Hip, Emp. What are your thoughts on Eggplant Parm? Ive heard Zoomies, now I want to hear yours.
And anyone else's...

My thoughts on eggplant parm are that eating a lot of cheese gives me diarrhea since I've had my gallbladder removed.

Ya hadda bring up dairy, didn't ya? Now we're gonna hear all about Geek's poops. Again.

steak. grill. salt. pepper

I hate eggplant parm.  It's probably the only thing other than indian food that I refuse to eat.

I BBQ a mean chikkin breast. And a mean roo fillet..

Does roo taste like chicken?

Because I've had frog, snake, iguana, several varieties of bug and they taste like chicken. Most fat girls even taste like chicken. Sometimes it seems like everything abnormal tastes like chicken.

Nah, roo tastes like roo.

Noice.

Does it make you jumpy?

Nah, it makes me want to kill more roo, to BBQ.

eggplant parm is amazing and Im trying to find a cheeseless but GOOD mix.

I would totally try roo

Its good, not much fat. Not gamey. Gotta cook it right though, or its tough as boots.

That's why they make roo into boots.

Geek I'll show you how to make it cheeseless this weekend.

awesome!

what's wrong with Indian food. I love Indian food

i'm also a big fan of indian food. there's an awesome indian restaurant group in boston, with about 6 different concepts around the greater boston area. each spot is unique and delicious, ranging in price and all different levels and styles of dining. kickass.

re: eggplant parm
my thoughts are that it rocks. it's the one specific dish i've done quite a few times since becoming a vegan that always goes over well with others.

1. slice, salt, and drain in a colander the desired amount of eggplant (for about an hour), so as to remove bitterness. i usually make eggplant parm casserole style, and serve big lasagna type hunks aside a pasta of choice.

2. i use a melty earth balance+plain hummus mixture to bind some whole wheat panko bread crumbs to the eggplant slices. the hummus has a mild but rich flavor, and adds to the denseness of the casserole once baked.

3. here you can choose to either pan fry in vegetable oil (never olive to fry, i'm betting you know this, as it's boiling and burning temps are lower than other cooking oils, and it can be difficult to achieve desired crisp factor), or bake on a sheet pan at a lowish temp until the panko really crisps onto the slices. not too long, or the eggplant will dry out, and or crisp up entirely, killing the integrity of the vegetable.

4. ahead of time, i will have made a "tofu-basil ricotta" (press block of extra firm tofu. crumble. add 2 tbsp nutritional yeast and a whole bunch of chopped basil and s&p and very finely chopped fresh garlic-- i like at least a clove. mix up with fork or fingers. mmm! add more nutritional yeast to flavor--it adds a certain cheesiness to things like magic). with such a yummy, flavorful layering ingredient, it means less seasoning is necessary as you layer, or after the fact once the dish is served.

5. layer red sauce of your choosing, finished slices of eggplant , and tofu-basil ricotta mix in baking dish, and bake for as long as it takes. i'm usually stoned when i venture to make this, and can never remember times or temps. whoops!

Is this thread for eggplant parm only?

6. supermarkets sometimes carry a veg-based parmesan sprinkle cheese. this is semi-salty and not bad. if you can find it, it's good thrown atop each layer.

7. my most successful times with this dish happened when i made sure both the top and bottom layers were sauce layers. or just add sauce and/or tiny dollops of any leftover ricotta to the top as it browns in the oven. don't want it too crispy, and the eggplant on top will burn especially if you bake it as opposed to frying. less grease and moisture and whatnot.

post script: that ricotta is a great topping on animal-cheese-less pizzas, too.

That fake ricotta sounds good, but I so wish it wasnt soy. : /. I wonder if there's any kind of alternative?

Krsna, nope. Post as you please!

i forgot about your soy issues. sorry!

best bet for cheeseless eggplant parm: pan fry that shit. mm greasy friend eggplant. forgot to mention mix in italian seasoning with a bit of flour and the breadcrumbs. you might choose smaller breadcrumbs if you're relying solely on the eggplant slices for the dish. it'll be be easier to more uniformly coat the pieces.

It's easy.

Peel the eggplant. Slice it onto 1/2 - 3/4" disks. Lay it on a towel, sprinkle both sides with sea salt to reduce the water content and bitterness. Wait 20 minutes

Dip in flour, then beaten egg with a little milk, then in Italian breadcrumbs until fully coated. Store bought Italian breadcrumbs can always use a little more basil and oregano.

Heat 1/4" olive oil until it just starts to smoke. Fry in olive oil until brown, about 45 seconds each side. Serve with pasta and sauce, and if you can have dairy, a nice Italian mix of parm, provolone, asiago and romano melting on top with a spot of sauce is a lovely touch.

I don't think I've ever had eggplant parm. I don't think I ever will.

And I've come to accept I do like a large amount of Indian food, but not eating out. Indian restaurants I just don't like.

I had a pretty poor eggplant parm last night since I made the mistake of going out for restaurant week (and it was the only vegetarian item on the menu at the place my friends picked).

Description from the menu:

Deconstructed Eggplant Parm: Panko Encrusted Eggplant Stacked between Lasagna Noodles & Ricotta, served on a Bed of Spinach, w. a Fresh Mozzarella & Marinara Sauce

Everything was stacked on the middle of the plate in a circle approximately 4 inches in diameter.  Eggplant was very greasy, the noodles were overcooked, there was about an inch of ricotta w/ very little seasoning, they barely touched the top noodle with marinara sauce, and the mozzarella on top was pretty piss poor for fresh (if it was fresh).

I'm also not sure what was deconstructed about it, other than destroying a dish that most restaurants can at least reproduce at an average level.

thats ok about the soy! I dont expect you to remember my stupid ovaries and their issues with soy.

Everything sounds delicious, I love your lasagna style idea!

Maybe lactaid will put out cheese eventually?

I heard on my vegan podcast that a vegan-conscious food company is going to be putting out a supposedly delicious animal-cheese alternative. Of course I forget which company. Stay tuned!

I, single-handedly, make the best eggplant parm in the world; and I can also do it without cheese ...

Da fuck does a Norwegian know about eggplant parm...

OTOH,

Da fuck does an Irish Jew know about eggplant parm?

mm greasy friend eggplant.

For some reason this cracked me up.

But... but... it's a vegitable... You're not supposed to eat vegitables.... it's a sin! My momma said so! Oh... wait.. that was only potatoes, tomatoes and beets... Carry on!