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¾ cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

¼ cup soy sauce

½ cup cornstarch

Combine the breadcrumbs, onion, salt, and pepper with 1½ cups water in a large bowl. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.

Lightly beat the eggs in a separate small bowl. Add the eggs, ground beef, pork, and tomato sauce to the breadcrumb mixture. Mix well.

Shape into small balls (20 to 30).

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Brown the meatballs in the oil. Remove the meatballs to a roasting pan and pour out the fat in the skillet.

Combine 1½ cups water and the stock in the skillet. Stir and pour over the meatballs.

Cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil and bake for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the sweet-and-sour sauce. In a large saucepan, combine 4 cups water, the vinegar, brown sugar, and soy sauce and bring to a boil.

Thicken with the cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup cold water and cook until the sauce is thick and clear.

Remove the meatballs from the oven and pour the sweet- and-sour sauce over them. Return them to the oven for 10 minutes.

SERVES 7 OR 8. Serving size: 3 small meatballs with sauce over ½ cup cooked rice.

Taste buds are particular and unique to each person. I accept the phrase “It calls for an acquired taste,” which allows that upon first meeting a comestible and hating it, over time one can become not only used to it, but desirous of it. I have come to like, and even love, foods that at first sight, I wished to never taste again, see, or have their names spoken in my vicinity.

For instance, I thought that eggplant was a waste not only of the chef’s time, but even wondered if the Creator could not have used time to better results. My lack of appreciation was the result of eating an eggplant dish called “poor man’s caviar.” When I had the good fortune to eat ratatouille, and eggplant Parmesan, I came under the spell of eggplant and I expect to be mesmerized by that vegetable my life long.

There are some dishes that have not caught my fancy yet, but I will not close the door and say I will never order them and enjoy their flavors. In today’s world, with the general concern about starvation and obesity, I have discovered that overeating can be countered by making the food savory and by eating small portions throughout the day and evening. The eater will be pleased with quality rather than quantity.

Eggplant Parmesan

2 teaspoons salt

1 large eggplant, cut horizontally into ½-inch slices

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons granulated garlic

1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1¼ cups tomato sauce

¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Sprinkle the salt onto the eggplant in a colander placed in the sink. Let drain for 1 hour. Rinse and pat dry.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet.

Sprinkle the granulated garlic on the eggplant slices. Dip each slice into the breadcrumbs and fry in the hot skillet for 3 minutes on each side.

Remove to paper towels to absorb unnecessary oil.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Place the eggplant in an oiled baking pan.

Ladle a teaspoon of tomato sauce onto each eggplant slice and sprinkle with the cheese, covering completely.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve immediately.

SERVES 4 OR 5. Serving size: 2 slices of eggplant.

Braised Lamb with White Beans

8 ounces dried white beans, soaked overnight in cold water to cover

1 bouquet garni (1 sprig each thyme and parsley, 1 bay leaf, and 6 cloves tied in a square of cheesecloth)

¾ medium onion, chopped

¾ medium carrot, chopped

1½ pounds lean lamb shoulder, cut into ½-inch-thick slices

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1½ tablespoons vegetable oil

1½ cups dry white wine

¾ tablespoon tomato paste

1½ ripe tomatoes, quartered

3 garlic cloves, crushed

Italian bread (optional)

Drain the water from the beans.

Cover the beans, bouquet garni, onion, and carrot completely with water in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1½ hours.