grilled eggplant...

Ewww, sorry it looks kind of unappetizing but in fact it was tasty!

Japanese eggplant (not the monstrous American variety) is first pierced at the stem then grilled until the outside is well-blackened. The skin is removed and inside can be scraped out with a fork. What is left is silky smooth eggplant which if often topped off with soy sauce or Japanese broth (nihondashi) and bonito (かつお）flakes.

Serve after a few hours of chilling. Bon apetit!