There is a Julia Roberts movie called "The Runaway Bride," where she keeps leaving her fiancees at the altar over and over. Then Richard Gere reveals to her that her big problem is she changes her personality to fit her various dudes' likes and dislikes instead of having her own. Apparently all she needed was a lecture about eggs (instead of about two decades of intensive therapy. Ahem). I am not a fan of the movie, or of Ms. Roberts, and if it weren't for the egg-lecture scene, I'd wipe it out of my memory entirely.
The idea of the scene is, this middle-aged woman apparently has no idea how she likes her eggs, and with each guy, he says, 'oh she likes them this way, just like me." So she goes off to figure out how she likes her eggs and then her life problems are all solved. Yay!
My point is, everybody (who is not a pathetic 1-dimensional fictional paperdoll) does have his own way he likes to have his eggs. There are almost infinite ways to prepare eggs and people can get very opinionated about exactly how they are prepared. Eggs are a traditional culinary symbol because of this. There is a saying about the folds in a chef hat, that the folds represent the number of different ways that the chef knows how to cook an egg ... and there should be a hundred folds. I find it interesting that an egg is one of the most basic foods that we use - it comes in its original form; even milk is more processed - and its uses are more varied than any other food.
I use eggs for all kinds of things, but when it comes to having an egg straight-up for breakfast, I definitely fall in line with the standard idea that I like it a particular way. Omelettes are great, sometimes I do my version of juevos rancheros, and occassionally I partake in some cheesy scrambled eggs. But 9 times out of 10 it's this particular way I've been doing eggs for over 20 years.
There's not a name for it, I just call it egg and cheese on toast. It's pretty simple, and like most egg dishes, it's about how the egg is cooked. I like mine over-easy, but I get a little picky about exacly what "over-easy" means. I use a ton of butter and let it just start to brown. The egg has to be cooked on low-ish heat so that the egg white can get cooked all the way through and get a little brown on the edges without the yolk cooking at all. I always turn the heat off or almost off before flipping the egg over carefully (because if the yolk breaks it's not perfect, and I'll start over) and letting the residual heat cook the whites around the yolk, again without cooking the yolks at all but just warming them a touch. I like the whites to be completely cooked without the yolks cooked at all.
When I flip the egg over, I put a piece of cheap-o American cheese on it so it can start to melt, and then slide that whole thing onto a piece of toasted cheap-o white bread (you know, the cheap Wonderbread stuff). It's still upside-down so that when I eat it, the yolk can get all in the bread. It's good with all the extra brown butter from the pan, too. Yummy!
So that's my own personal take on the everybody-likes-eggs-their-own-way thing. I'm sure you have your own specific way you prefer your egg, too. Feel free to tell me all about it! Maybe you have a delicious idea to share. Unless you are Julia Roberts, in which case, keep it to yourself.
Happy egg eating!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Birthday Food
It's my birthday and I am celebrating, as I celebrate most things, with food.
Technically my birthday gift from Dan was the Aerogardens. But I also told him I wanted to go to a local farmer's market for my birthday. I've been wanting to check out some farmer's markets for a while but it seems something (dialysis, migraine, etc) always gets in the way. This morning we were finally able to go to the Cherry Creek Farmer's Market. It wasn't bad. I was suprised at how little actual produce was there. A good portion of the booths were selling prepared foods such as empanadas and sandwiches. However, we did find lots of good things to sample and buy.
We picked up a jar of local clover honey. We also found some delicious jalapeno jelly that I am anxious to try with cream cheese on toast. A few booths had beautiful loaves of bread. There is nothing like the smell of freshly baked bread, right? We bought a lovely loaf of pumpernickel rye with which I plan on making veggie reubens. Another booth had corn tortillas flavored with various seasonings, and we grabbed a package of the chile flavored ones. The only produce we bought was some delicious looking California berries. Being from Michigan, I'm still getting used to the price of berries out here, but these were definitely cheaper than at the grocery store.
The farmer's market was packed with people and many of them brought their dogs. There was live music and several food trucks. I want to check out some other farmer's markets and see what sorts of things they have.
This evening we had a birthday dinner at Garcia's, my favorite Tex-Mex place in the area, with my in-laws and our friends Phil and Jenn. Now, though, I'm back home and hooked up to my dialysis machine. It might seem strange, but this much activity in one day is just exhausting for me. I'm going to rest so I hopefully have the energy to use my farmer's market finds in some cooking tomorrow.
