How to cook eggplant so it’s tender and tasty, with recipes and tips

For a long time, eggplant was my white whale of summer produce. It was always delicious when I had it in restaurants, but I struggled to get the texture just right when cooking it at home. I suspect many others are in the same boat I was, and I’m here to tell you there’s hope. Recipes editor Becky Krystal wrote a helpful how-to guide all about the nightshade that is botanically a fruit but treated in cooking as a vegetable, answering common questions about salting, texture, cooking methods and more. Here’s a quick rundown of some of her top tips for mastering the art of cooking eggplant: