Eggplant fantasy for the finger

Unrestrained fantasy often goes in directions that lead to many colorful surprises in daily life. For a while I was so indulged with eggplant that I was trying all types of them and imagining everything possible to match with their individual uniqueness. Lately I just tried out both the Indian and the Thai variations. To better grasp their individual characteristics, I decided to make some appetizers and see how they match with various ingredients.

Recipe: An eggplant appetizer (for 1)


Ingredients:
- 1 Indian eggplant
- 1 Thai eggplant
- double gloucester cheese chopped to fine pieces
- bacon bits
- tangy cherry pepper sauce
- roasted rosemary oil
- a few pomegranate seeds
- a little of each of the following vegetables, finely chopped:
* white and purple onions
* parsley
* spring onion
* celery
* carrot


Procedure:
Halve the eggplants and broil them in oven at 450F for 10 minutes or until they are cooked. The Indian eggplant might need 3-5 more minutes.


The Thai eggplant has a very soft pastry-like texture after broiling. So I give it a heavier dress-up. First, spread double gloucester cheese and allow it to melt a little. Then add a mixture of white and purple onions, parsley, spring onion and a little carrot (for decoration only). Lastly, top with bacon bits and sprinkle roasted rosemary oil on top to smoothen the texture.


The Indian eggplant has a rather rubbery texture, so I give it toppings that make a refreshing salad, using white and purple onions, parsley, spring onion, celery, carrot, and a little pomegranate seed (a surprise!) Then I add a little tangy cherry pepper sauce to give it a spicy and sour sensation.