Stuffed Crimini Mushrooms

It is said that every festive meal should start with an appetizer to whet the appetite. In Italy, those are known as antipasti, in France as hors d'oeuvre. Here on the Balkans and the Middle East we call it mezé. Today's appetizer recipe will surely tease your palate.

Clean the mushrooms and remove the cap from the stalk. Place the caps upside down in a baking dish, drop a dash of olive oil in each cap and season with salt.

Meanwhile, punch the eggplant a few times with a fork to avoid bursting, sprinkle it with olive oil and salt, and place it in the oven. Bake until the skin is almost burned and the flesh is soft and tender. Allow it to cool, then peal the skin off and chop the cooked eggplant.

Cut the onions julienne style and sauté in olive oil until soft and tender. Remove from stove and season with salt and pepper. Add eggplant, finely chopped parsley, garlic and thyme leaves. Mix it well and stuff the mushrooms. Place the stalks in the baking dish around the caps, cover with half a glass of white wine and half a glass of water. Bake them in a preheated oven at 360 F for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.