2 med. eggplant, cut in 1/4 inch slices
1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. fine bread crumbs
Olive oil or reg. cooking oil

MEAT SAUCE:

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 c. chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c. chopped celery
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 c. red wine or burgundy
1/2 c. water
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp. parsley
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. basil
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten

WHITE SAUCE:

4 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. flour
4 c. milk
4 egg yolks, beaten
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Brown meat with onion and garlic; drain fat. Add all ingredients for meat sauce, except eggs. Simmer until thickened. Meanwhile, press eggplant slices between paper towels to remove excess water. Salt lightly and let set for 20 to 30 minutes. Sauce should be ready and must be cooled.

Meanwhile, brown the eggplant slices on both sides in oil; set aside. Next, begin white sauce by melting butter and adding flour, making a smooth paste. At the same time, heat the milk slowly until hot. Slowly add hot milk to paste, stirring constantly with a wire whisk; add nutmeg. Cook slowly until thickened. Add a small amount of white sauce to the beaten egg yolks, then add yolk mixture in with the white sauce; set aside.

Add a small amount of cooled meat mixture to the 2 beaten eggs, then add that mixture back into the meat sauce. Using 1 (3 quart) Pyrex dish or 2 (1 1/2 quart) dishes, begin layering the sauce and eggplant. Butter the baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Place 1/2 of eggplant in dish, then the entire meat mixture, then 1/2 of grated cheese, then the remaining eggplant slices; finally, the white sauce is poured over all. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Can be frozen at this time, if desired. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees; if frozen, bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour at 300 degrees. Serves 8 to 10.