Consider the aubergine

[Serial_Apologist]

Not Jimmy the Greek's in that basement in Frith St opposite Ronnie Scott's?! Great place, still going strong (now known just as Jimmy's)... had some good times in there myself!

There was a little place I remember in Beak Street in the 60s; the Irish waitresses encouraged clientele to join them in belly dancing in the basement afterwards, which encouraged indigestion, if nothing else. Lapsed Catholics, the lot of them...

[Serial_Apologist]

Well really! I hadn't even considered that physical contact. Even less of a convert, then.

So THAT's what all those vegetable-growing competitions they hold oop North are about, then!

[MrGongGong]

Wonderful things
we grow several types
brilliant roasted in the oven
or over hot coals

you really need to get past the slimy moussaka

well made babaganoush with plenty of raw garlic

[salymap]

Not Jimmy the Greek's in that basement in Frith St opposite Ronnie Scott's?! Great place, still going strong (now known just as Jimmy's)... had some good times in there myself!

I knew that one Caliban, but the best moussaka was from a cafe in Broad Street. the long road thatleads to Liberty's shop.

My music library was in Dean Street, as was a job with Breitkopf London agents and also worked in Gt Marlborough Street, Long Acre and St Martin's Lane. Goodfood, clubs, theatres.

Wonder if Pattiserie Valerie is still there?

[amateur51]

Not Jimmy the Greek's in that basement in Frith St opposite Ronnie Scott's?! Great place, still going strong (now known just as Jimmy's)... had some good times in there myself!

Good to hear that Jimmy's is still going as it's many a moon since I went there last. At that time a black-clad moustachioed elderly woman would sit by the kitchen door, preparing veg - local rumour had it she was the local EOKA contact and was packing a .45 under her dress The kleftiko and giant golden chips + tomato salad & tsatziki were my favourite

[amateur51]

I knew that one Caliban, but the best moussaka was from a cafe in Broad Street. the long road thatleads to Liberty's shop.

My music library was in Dean Street, as was a job with Breitkopf London agents and also worked in Gt Marlborough Street, Long Acre and St Martin's Lane. Goodfood, clubs, theatres.

Wonder if Pattiserie Valerie is still there?

I worked in Great Marlborough St at Henry Stave's record shop and at Liberty's 1977-79, salymap (have we covered this ground before??). Patisserie Valerie is a sad pale shadow of its former self and branches can be found in many parts of London now. The Manager with the most florid case of gin hickeys I've ever seen has long gone

[3rd Viennese School]

Watched Mrs.3rd Viennese School eat an aubergine curry once.

She's vegetarian.

So it goes to show. You can be vegetarian and have things to eat as well.

3VS

[Panjandrum]

With the exception of FHG and Mrs 3VS, what a bunch of culinary philistines on this thead! As the foodwriter in the article says, the aubergine needs to be cooked properly to release its marvellous smoky flavours. It's obvious to me that almost none of you know how to cook.

[Byas'd Opinion]

Didn't the Native Americans in John Barth's "The Sot-weed Factor" have an aubergine dish which they used as an aphrodisiac or Viagra equivalent?

But if you're purely after something nice to eat made from aubergines, Sicily and Turkey are the places to go. The former has umpteen recipes for pasta with tomato and aubergine sauce, all with different names depending on whether you cook the tomato and aubergine separately or together, and whether you flavour them with chilli, garlic, neither or both. The latter has, among many other delights, imam bayeldi and the dish made by mashing cooked aubergines and feta cheese into a grey sludge, then dolloping some lamb stew on top. Looks revolting, tastes great!

[french frank]

Imam Bayeldi for me too - I always thought that was his name.

[Richard Tarleton]

Imam Bayeldi for me too - I always thought that was his name.

I think it means "The Imam fainted" [i.e. with pleasure, on encountering this dish] doesn't it? (perhaps someone's already said that). A favourite here in T. Towers also.

Madhur Jaffrey's "World Vegetarian Cookery" has 15 pages of fabulous aubergine recipes, but our favourite book is Arto der Haroutunian's Vegetarian Dishes from the Middle East, now an expensive rarity on Amazon/Abe Books.

[vinteuil]

I think it means "The Imam fainted" [i.e. with pleasure, on encountering this dish] doesn't it? .

In her splendid Book of Middle Eastern Food Claudia Roden says -

"Imam Bayildi - 'The Imam fainted'
This is a Turkish speciality. Widely conflicting stories are told about the origins of the name. Some say that the dish acquired it when an imam or Turkish priest fainted with pleasure on being served these stuffed aubergines by his wife. Others believe that the imam fainted when he heard how expensive the ingredients were, and how much olive oil had gone into the making of the dish.
The dish is delightful and, in fact, not very expensive. It makes a splendid first course... "

[Chris Newman]

Wonder if Pattiserie Valerie is still there?

Oh, alas, salymap. Pattiserie Valerie is now a huge national chain. There are four branches around Covent Garden, one almost opposite to the rather more salubrious Paul's Patisserie in Bedford Street. There is even one in the Market Square two hundred yards from where I live in Salisbury. The staff spend more time squabbling about each other than serving customers.

[Serial_Apologist]

Oh, alas, salymap. Pattiserie Valerie is now a huge national chain. There are four branches around Covent Garden, one almost opposite to the rather more salubrious Paul's Patisserie in Bedford Street. There is even one in the Market Square two hundred yards from where I live in Salisbury. The staff spend more time squabbling about each other than serving customers.

Cathedral cities, eh? Who'd want to live in one?

[Byas'd Opinion]

the dish made by mashing cooked aubergines and feta cheese into a grey sludge, then dolloping some lamb stew on top.

I might have misremembered the details. It's known as Ali Nazik and doesn't necessarily have cheese in it (but it does definitely involve grey sludge): http://www.turkishfoodandrecipes.com...ali-nazik.html As I said in my original post, it tastes a lot nicer than it looks.