Photo (taken by yours truly) of Fried Eggplant with Garlic and Parsley Dressing from my cookbook, An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair.

Of all the recipes in my cookbook, this one has the most personal story attached to it.

The first time I had this dish was in Zabadani, a rural area north of Damascus in Syria. My husband and I were staying with his family in their country home for a few days, and another family had come to visit. Of course a feast was in order.…