Yummy "eggplant parm" but not as good as my involtini, flatbreads on the side

This was lovely, but if I had to make an eggplant-ricotta dish again, I'd go with the involtini recipe from Mario Batali that is just excellent. Nonetheless, it's always fun to try something new, maybe pick up a new technique or idea. In the midst of constructing the "parm" towers, I did have a moment of creativity involving leftover phyllo that I saw in the fridge and a new ingredient I found today, an artichoke paste imported from Italy. Ooh, nelly. I slathered some of the paste on some olive oil-brushed phyllo and then grated some Parm atop that before cooking. On another strip of phyllo, I crumbled goat cheese and added some marinated tomatoes. T preferred the tomato side, and I the artichoke. The rice pudding is riDIC. I could eat the whole dish. PS re the toddy. I found it totally underwhelming and thin, like a leftover frat drink. Sad. The boozy cherries at the end were nice, but this is not a yes-make-me-again drink.