For this recipe, I used Chinese eggplant. You can also use Japanese ... Sauces are a huge part of cooking, and with this dish, I played with a few, which are a staple in my refrigerator.

It's also notorious for absorbing oil when it's fried, but that's not a problem with this recipe, where the eggplant is steamed ... to thin out the sauce. Buy Chinese or Japanese eggplants ...

Editor’s note: In the Taste of Life series, cooking experts ... whose name featured the Chinese characters for “grind,” “broil,” “spicy” and “eggplant,” piqued his interest.