Back from the Cliff: Let’s Eat Eggs!

In a celebratory recognition of Congress pulling us back from fiscal dairy cliff, I bought a half pint of heavy organic cream.  And because my grocery store categorizes them as dairy, I picked up some eggs, too.  (What exactly is dairy?)

I did all of this for two reasons:

First, I believe all properly stocked kitchens should have plenty of dairy, especially cream and eggs.

Back to Work!

Second, you can prepare eggs in many, many ways and incorporate cream into many, many recipes.  Unlike politics, there really isn’t a right or a wrong way to do many of these things.  Eggs your way might be damn near as good as eggs done my way!  And doesn’t it feel good to be so nice about difference once in a while?

Take scrambled eggs, for example.  You can prepare them in many ways and perhaps never decide that one way is any better or any worse than the other.  You might — hold on — agree that your eggs can exist in friendly harmony with mine and no one need to sacrifice his future to do so.

Unfortunately I must insist, however, that most people overcook eggs.  Eggs should be squishy, not bouncy.  Keep that in mind and we’re all good.  (See…I’m already going back to my bickering ways.  Proceed with caution, senator.)

Ok, back again now to celebrating.

Often I choose to make simple scrambled eggs for a quick breakfast.  This approach is fast and it is easier than falling out of bed, entirely in harmony with the morning.  This is all you have to do:

First, put a sliced English muffin in the toaster and start toasting it.

Then heat a small omelette pan over medium heat (this is the only time you will really ever use a small omelette pan), add a teaspoon or so of softened butter, and when the butter has melted and begins to bubble, toss in an egg.  Shake the pan rapidly to keep the egg from sticking to the pan bottom, then let it sit for 15 seconds.  Next take a fork and stir up your egg a bit, shake the pan some more, and let it sit for a few seconds…then repeat…stir with a fork again, let it sit (but only for a moment this time) and remove from the heat.  Your muffin should be about done at this point.  Make your sandwich.

If this take more than a minute, you’re doing it wrong.

American Eggs, Suzn Smith

You might add cheese to the sandwich — or even ham — and sometimes I add one or the other or both to the egg before cooking and make a lazy man’s omelette for my breakfast sandwich.  A friend taught me the delight of adding a drop or two of Tabasco sauce just before eating, especially if you have dark roast coffee, and this is a perfect accent to a simple egg muffin sandwich.

But now let’s get to the cream because I think I have covered egg breakfast sandwiches once or twice already here on A Little Tour in Yellow.  Plus, let’s not lose sight of what is going on here.  We are celebrating avoiding the Dairy Cliff.  Let the cream flow!

(I mentioned every kitchen should be stocked with heavy cream already, right?  Fiscal and dairy crisis be damned.  Live liberally.  Live with cream.)

The best scrambled eggs, I have discovered, are made with heavy cream.  And they are wonderfully easy to make.  You need an omelette pan (a real one), a small bowl, a fork, and a plate.  You also need eggs and cream, of course, but you might want to add some cheese (shredded parmesean is my favorite) or salt, but not much salt if you add cheese.  The cheese is your salt.  And not too much cheese, either…these are scrambled eggs, not something else.

I use a small bowl — something like an English consommé bowl, if you can imagine such a thing — to mix my eggs and cream together.  I use between one and two tablespoons of cream per egg.  (Probably closer to one tablespoon.)  Just as we did before, heat your pan over medium heat until your dollop of soften butter melts and begins to bubble.  While you wait, whisk up the eggs and cream — maybe that dash of salt, too, or a dash of cheese (not both) — until eggs and cream mix.  Don’t over mix!  You should be able to discern eggs from cream, but you do want the yolks broken and creamy, literally.

Now, when your pan is ready, pour everything into your omelette pan, shake your pan (sounds like fun), and then you might want to cover the pan.  I usually do.  If I have a cover.  (Any cover will do, if it does the trick.)

