"I cannot responsibly answer this question"

My parents, who are both clinicians, of different sorts, frequently debate how much knowledge one should have before suggesting an answer to a question. There are certain questions (such as, "Daddy, why are there tides?") which they historically refused to answer, and others on which they are happy to speculate ("why haven't we passed gun control yet?").

I have one professor, in his late 70s or early 80s, who seems to revel in the phrase "I cannot responsibly answer this question." Some of my classmates seem frustrated with this answer, perhaps supposing that the professor would be able to answer the question responsibly if he kept up with the latest research. I think, however, that he's trying to be a role model for us, to discourage us from BS'ing when we don't know an answer -- the consequences in medicine, after all, are significant. Yet the key difference is that this elderly gentleman has the confidence and authority to profess ignorance -- whereas we, still unproven and largely incompetent, are going to be spending the foreseeable future getting asked "pimp questions" (pop quizzes) to which we will have to come up with reasonable answers on the spot. You can see how bullshitting seems tempting.

What do I know a little bit about? Cooking. Running at a nice easy pace. Tidying up the apartment. Etc. It's nice to have a few arenas where I feel some confidence, to which I can retreat for a few hours when the facts being thrown at me seem overwhelming.

Here's a nice Sunday evening supper.

Roasted eggplant parm (also simplified from Mario Batali):

• 1 eggplant, sliced into strips or rounds about 1/4-inch thick
• 1 ball of fresh mozzarella, also sliced thin
• tomato sauce, or:
• 1 can tomatoes
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• few tbsp olive oil
• olive oil
• salt & pepper
• basil optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange eggplant slices side by side (not overlapping) on a baking sheet, then brush each one with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Flip slices over and repeat on the other side. Roast in the oven for 10-20 minutes, until eggplant is soft (some pieces may be crispy) but not burned.

If you are making your own tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a pan, add the garlic, cook for a minute or two, then add the tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes until the eggplant is ready.

Layer eggplant: eggplant-sauce-cheese (and throw basil in there if you like) in a smaller pan and bake at 300 degrees until mixture is bubbly. Serve with bread or pasta to mop up the sauce.