1. Sauté: In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter over moderate heat. Add 2 large minced onions and 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, cooking until soft and lightly colored, about 8 minutes.

2. Cook: Add 2 cups of minced mushrooms to the pan and continue to sauté until tender.

3. Stir: Mix in 3 large pureed tomatoes, 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, 3/4 cup of dry red wine, 1/2 cup of chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of dried oregano, and 1 teaspoon of sugar.

4. Simmer: Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes until the tomato sauce thickens up nicely.

5. Cool: Remove the finished tomato sauce from the heat and let it cool.

6. Salt: Sprinkle your 3 pounds of vertically sliced eggplants with 1 tablespoon of salt and let them sit for 30 minutes to draw out bitterness. Rinse them with cold water, squeeze gently, and pat dry with paper towels.

7. Fry: Dredge the eggplant slices lightly in flour and sauté them in a pan with olive oil over medium heat until they turn golden brown.

8. Drain: Set the fried eggplant slices aside on paper towels to absorb any extra oil.

9. Heat: In a saucepan, warm 4 cups of milk until it is just simmering, then remove from heat.

10. Mix: In another saucepan, melt 1/2 cup of butter, add 6 tablespoons of flour, and cook over low heat while stirring constantly until smooth to create your roux base.

11. Whisk: Gradually pour the hot milk into your flour and butter mixture, whisking constantly until the sauce becomes smooth and thickens.

12. Season: Remove the pan from the heat, stir in 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper, and let it cool slightly.

13. Fold: Mix 2 cups of ricotta cheese until smooth and creamy, then gently fold it into the warm milk mixture.

14. Combine: Stir 4 large beaten eggs into the mixture until fully incorporated into your creamy béchamel sauce.

15. Prep Dish: Grease a large baking dish and sprinkle the bottom with a handful of dry bread crumbs.

16. Layer: Place a layer of eggplant slices at the bottom, follow with a layer of tomato sauce, and sprinkle each layer with dry bread crumbs and grated Kefalotyri cheese.

17. Repeat: Continue building layers until you use all your ingredients, making sure to end with a top layer of eggplant.

18. Spread: Pour the creamy béchamel sauce over the top layer of eggplant, spreading it evenly to cover everything completely.

19. Bake: Place the dish in your preheated oven and bake at 300°F for about 1 hour, or until the top forms a beautiful golden-brown crust.

20. Rest: Let the dish sit for 20 to 30 minutes before cutting to allow the delicious layers to set perfectly.

21. Serve: Savor every rich, warm layer of this cozy Mediterranean classic.