With the gradual shift from summer to fall, breezy mornings and brisk evenings invite us to eat more warming and hearty meals. Eggplant, one of summer’s last harvests, gracefully eases us into autumn. There is something magical that happens to eggplant when cooked with a little care. The bitter sponginess in its raw state is transformed into a silky meatiness that can make even hard-core carnivores forget all about asking where the beef is. Rich, earthy and complex, eggplant can hold its own next to a big bold tannic red wine and easily replaces meat as a main course, making it especially desirable to vegetarians and vegans. It can also sublimely mimic a starch, replacing noodles in lasagna or cannelloni, making it a vital tool for those who are gluten free/Sylvia Fountaine, SR. More here. (Photo: Sylvia Fountaine)

Question: If I'm eating at an Italian restaurant, the chances are 50-50 that I'll order eggplant parmesan. How often do you eat eggplant? What type of dish? And/or: What's your favorite Italian dish?