need eggplant help - quick

[jjf]

i am about to grill eggplant for the first time - actually it is the first time i have ever cooked eggplant.
i just cut into it and it looks kind of brown inside - is that normal? i just don't want to make something that is bad. help is appreciated!

[LauraEllen]

No, that's not normal. It sounds like it has been sitting around the store for awhile and is bruised. When you buy them they should be quite firm and the flesh should be whitish. The best ones are young with very few seeds. I haven't cooked with a brown one, so I don't know if it would taste okay anyway, but I suspect it would be mushy and bitter.