Anthi's-ipation

By [Nancy J. Brandwein] It pays to be a picky eater when young, because there"s all that much more to anticipate later. I was in my twenties when I first tasted Hass avocados's ambrosia of the gods; I ate one every day for a week. Now in my fifties, I discovered that eggplants have a life outside lumpen baba ganoush or potluck platters of ratatouille. SautÃ&Copy;ed or grilled, they are meaty with a rarified, silky flavor, like that of artichoke hearts. Underneath a hefty moussaka square ($6) from tiny Greek take-out Anthi"s, they are the icing on (the bottom of) the cake. Moussaka: another thing I"d avoided, thinking of it as My Big Fat Greek EntrÃ&Copy;e, stereotypical and gloppy. But at Anthi"s each layer is a stand-out, from those thin-sliced aubergine half-moons at the bottom, to the ground beef center layer, as rich as the best Italian ragout, to the rounds of potato ensconced in creamy bÃ&Copy;chamel sauce with a thin browned crust on top. A gourmet Greek cottage pie, one portion stretches for two lunches, with each slice microwaved for a little more than a minute. So splurge on their creamy, fatty homemade Greek yogurt ($4/9-oz.) mixed with pecans or with cranberry and almonds. Hmm. I"ve never liked yogurt with nuts's a new thing to try! 's Anthi"s Greek Food 614-A Amsterdam Ave. (betw. W. 89th and 90th streets) 212-787-1007 's Got a snack attack to share? Contact NBrand@aol.com