How do you prepare baba ghanoush?

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup tahini (a paste made of ground sesame seeds)
  
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Place eggplant on baking sheet, and make holes in the skin with a fork. Roast it for 30 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally, or until soft. Remove from oven, and place into a large bowl of cold water. Remove from water, and peel skin off.
3. Place eggplant, lemon juice, tahini, sesame seeds, and garlic in an electric blender, and puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer eggplant mixture to a medium size mixing bowl, and slowly mix in olive oil. Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Addition by Shane J. Filomena:
Baba Ghannouj or Baba Ghannoug (Arabic بابا غنوج bābā ġanūj) is an Arab dish of eggplant (aubergine) mashed and mixed with various seasonings. A popular preparation method is for the eggplant to be baked or broiled over an open flame before peeling, so that the pulp is soft and has a smoky taste.

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant
• 1/4 cup tahini, plus more as needed
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed
• 1 pinch ground cumin
• salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup brine-cured black olives, such as kalamata

Directions

1. 
   Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill.
2. 
   Preheat an oven to 375°F.
3. 
   Prick the eggplant with a fork in several places and place on the grill rack 4 to 5 inches from the fire.
4. 
   Grill, turning frequently, until the skin blackens and blisters and the flesh just begins to feel soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
5. 
   Transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet and bake until very soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
6. 
   Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and peel off and discard the skin.
7. 
   Place the eggplant flesh in a bowl.
8. 
   Using a fork, mash the eggplant to a paste.
9. 
   Add the 1/4 cup tahini, the garlic, the 1/4 cup lemon juice and the cumin and mix well.
10. 
    Season with salt, then taste and add more tahini and/or lemon juice, if needed.
11. 
    Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and spread with the back of a spoon to form a shallow well.
12. 
    Drizzle the olive oil over the top and sprinkle with the parsley.
13. 
    Place the olives around the sides.
14. 
    Serve at room temperature.