I know people eat the skin, but I never do, it seems to have a bitter taste. If I'm cooking a homegrown eggplant (none in the yard this year - the garden is a hot mess) I don't bother with the salt and sit and rinse step because I don't let them grow huge, I pick them around 12 to 16 ounces.

If you're making babaghanouj, then roast them in a medium oven (350 - 375) for 45 minutes to an hour until you can see the skin starting to slip. Sometimes they'll burst (warning!) but usually once they've baked enough you can pierce it and start pulling and the skin will slip off. Do your mashing and add ingredients from there.

If you're making eggplant Parmesan, peel it, leave them in a bowl of water, and take them from there to a plate of white flour then a bowl of egg then a plate of seasoned bread crumbs, using the "wet hand, dry hand" approach. I thought I'd invented that myself, but it seems some of those cooks on TV talk about it also. :)

Use shallow corn oil (1/2 inch) and add a generous pat of butter for great flavor. As much as I love olive oil, it isn't for frying.