In this household, eggplant Parmesan is a bit of an obsession.  Allow me to explain.
I was born in Syracuse, New York. Â Very close to my father’s work in East Syracuse lived a restaurant called Grimaldi’s, which served up the best eggplant parm my parents have ever eaten.
We left Syracuse two years after I was born, but since then my parents have been on the hunt for an eggplant Parmesan as good as that of the big G’s. Â In our many moves, including Philadelphia, London, Boulder, and Seattle, they never found one as satisfying as Grimaldi’s. Â Their obsession with this place is akin to mine with Taco Bell. Â Lucky for me, Taco Bell is everywhere…but I digress.
I never knew what the obsession was about, since I never/don’t recall this legendary eggplant Parmesan dish. Â To me, Maggiano’s version wasn’t too bad (and I like the fact you got a free one to take home). Â But when S and I made the trip to Syracuse for a friend’s wedding, we made sure to hit up Grimaldi’s and try this so-called epic dish.
Epic it was. Â As were the cannolis. Â And the wine selection.
Pretty much, everything. Â I would move back to Syracuse to eat here on a regular basis.
I’ve been on a hunt to make an eggplant parm as good as the one at the big G’s. Â The cold and snowy weather last week begged for comfort food, and I found a recipe in the cookbook my mother-in-law gave to me (this is a similar one) that I prepared.
After an hour of slicing, sauteing, frying, and baking, the end result was worth it.
As good as the big G’s? Â Close. Â But at least I have a good recipe to start from.
Does your family have a dish they’re obsessed with? Â What are your comfort foods during cold winter days?