Happy Birthday to me.
Technically my birthday gift from Dan was the Aerogardens. But I also told him I wanted to go to a local farmer's market for my birthday. I've been wanting to check out some farmer's markets for a while but it seems something (dialysis, migraine, etc) always gets in the way. This morning we were finally able to go to the Cherry Creek Farmer's Market. It wasn't bad. I was suprised at how little actual produce was there. A good portion of the booths were selling prepared foods such as empanadas and sandwiches. However, we did find lots of good things to sample and buy.
We picked up a jar of local clover honey. We also found some delicious jalapeno jelly that I am anxious to try with cream cheese on toast. A few booths had beautiful loaves of bread. There is nothing like the smell of freshly baked bread, right? We bought a lovely loaf of pumpernickel rye with which I plan on making veggie reubens. Another booth had corn tortillas flavored with various seasonings, and we grabbed a package of the chile flavored ones. The only produce we bought was some delicious looking California berries. Being from Michigan, I'm still getting used to the price of berries out here, but these were definitely cheaper than at the grocery store.
The farmer's market was packed with people and many of them brought their dogs. There was live music and several food trucks. I want to check out some other farmer's markets and see what sorts of things they have.
This evening we had a birthday dinner at Garcia's, my favorite Tex-Mex place in the area, with my in-laws and our friends Phil and Jenn. Now, though, I'm back home and hooked up to my dialysis machine. It might seem strange, but this much activity in one day is just exhausting for me. I'm going to rest so I hopefully have the energy to use my farmer's market finds in some cooking tomorrow.
Happy Birthday to me.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
I Want A Decent Bagel
When I lived in Michigan, I ate bagels and cream cheese a lot. A lot a lot. We always had them in the house and my sisters and I partook of them constantly. There were also loads of bagel shops everywhere and finding good ones was not hard. During the years I lived in Kalamazoo, I grew dependent on a particular chain of bagel shops that were particularly good, and one in particular, where I went often enough that they knew me by name. I love me some bagels.
Then I moved to Colorado. And, suddenly, I was bagel-less. There are few true bagel shops out here. I can get them from Panera - and let's face it, people, those aren't bagels, they are yummy bread in a circle shape. Often tasty, but not bagels. (side note - what is with Panera canceling the sundried tomao cream cheese?!?) And at the other bagel places, the bagels were always underwhelming. My husband was patient as I went from place to place looking for a bagel that was adequate. After I first moved out here, I had to look for all kinds of things - a pizza place, an Indian restaurant with a decent malai kofta, a tapas restaurant - and one by one I settled into new versions of those things, but alas, still no good bagels!
There also aren't as many bagel places out here. For the most part there are just a few national chains and then a couple local places. Even one chain that I occassionally went to in Michigan served much worse bagels out here. What gives, Colorado? Is it because Michigan is closer to the East Coast and you haven't gotten the true bagel influence yet? Is it because everyone here eats a huge slab of steak and juevos rancheros for every breakfast instead?
One day I came up with the theory that it's the elevation. Maybe being the mile-high city makes it impossible for the bagel dough to act and react correctly. I have absolutely no idea if this is true, but it's the best I have so far. It can't be that a whole city doesn't know what a true bagel is, could it??
I'll keep looking for a better Denver bagel. In the meantime, Dan and I have found a bagel shop that is absolutely nowhere near our house that is good enough for now. If anybody knows of a really good bagel place in this state, I would love to hear about it. Also, if you have any scientific explanation as to why the bagels are generally sucky here, I would love to hear about that, too.
Happy bagel eating!
Then I moved to Colorado. And, suddenly, I was bagel-less. There are few true bagel shops out here. I can get them from Panera - and let's face it, people, those aren't bagels, they are yummy bread in a circle shape. Often tasty, but not bagels. (side note - what is with Panera canceling the sundried tomao cream cheese?!?) And at the other bagel places, the bagels were always underwhelming. My husband was patient as I went from place to place looking for a bagel that was adequate. After I first moved out here, I had to look for all kinds of things - a pizza place, an Indian restaurant with a decent malai kofta, a tapas restaurant - and one by one I settled into new versions of those things, but alas, still no good bagels!
