Recipes Open-Face Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches 5.0 (1,698) 1 Review Pairing note For this smoky version of eggplant Parmesan, Sam Calagione and Marnie Old looked for a beer and a wine that could stand up to the grilled eggplant without overwhelming it. More Sandwich Recipes By Kristin Donnelly Kristin Donnelly Kristin Donnelly is a writer with nearly two decades of experience crafting stories and recipes for editorial publications, books, and brands. She was a food editor at Food & Wine for eight years. Kristin is the author of two cookbooks and co-host of the Everything Cookbook podcast.Experience: During her tenure at Food & Wine, Kristin Donnelly covered everything from chefs, artisans, and trends to food, wine, design, and kitchen tools. She traveled the country seeking up-and-coming chef talents and new restaurants for stories and the magazine's annual Best New Chefs feature. Kristin also led wine seminars for the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. She left Food & Wine in 2013 to concentrate on book projects and her boutique line of food and cocktail-inspired lip balms called Stewart & Claire.In addition to her two cookbooks, Kristin co-authored The Chef's Garden with Farmer Lee Jones (2021), and Rice is Life by Caryl Levine and Ken Lee of Lotus Foods (2022). She has also helped birth several others including A New Way to Bake from the Kitchens of Martha Stewart Living (2017), Great Tastes by Laura and Danielle Kosann (2018), and Cravings: Hungry for More by Chrissy Teigen and Adeena Sussman (2018). Together with fellow cookbook authors Andrea Nguyen, Molly Stevens, and Kate Leah, Kristin launched the Everything Cookbook podcast which gives listeners and aspiring cookbook writers a behind-the-scenes look at the publishing world, offering insights on pitching book concepts, recipe development, finding your voice, marketing, and contracts, among other topics.Education: Kristin attended The Catholic University of America where she graduated with a bachelor of arts in communication and media studies. She studied culinary arts and received her chef training at the Institute of Culinary Education, graduating with a professional diploma. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 20, 2019 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Tina Rupp Total Time: 25 mins Yield: 4 Ingredients Eight 1/2-inch-thick slices of peasant bread Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing One 1 1/4-pound eggplant, sliced crosswise 1 inch thick Salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 plum tomatoes, sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick 1/2 pound buffalo mozzarella, sliced 1/4 inch thick 8 large basil leaves, torn Coarse sea salt Directions Light a grill. Brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and grill over high heat until crisp on the outside but still soft inside, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer to a platter. Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Grill over moderate heat until charred on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn and grill until tender, about 3 minutes longer. Top the eggplant with the tomato, mozzarella and basil. Cover the grill and cook until the cheese melts, 2 minutes. Transfer the eggplant to the bread, sprinkle with sea salt and serve. Suggested Pairing Sam opted for Guinness with this sandwich. "People often think dark beers are heavy in body, alcohol and calories," he said. "I like that Guinness has roasty flavors but is still relatively light." Marnie chose a Rioja mellowed by several years of aging. Rate it Print