a newlywed was quite confounding because there were so many items on Brian’s Do-Not-Eat list. Through the years, we’ve managed to move most of those items into a safe and appreciated category. With the help of Jessica Seinfeld’s Deceptively Delicious, Brian ended up discovering that if you cook, puree and sneak a vegetable into a dish, it’s actually quite tasty. This has been to the benefit of peppers, beets, cauliflower, beans…
Eggplant, however, is uncharted territory for us. Brian recalls that when he was a child, he had a repulsed aversion to this vegetable when forced to eat it at the hand of a vegetarian.
So I’ve backed off. For seven years I’ve given him respect and space over the eggplant. Personally, I find the vegetable quite appetizing.
Well, Brian and I had a great time at last night’s Sweet 16 party. There was a string quartet playing music over the lively chitchat of the guests. Everyone looked beautiful, as did the food.
Check out these desserts:
And the cheese:
You know what else they had?
Yeah. That’s eggplant.
I’ve learned not to bother Brian with it, so I minded my own business and helped myself, assuming that he’d go for the meat and cheese.
But lookie lookie! Guess what Brian unknowingly put on his plate!
Eggplant!
Yeah, I documented it. First of all, it was a monumental occasion. Second of all, I knew that Brian had no idea what he was doing.
Biding my time and zipping my lips, we strolled through the party, mingling and nibbling. Out of the corner of my eye I finally saw him bite into the eggplant. I waited until I was sure that he didn’t make a ‘gross’ face.
Me, casually, “Is that good?”
Brian, “Yeah. It’s good. I like it. What is it?”
Me, quiet.
Brian, “Is it eggplant?”
Me, grinning, “Yeah.”
Brian, “Here. Will you finish this for me?”
Me, “What?! You just said it was good!”
Brian, “Ehh… It’s not bad…”
And then proceeded a string of excuses as to why he changed his mind.
Brian, “I wanted my plate to look colorful… I didn’t know there was ham…”
Me, “You don’t want to like eggplant. Admit it. You don’t want to like eggplant.”
Brian, “I don’t want to like eggplant.”
Ah ha!
Stay tuned… as now I’m feeling mighty mischievous.
(Yes. I’m a hairstylist. I was fixing his hair.)
A ha ha ha ha! This one had me giggling. Oh Brian…. That’s hilarious.
oh boy, mighty mischievous … this could get interesting 🙂
love the photos … you make a beautiful couple
This one brought a smile to my face! What a great human behavior and reaction! I love it and can’t wait to hear how your mischievous self handles it.
Mom had a me and my brother fooled for DECADES with a dish we now call “Fake Fish”. Slice an eggplant lengthwise like a thin filet, remove the ribbon of skin, and bread the “fish”. Saute in some oil, golden brown, crispy edges. Ladle some good marinara sauce over it, add shredded mozz or a slice of provolone on top, and melt the cheese under the broiler. It’s magnificent. We killed her later. To this day, I still love making it.
saute, fry, bake….they all work… you just need to cover it with breading so the eggplant doesnt show through. Italian breadcrumbs work.
Brian read your comments to me and seems friendly to the idea!
eggplant parmigiana
and don’t tell him it’s eggplant until he’s finished it 🙂