1 largish eggplant (or 2 Asian eggplants)
3 or 4 garlic cloves, peeled
¼ c. olive oil (more or less)
handful parsley leaves, chopped finely
¼ tsp ground allspice
salt & pepper

1. Pierce whole eggplant(s) on one side. Put whole, pierced side up on a rack in 500F oven for 20 to 30 minutes.
   
   
2. Put peeled whole garlic cloves in a small oven proof bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil and place in oven beside the eggplant for 10 minutes or til golden.
   
   
3. When the eggplant is limp and flat, remove it from the oven and peel away the skin. It should fall away easily. Compost the skin. Put the eggplant flesh into a medium sized bowl. Add roasted garlic cloves, olive oil, allspice, parsley, salt and pepper. Mash with a potato masher til relatively smooth. (You can use a blender if you want.)
   
   

Serve immediately. This is a wonderful slathered on slices of crusty bread.

based on Rachael Ray's "Poor Man's Caviar: Eggplant Spread" www.foodtv.com