Let the eggs sit for 10-15 seconds, then start folding the eggs over in the pan, roll them gently with your fork.  Let them sit for another 10-15 seconds.  Then mix them a little more with your fork one more time, let them sit again for a few more seconds and remove from the heat.  You’re done!

Of course the squeamish can watch for “runny” eggs and cook more to taste, but don’t overcook.  Unless you’re my little sister, who overcooks everything, you don’t want over-cooked eggs.  Remember:  Squishy, not bouncy.

In my experience, eggs are the last thing I cook when making breakfast, and if you disagree with me you must be a god damn Republican.  Ha!  Couldn’t resist, even during the fiscal cliff truce, it’s still fun to poke fun at Republicans.  So easy to do, too, just like cooking simply delicious eggs.  Try it.  Even if you’re a Republican, try it.

Ok, never mind.  Sorry…

So that’s it.  That is all that I have tonight.  Me, cream and eggs, and fiscal truce, too.  Let’s eat!

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Reverse Engineering in the Kitchen

Me in the Kitchen

Allowing your mind to get fixed on and passively wander around an idea can deliver satisfying results.

Recently I have been thinking a lot about a popular dish at my favorite neighborhood Italian restaurant.  It is pasta in a mushroom cream sauce, something I wanted try at home, so I thought about “reverse engineering” the sauce recipe.  I started with some presumptions — cream and balsamic vinegar — then went from there.

And I didn’t have to go very far.

What does a good cream sauce need?  It occurred to me that there might not be much more than cream, cheese, and  – the “secret” ingredient — balsamic vinegar.

So I poured a half pint of heavy cream into a large sauce pan, mixed in a cup of shredded parmesean cheese and  found a can of unused — and unwanted — condensed cream of mushroom soup.  In it went.

I stirred constantly until the cheese had melted.  Then found some of my best balsamic vinegar and started to add it to the sauce.  When I had the perfect flavor, I stopped with the vinegar.  The result is an amazingly simple and outstanding sauce!

Some smart alec might point out that all I have done is “discover” Alfredo sauce, which I suppose is mostly correct, but my point here is that sometimes simple things present themselves…with time…easily.  And the act of discovery can be delicious.

Next I will try to discover Bolognese!  Stay tuned.

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• Balsamic vinegar added to pasta dishes lowers blood sugar and helps you lose weight faster (naturalremediesblog.net)
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• Cream of Mushroom Soup – Vegan Recipe (spicesandspackle.com)
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Stock Up On Cheese!

Once upon a time I had a friend who poked fun at my stock of cheese.  We had fun poking at a lot of things, as a matter of fact…and then…oh well, those were fun days.

You don’t need a friend to enjoy cheese anyway!  And now is an opportunity to stock up on my favorite, Sargento Shredded Parmesan.  Just in time, too, my stock of shredded Parmesan was about to run out.   It is buy-one-get-one — or BOGO as they call it — at the neighborhood grocery.

When I saw the cheese on sale, I began to giggle.  I always welcome a deal on cheese.

(If you haven’t already noticed, this post is rambling filler about cheese, groceries, and little else.)

I use shredded Parmesan the way some people use salt.  I mix it with eggs, sprinkle it in soup and salads, top pasta with it, and some times just sneak a pinch as a snack.  Sure, Sargento might not be quite as “Artisan” as the label promises — for that I have a brick of authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano — but for day-to-day use, this is a like a sturdy and reliable Chianti one might use as table wine.  It is good cheese.

I’ll bet she likes cheese and a good value.

Unlike cheese, however, to enjoy BOGO you really should have a friend, at least someone comfortable shopping with you.  What does a single guy need with two jars of Gedney pickles anyway or two quarts of olive oil?  Well, there are a lot of things you can do with olive oil.  Cottage cheese, sour cream, ice cream…one is enough.  And I wish someone had been with me to remind me how much I like Garofalo pasta, which I don’t mind having extra on hand.