There also aren't as many bagel places out here. For the most part there are just a few national chains and then a couple local places. Even one chain that I occassionally went to in Michigan served much worse bagels out here. What gives, Colorado? Is it because Michigan is closer to the East Coast and you haven't gotten the true bagel influence yet? Is it because everyone here eats a huge slab of steak and juevos rancheros for every breakfast instead?
One day I came up with the theory that it's the elevation. Maybe being the mile-high city makes it impossible for the bagel dough to act and react correctly. I have absolutely no idea if this is true, but it's the best I have so far. It can't be that a whole city doesn't know what a true bagel is, could it??
I'll keep looking for a better Denver bagel. In the meantime, Dan and I have found a bagel shop that is absolutely nowhere near our house that is good enough for now. If anybody knows of a really good bagel place in this state, I would love to hear about it. Also, if you have any scientific explanation as to why the bagels are generally sucky here, I would love to hear about that, too.
Happy bagel eating!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Cherry Cheesecake Crumble
I have had a rough few days (understatement) and needed a pick-me-up. Normally for me that doesn't involve sugary treats, as my indulges and comfort foods are more often savory. But for whatever reason, I was in the mood for something sweet this time. But I'm still me; when I do crave sweets, it usually involves fruit and/or cheese.
Cheesecake covers those two items nicely. I had some cream cheese and half a bag of frozen cherries leftover the other day and decided to throw something together. I ended up with this cheesecake dish. The idea is a cross between a crumble and a cheesecake. We ate it still-warm with vanillla ice cream. It was a sugar fest, but tasty. I also ate some later chilled and it was great that way, too.
It's almost berry season, and this dish would work with fresh berries as well as it works with frozen fruit. I always have vanilla sugar in the house because when I occassionally use a fresh vanilla bean, I toss the leftover vanilla pod into a small container of regular sugar which infuses the flavor into the sugar. It can get refilled multiple times before running out of flavor.
Cherry Cheesecake Crumble
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp and 1 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp and 1 tsp vanilla sugar (or regular sugar and a drop of vanilla extract)
1 c halved frozen cherries
1 tsp corn starch
1/4 c oatmeal
1/4 c brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter in small pieces
In a bowl, mix together cream cheese, 1 Tbsp sugar, and egg until thoroughly mixed. Stir in 2 Tbsp flour until just incorporated (you don't want to develop the gluten in the flour). In a second bowl, stir together cherries, 1 tsp sugar and corn starch until evenly coated. In yet another bowl, mix oats, brown sugar, and 1 Tbsp flour, and cut in butter pieces.
In small baking dish, spread cheese mixture in a thin layer, top with a layer of cherry mixture, then sprinkle on crumble topping. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Serve hot (it will be goopy) or allow to cool (and get firmer).
Happy eating!
Cheesecake covers those two items nicely. I had some cream cheese and half a bag of frozen cherries leftover the other day and decided to throw something together. I ended up with this cheesecake dish. The idea is a cross between a crumble and a cheesecake. We ate it still-warm with vanillla ice cream. It was a sugar fest, but tasty. I also ate some later chilled and it was great that way, too.
It's almost berry season, and this dish would work with fresh berries as well as it works with frozen fruit. I always have vanilla sugar in the house because when I occassionally use a fresh vanilla bean, I toss the leftover vanilla pod into a small container of regular sugar which infuses the flavor into the sugar. It can get refilled multiple times before running out of flavor.
Cherry Cheesecake Crumble
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp and 1 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp and 1 tsp vanilla sugar (or regular sugar and a drop of vanilla extract)
1 c halved frozen cherries
1 tsp corn starch
1/4 c oatmeal
1/4 c brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter in small pieces
In a bowl, mix together cream cheese, 1 Tbsp sugar, and egg until thoroughly mixed. Stir in 2 Tbsp flour until just incorporated (you don't want to develop the gluten in the flour). In a second bowl, stir together cherries, 1 tsp sugar and corn starch until evenly coated. In yet another bowl, mix oats, brown sugar, and 1 Tbsp flour, and cut in butter pieces.
In small baking dish, spread cheese mixture in a thin layer, top with a layer of cherry mixture, then sprinkle on crumble topping. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Serve hot (it will be goopy) or allow to cool (and get firmer).
Happy eating!
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