If you want world-class lobster rolls, perfect steamers, impeccable fresh-shucked oysters, or an enclave of the best Sichuan restaurants on the east coast, Boston is your town. But unlike, say, New York with its Reuben, Philly with its cheesesteak, or Chicago with its Italian Beef, Boston doesn't have a signature sandwich. Until now, that is. When I first heard that Charles Kelsey and his wife Rachel Toomey—both Cook's Illustrated alums—were going to turn the obsessive, perfection-bent mindset of the magazine into producing the best sandwiches, I knew that something serious was going to happen: Boston would finally get a world-class sandwich joint. More

"Standard Breading Procedure," perhaps the dullest-sounding term in cooking, turns out crispy, evenly browned crust that stays on your food rather than falling off into the pan. And the meat that is insulated within is moist and tender. More

[Photographs: Burnt Lumpia] The alternative name for tortang talong as "tortured eggplant" (real translation: "eggplant omelet") intrigued me. How is it tortured? Marvin of Burnt Lumpia outlines its creation: It starts with a full-body charring, then the skin is peeled off, the flesh is "mooshed and flattened," and then it's dunked into a egg bath, topped with ground meat, and pan fried to a crisp. Sounds delicious—the eggplant gives itself up for a good cause. Related Blogwatch: Duck Adobo Confit Dinner Tonight: Adobong Na Manok Dinner Tonight: Chicken Adobo Grilling: Filipino Barbecue... More

Melitzanosalata, though it may sound like a rare form of civilization threatening virus, is actually one of the best Greek eggplant spreads I have ever eaten. Most eggplant spreads I've had tend to be slimy—choking them down triggers the gag reflex due to the fact that I imagine this is what the leftover guts of a Gremlin melted in the sun might taste like. The Melitzanosalata at Taxim, Chicago’s new gourmet Greek spot (by gourmet I mean they don’t serve 1,000 covers a night nor get most of their ingredients delivered via multiple Sysco Tractor Trailers), a charcoal-grilled eggplant purée larded with tahini and studded with crunchy and creamy toasted pine nuts, is more like the kind of velvety purée... More

Editor's note: On Thursdays, Babbo pastry chef Gina DePalma checks in with Seriously Italian. After a stint in Rome, she's back in the States, channeling her inner Italian spirit via recipes and intel on delicious Italian eats. Take it away, Gina! Photo from effe8 on Flickr I couldn’t help it. They were calling to me: black, shiny, bulgingly beautiful eggplants, piled high at the market. Magnifica! The skin was so smooth and glossy, I could have reapplied my lip gloss in its reflection. Sometimes a vegetable beckons in unexpected ways, compelling and beguiling. I lost my head and loaded up. Mom rolled her eyes when I got home. “That’s a lot of eggplant.” She was right; I went overboard, and... More

August is the beginning of eggplant season. Here are a few recipes we think are worth trying this eggplant season. More

Melissa Kronenthal of the always-excellent Traveler's Lunchbox, one of my all-time favorite food blogs, winds up a long piece considering how her attitude to traveling and eating has changed over the years after a trip to Morroco with a recipe for eggplant stewed in honey and spices. She says, "I love eggplant in all its forms, but this is one of the best ways I've ever eaten it - meltingly soft, sweet, sour and spicy-hot."... More