Eggplant

Tapered eggplants and a mix of large and medium tomatoes will give your stacks a more graceful appearance.

Head north of Sunset, and you will happen upon this live-music supper club tucked away in the hills of tony Bel Air. The swank venue features a stage surrounded by tables where you can spy toe-tapping regulars such as Nicolette Sheridan and Virginia Madsen taking in the soulful jazz tunes. You can make a meal of chef Sharon Funt's delicious flatbread appetizer; each serving provides more than 8 grams of fiber.

Improv: Add or substitute corn on the cob, eggplant slices, or portobellos.

Maccheroni e Melanzane This is a pasta dish that is served in Sicilian homes and home-style restaurants, rather than upscale places. The recipe calls for perciatelli or bucatini, which is what Italians consider maccheroni.

Caponata This recipe makes a lot of caponata, so you'll definitely have leftovers. But it keeps well and is so addictive you'll be happy to have extra on hand.

Xiao Yang uses Italian eggplant (not Asian) in this recipe.

These good-for-you sandwiches are low in fat and meatless.

Food editor Ruth Cousineau learned this technique in Seville; it ensures the eggplant maintains its shape and flavor perfectly.

This recipe sponsored by Black Swan Vineyards

In the following recipe we've added a North African twist to caponata, a versatile Italian eggplant concoction that is usually served as a salad or relish.

Nowhere are vegetables as important as they are in Sicily, and few vegetables are as popular-or have as long a history-as the eggplant. There are said to be hundreds of ways to prepare it. Peppers and artichokes are almost as well loved and common. A country cook often gets produce from a small kitchen garden called an "urtu".

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.