Eggplant slices with pomegranate syrup

Native name: "Betingan bel Rumman"; note: I tried to use Google translate to verify what language this is in and what the literal translation is, but had no success.  I'm assuming it's the phonetic transcription of the Arabic name of the dish (because the dish is from Syria).

Recipe from "The new book of Middle Eastern food."

This turned out okay; it had a major sour kick, though (from the pomegranate).  Also, I think the eggplant was undercooked:  it definitely had some from texture still and that bitter taste that raw eggplant has.  The slices that were the most cooked definitely tasted the best.  The problem is that all of the slices were beginning to significantly brown when I took them out of the broiler, so they couldn't have gone much longer.  The broiler was on "high" and the surface of the pan was 4.5 inches below the gas opening.  Next time, either cut them thinner, or use a lower temperature broiler setting (or bake).  I was somewhat stingy with the brushed-on olive oil also.  I wonder if more liberal oil application would help distribute the heat?

Swiss chard leaves stuffed (sarma/dolma) with rice, chickpeas, in tomato

From Paula Wolfert's "the cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean".

These were a major pain in the ass. The recipe called for hulled, split chickpeas and claimed that it wasn't too difficult to do this processing oneself. I disagree. Next time, I think I'll use the "chana dal" from an Indian grocery.

As I spooned out the filling into each leaf, it seemed like a very insubstantial amount. However, it appears that during the cooking process, the filling expanded (probably as the rice cooked).

The final result was fantastic (the lemon juice drizzled over the top, essential) and got even better as it sat for a few days.

Red lentil soup with caramelized onions from Aleppo (Syria)

From Paula Wolfert's "The cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean".

Simple and straightforward to make; sufficiently complex in flavor. I must admit that I thought the amount of oil called for to sauté the onions seemed excessively high. However, once the onion mixture was added to the soup it really gave it the perfect boost of flavor.