I look to local chef Ilene Rouamvongsor for ideas for that Japanese eggplant. Ilene’s Sticky Five Spice Eggplant is easy and quick. She prepared it for a demo at the Decatur Farmers Market and maybe you can relate to the headnote from the market manager: “Eggplants, admittedly, can be hit or miss for me. It’s funny how you can dislike or love the same vegetable, depending on how it’s made! Maybe you feel the same way about eggplants or other vegetables? That’s why I encourage you to explore the many sides of something you may dislike forever – you never know until you try! Here is one of the easiest and most favorite ways to cook eggplants – sautéed garlicky Asian eggplants in a sticky 5-spice soy sauce. These eggplants were sitting in my fridge for a while, but if you cook it the day of or within a couple of days of buying, you’ll find that these eggplants’ purple color can remain vibrant when cooked in this recipe.” ~Conne
Sticky Five Spice Eggplant
