Ratatouille is a vegetable stew made with peppers, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes and onions prepared in olive oil. It may be eaten cold or warm, or served with bread as an hors d'oeuvre.

When served hot, ratatouille is a wonderful accompaniment to chicken, fish or a veal chop - or as a vegetarian main course.

Some insist that only the uninitiated reheat it!

There are two schools of thought when it comes to preparing ratatouille:

1. Place all the ingredients into a large pot and simmer over low heat for about an hour until the vegetables are well-cooked and very soft.
2. For the ratatouille to be more flavorful, it's best to cook each vegetable separately so that they preserve all their flavor, heating everything together at the end for a few minutes.
3. Serve hot or cold.