The Aubergine, Brinjal or Eggplant (Solanum melongena) is a species of Solanum, native to southern India and Sri Lanka. It is an annual plant growing 40 - 150 cm tall (16 in - 57 in), often spiny, with large, coarsely lobed leaves 10-20 cm long and 5-10 cm broad. The flowers are white to purple, with a five-lobed corolla and yellow stamens. The fruit is a fleshy berry, <3 cm diameter on wild plants (much larger in cultivated forms), containing numerous small, soft seeds. (Semi-)wild types can grow much larger, to 225 cm (84 in.) with large leaves over 30 cm long and 15 cm broad.

History

---

The eggplant is an important food crop grown for its large pendulous purple or white fruit. It has been cultivated in southern and eastern Asia countries since prehistory, but appears to have become known to the Western world no more than about 1,500 years ago. The numerous Arabic and North African names for it, and the lack of ancient Greek and Roman names, indicate that it was carried throughout the Mediterranean area by the Arabs in the early Middle Ages. The scientific name melongena derives from a 16th-century Arabic name for one kind of eggplant.

Cultivated varieties

---

More on [ Eggplant ]

L.A. Times - Food & Dining

For luxury that's worth the wait
Wed, 26 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700
In 2005, former Times' Test Kitchen Director Donna Deane lowered the flame, slowed down the scramble and transformed eggs into pure bliss. A couple of eggs can save the day. When you're at a loss over what to make, just crack, beat, scramble and you've got a meal pronto.
Bring the bistro experience home with savory rillettes
Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Rillettes -- the new wave in L.A.'s charcuterie renaissance -- can be made of pork, game, poultry, fish or even vegetables. So grab a baguette and enjoy. SERVED IN pretty, hinged Mason jars, squat glass pots or ceramic ramekins, rillettes -- savory, toothsome meats or fish that have been braised or prepared as confit-- are multiplying on restaurant menus, a second wave in L.A.'s charcuterie renaissance.
Malibu Pier Club, Beachcomber Cafe turn back the clock
Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700
The new restaurants tap historical plans to fit in with the restored Malibu Pier. If you were building brand new restaurants at the land end of Malibu Pier, chances are they wouldn't look like the just-opened pair that currently boast that priceless view of the surf.

Subscribe to Cooking RSS feed