[Eggplants and Aubergines]

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Hey, thanks for the hype, Jason.  You should also check out:

http://www.mamster.net/food/essays/thai-curry2.html

Which is a much more useful article overall.  Near my house I can typically find a lot of different eggplants, everything from the regular fat purple ones to slender Japanese eggplant, racquetball-sized dappled green Thai ones, and even the Thai pea eggplants, which I love (I'm on a bitter kick at the moment).

I'd rather eat eggplant in Thai curry than any other way, just like the Fat Guy, but a few weeks ago my friend had me over for a barbecue and she made fabulous grilled eggplant.  There was nothing to it.  Some olive oil and garlic and a few minutes on the grill and I ate the slices over toasted bread.  Many slices.

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Matthew Amster-Burton

Publisher, mamster's grub shack

Host, Pacific Northwest forum

[the heartbreak of lactose intolerance]

It may not be the lactose, if cheese gets you--cheese in general has very little lactose, and hard cheeses practically none.  Maybe try some Parmigiano-Reggiano and see how it treats you.

[Taipei]

I'm going to be in Taipei for a couple of days in September, and I have a few leads, but only for the kinds of places that everybody knows about.  Any tips?  I've almost never seen a food article about Taipei despite Eat Drink Man Woman, and I'm certain that there are is outrageously good food to have--and bad.