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My grandmother, God bless her soul, used to tell us that in the villages of Lebanon, the wealth of a family was evident through their frequent use of eggplant.  I know that sounds rather funny.  However, when fried, eggplant absorbs so much oil, which was not a cheap commodity.  Therefore, the richer you are, the more you can afford to cook eggplant.  Today, this vegetable is a staple in Middleastern cuisine and the diversity of its use makes it appear at every table, regardless of the event.  No meal is complete without Baba Ghanouj, stuffed or pickled eggplant and shaikh el Mihsha.

Quince:  An apple shaped, bright yellow fruit when mature, usually late Autumn. 

Baked Quince

 Ingredients:

4 ripe quince, cored, peeled and cut into quarters

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups apple juice

1 T lemon juice

1 t. orange blossom water

1 t. rose water

chopped walnuts, pine nuts, coconut

Preheat over to 325 degrees.  Place quince in baking dish and sprinkle with sugar.  Add apple juice.  Bake for 1 1/2 to two hours, basting occassionally, until quince turn reddish in color and feels soft when pierced with a fork.  Remove from over and sprinkle with lemon juice, rose water and orange blossom water. 

Serve warm or cold, sprinkled with nuts and coconut.

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