My wife and I tend to get disappointed when we dine out anymore. Other than a choice few restaurants we dine in the vast majority of the time. We do this a lot because I know I can make it better and healthier at home in my own kitchen. Having managed Italian restaurants in the past, I have come to enjoy simple Italian cooking and have come up with what my wife, family, and friends consider to be the best eggplant Parmesan recipe ever! Couple this recipe with a simple roasted red pepper sauce and a simple pasta side dish and I guarantee a meal better than most of the Italian restaurants in town!

Parmesan Ingredients
1 -- Eggplant. You are looking for the best cylindrical shape you can here.
2 -- Large Eggs
1 and half -- Cups Italian Bread Crumbs
1- Cup all purpose flour
18 -- Slices Mozzarella Cheese (the fresher the better)
2 -- Tablespoons water
1/2 -- Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 -- Cup Parmesan Cheese

Sauce Ingredients
1 -- Red Bell Pepper
1 -- 16oz Can Diced Tomatoes
1/4 -- Cup Chopped, Fresh Basil
2 -- Teaspoons Dried Oregano

Putting it All Together
Halve and deseed the red bell pepper. Brush the surface of both halves lightly with olive oil. Place under a broiler until the skin starts to char (do not blacken!) and bubble.

Roughly chop the pepper and place in a blender with the diced tomatoes, half of the basil, and the oregano. Blend until well mixed and then place in a sauce pan, covered under low heat.

Heat olive oil in a deep frying pan until hot enough to pop a small drop of water (safely). Preheat oven to 425. Wash and slice the eggplant into quarter inch or thinner rounds. Vigorously mix the eggs with the water to make a "wash". Put flour and bread crumbs into separate, "dredgeable" pans (I use pie pans).

Dredge the eggplant first through the flour, egg wash, and the bread crumbs (follow this order). Fry the eggplant in the hot olive oil and set aside on paper towels when lightly browned.

In a baking dish put a light coat of the sauce you were heating on the bottom. Stack the eggplant and the Parmesan alternately (Should be about 3-4 rounds high with eggplant on top). Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese has melted and bubbly.

Serve lightly covered with sauce and garnished with Parmesan and basil. You should be able to yield 6 servings and have some eggplant left over that you can slice thinly, fry, and toss with freshly grated Parmesan as an appetizer later.

There are usually 2 ways of deep frying in Chinese cooking:

Deep frying the ingredients directly Deep frying the ingredients with batter

The latter is the most commonly used method. Here are some pointer in how to deep fry Chinese food most effectively.

The sizes of the ingredient pieces should be uniform. The dimensions, including the thickness of the pieces that you are frying should be as close as you can get them. Otherwise, some pieces will be overcooked, some will be undercooked, and even the colors will be different piece by piece. Marinade the ingredients in the batter/paste This will enhance the taste and the aroma of your cooking. Maintain adequate oil temperature The oil temperature require for each dish will vary depending on the ingredient types, sizes, batters, wraps, etc. For those not easily cooked through, they will require cooking twice (see below). For those easily cooked through, it can be done simply in high heat. When deep frying, maintaining constant oil temperature is a must. Most idealy, the ingredients need to be put in together. If you are cooking large servings, then divide them up, but still put each divided servings in together to get the same taste and color. Once done, pick them up with a strainer to preserve the appearance. Deep fry Twice on ingredients that are not easily fried Some dishes like the ones that require chicken or fish rolled into balls are not easily cooked through when deep frying. So these will require deep frying them twice. The first time using medium heat until 70, 80% cooked. Take them out, crank up the heat to high, then deep fry them again to achieve the desired results.

Anyone that spends a little time cooking for family and/or friends will tell you that it is absolutely vital that you have a good pan to fry with. One of the most recommended pans is the All-Clad 12" fry pan with lid. Those that recommend this particular pan include both professional cooks and normal, everyday people. It doesn't matter if you are going to be cooking fried tofu or scrambled eggs this pan will get the job done!

This All-Clad frying pan has a sleek design that is just as functional as it is classy. It measures 12-4/5 b 20-1/2 by 3 inches which gives you plenty of room to cook in. The pan itself is made of stainless steel and has flared sides to make it easy to transition food from the pan to a plate or serving dish. One of the most talked about benefits of this cooking pan is the fact that it heats and cooks food evenly. In addition to that, the pan's stainless steel interior won't react to the food cooking within it. This is especially beneficial if you are going to be cooking sauces with the pan.

Another great feature is that the All-Clad 12" pan has a stainless steel handle that actually stays cool! Stainless steel pots and pans are the best way to cook but can be frustrating to use when the handles get hot. After all, who wants to cook with oven mitts on? The reason All-Clad cookware has such a great reputation is because of the three-ply bonded design it features. And, this pan is no different. It contains the thick aluminum core that's located between the inside layer of 18/10 stainless steel and the magnetic stainless steel outside layer. This is why the manufacturer's cookware is so well known and cooks so well.

Not only can you use the All-Clad 12" fry pan with lid to fry, cook and sauté, it can also withstand heat of 500 degrees or less, which means you can put it in the oven or under the broiler! The fact that it comes with a lid is a huge benefit as well. This particular pan is sold in stores for full price and it often comes without the lid. Therefore, if you've always wanted to try out the All Clad cookware, this pan is the perfect piece to start with!