You know what these BOGOs are good at doing other than giving you an opportunity to restock essentials?  They do a great job getting my money.  I went in for cheese and grapefruit juice (which I forgot to get) and left spending $55.  That two-for-one cheese is kind of expensive when you look at it that way.  We all have to eat, though, don’t we?

Ok, now look at the next post.  It is about a chicken dog and a much better use of your time.  In fact there are many good posts hidden on A Little Tour in Yellow.  Simply scroll through the posts and find your favorites.  Tell your friends and family to do the same.  Let me know what you find.

Related articles

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Has My Love for Paper Gone Too Far?

I love paper.  I really, really love paper.  I subscribe to newspapers I haven’t time to read because I love paper so much.  Get me within a time zone of a true stationer — one with great paper, pens, and paper gadgets — and I am there.  So I am always aware of paper around me.

So who would have thought that a random purchase of sliced cheesed would push my love for paper to the limit?  Did you know they put paper between the slices in those packs?  Wow!  I thought the packed the stuff in plastic.  I’m a deli guy usually, but this discovery might reset my perspective on things.  Cheese AND paper for one flat rate.  Unbelievable.

You see I tend to hoard paper, especially great paper, and when I opened my sliced cheese and found the paper, I started to giggle.  What a find.  And what good paper.  Nice texture and weight perfectly cured between slices of extra sharp cheddar.  It gets better.  Like the cheese, this paper is pre-cut for convenience.  The cheese paper is sized just right for quick notes and reminders.  Perfect!  And, because they are cut in squares, they are perfect for origami, something I cannot do very well.

But I can make notes!  Take a look.

Think of how impressed the love of your life will be if you send that “I’m sorry” on a piece of cheese paper.  It shows resourcefulness and thrift, if not responsibility, too.  Global awareness is key.  Save a tree.  Mom will be impressed for all the same reasons.  Even your boss might take notice.  And cheese makes people happy.  Even people who don’t like cheese seem happy around cheese.  Why do you think the phrase “cheesy” is so easily understood and unthreatening?

There’s more…

Suppose you get a piece of paper that is a bit irregular — a bit folded or something — well, guess what!…They make great book marks.  Just fold it over and put it to good use.  I do!

So what do you think, am I nuts?  Or do you understand my cheesy affection for cheese paper?

 

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Sunday Breakfast

Not much on my mind today.  Not much to say.  Writing about nothing seem to be my most popular posts, however, so why don’t I tell you about my breakfast.

I steamed a pinch of fresh spinach and scrambled it in with a couple of eggs and large spoonful of diced tomatoes.  By chance I happened to have some cheese in the fridge and grated that in with a some fresh ground black pepper.  It made for a very satisfying breakfast and I enjoyed it with a brimming cup of French roast from Coffee & Tea in Linden Hills.

Lunch was a bit more pedestrian, but perfect for the season.  I picked up some locally made hot dogs — the old fashioned style that should be the only hot dog anyone buys — and steamed one.  Steaming is the best way to prepare hot dogs.  I also had some corn that was surprisingly good and fresh.  I mixed it with butter and salt.  Sliced a tomato and sat down for a good summertime lunch.  Mustard is a must with this, of course, and it is best served with a soft drink.

I made an awesome vinaigrette for a salad this afternoon, too.  I wish I could remember exactly how I did it, but it turned out well.  One more tomato, a lot of spinach, carrots, and cauliflower.  Black pepper and cheese (I happened to find some more) my salad was set.  Very good.

Not Sure Which Picture I Like Best

I’m not sure what I’ll do for dinner.  Maybe stroll down to Amore Victoria for a little pasta.  I’m not in the mood for more cooking.  I am finishing the last of a bottle of Brunello I bought on a splurge.  A nap might be the result.

I am waiting for the storms to develop later anyway.  Right now there isn’t even a hint of stormy weather.  The clouds are too ragged and thin. Until they start to look more like cotton candy, the atmosphere is too mellow.  But once they begin to pop, the storms should develop quickly.  That’s what I am looking for.

Did I mention a nap?