Ode to the Egg

It brings me great pleasure to announce that my epic egg poem, which first appeared here and incidentally happens to be a personal favorite piece of mine, has been published in the current issue of The Virginia Culinary Thymes (on pages 4 to 5), an online periodical published by the Peacock-Harper Culinary History Friends at Virginia Tech. I hope you enjoy reading it (or re-reading it, as the case may be) as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Cooking Well

Cooking well means…
You will never go hungry.
You might be labeled a "foodie".
The kitchen is your studio and food is your medium.
You'll always find the way to a man's (or woman's) heart.
You can see beauty in a potato.
Going to market is your idea of fun.
You share a connection with the earth and the seasons.
Your mantra is a dish is only as good as the ingredients you put into it.
You have a weakness for sharp cutlery.
And maybe fine cookware too.
You understand salt.
You revere the egg.
And can transform it in countless ways.
Your friends will always accept your dinner invitations.
But they might be afraid to invite you over for dinner. No matter how appreciative you may be.
You taste as you cook.
And clean as you go.
You have a strong opinion about certain cooking shows. (You know what I mean.)
It might be hard to get into your skinny jeans.
You can find inspiration in a recipe.
But you don't have to follow it.
Someone else should volunteer to do the dishes.
You use all your senses.
You pay attention to the details.
And you follow your instincts.
You can stand the heat.
You transform necessity into pleasure.
You have a sensual side.
You know the finer things in life.
You season with love.
Sharing is in your nature.
You bring people together.
You and your loved ones will always be nourished and comforted, body and soul.
Everything.


Coconut Shrimp with Sweet Habanero Sauce
Printable Recipe

½ cup rice vinegar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 habaneros
2 cloves garlic, grated
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 large egg
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 cup shredded coconut
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ pounds jumbo shrimp (16/20 count), peeled and deveined
¼ cup all-purpose flour
Canola oil, for frying

Combine the rice vinegar, sugar, habaneros, and garlic in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until thickened and slightly syrupy. Remove from the heat and stir in the fish sauce. Let cool to room temperature.

Whisk together the egg and 2 tablespoons of water in a large, shallow dish. Mix together the panko, coconut, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper in another large, shallow dish. Season the shrimp generously with salt and pepper. Dip each shrimp into the flour to coat and shake off any excess, then into the egg wash, and then into the panko mixture to coat, patting so that it adheres. Arrange the shrimp in a single layer on a baking tray and let rest for about 15 minutes.

Add enough oil to a large, heavy pot to come to a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil to 375°F. Add half of the shrimp and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Using a skimmer, remove to a paper towel-lined baking tray and immediately season to taste with salt. Fry the remaining shrimp in the same manner. Arrange the shrimp on individual plates and serve immediately with the habanero sauce.

Serves 4. When frying, be sure to use a pot that's large enough to accommodate the displacement of the oil from the shrimp and also the bubbling of the oil.

Eggs

The humble egg I must praise,
Its versatility does amaze,
No food is more delicious,
Or so highly nutritious.
If your pockets aren’t deep,
You can dine well on the cheap,
One full carton that you buy,
Will a dozen eggs supply,
Always select AA grade,
These have longest before they fade,
Large ones are best,
Do not choose any of the rest,
Recipes are always tested,
And this size is what’s requested.
Farm-fresh eggs in all their splendor,
Are so rich and so tender,
With yolks gold as the sun,
Cook in no time till done,
Fragile white and brown shells,
Also different colors pastel.
We owe many thanks to the chicken,
Eggs expertly clarify, bind, and thicken,
Then there’s duck egg and quail,
If only you can find them for sale,
Egg wash as a glaze or dip,
Browns and won’t let a crumb coating slip,
As a leaver eggs act,
So many possibilities once cracked.
For the first meal of the day,
I’ll take my eggs any way,
Scrambled or over-easy,
It’s not hard to please me,
Boiled soft or hard,
Fried, preferably in lard,
Vegetable frittata,
Or breakfast sandwich on ciabatta,
Even sunny side up,
As long as there’s coffee in my cup.
I like breakfast tacos so spicy,
Truffled eggs though pricey,
Omelettes with mushrooms and Swiss,
Coddled eggs I won’t miss,
No egg have I denied,
With sausage or bacon on the side.
And I haven’t even mentioned yet,
Morning quick breads, don’t forget,
Eggs are a must,
Without them crêpes would go bust,
There would be no pancakes or waffles,
How to make muffins would baffle.
Not just for breakfast or brunch,
Equally satisfying at lunch,
For a snack any time,
An egg is so sublime,
Even for late dinners,
Eggs are definitely a winner.
Serve a quiche with crust brown,
A poached egg with frisée and lardons around,
Egg salad on rye,
Scotch eggs deep-fried,
Homemade pasta knead,
Deviled eggs with dill weed.


So many Asian dishes,
Also fulfill my egg wishes,
Egg drop soup is nice,
My favorite part of fried rice,
Pad Thai noodles with stir-fried eggs please,
As does egg foo yung, omelette Chinese.
Eggs go on green salad sliced,
As a mimosa garnish diced,
Eggs sauces too make,
All of these examples take,
Over eggs Benedict hollandaise,
Everything’s better with aïoli or mayonnaise,
On the sweet side sabayon,
Or in Italian zabaglione.
Necessary no matter what you bake,
For genoise or sponge cake,
Angel food light as air,
Any custard you prepare,
Crème anglaise frozen till ice,
Pudding, chocolate, bread, or rice,
Cinnamon-scented French toast,
Pot de crème worthy of boast,
Crème brûlée, crème caramel, and flan,
Eggs are critical in the plan.
Without eggs you cannot do,
Perfect tasting pâte à choux,
Popovers filled with cheese,
Buttercream from pastry bags to squeeze,
Vanilla bean pastry cream,
Mousse as fluffy as a dream,
Marshmallows and divinity candy,
So many ways eggs are handy.
If floating islands you will create,
You don’t use whole eggs straight,
Separate yolk from white,
But be sure to do it right,
With a single drop of fat,
The foam will certainly go flat,
Whip whites and sugar together,
Your meringues will be light like a feather,
Soufflés savory or sweet,
Whites to stiff peaks you must beat.
Who cares what the name,
Eggs, oeufs, or huevos, they deserve acclaim,
The ovum is a wonder to behold,
Of this I have now much told,
Any cook must conclude,
Eggs are the perfect food,
It’s the generosity of the hen,
That can sustain the race of men.
No matter how many I ate,
The next with great anticipation I await,
Don’t make me beg,
For any meal, please cook me an egg.


Eggs en Cocotte
Printable Recipe

Unsalted butter, for greasing the ramekins
¼ cup heavy cream or crème fraîche
6 large eggs
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Minced fresh chives, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Butter 6 ramekins and divide the cream or crème fraîche among them. Add 1 of the eggs to each ramekin and place them into a roasting pan. Add enough hot water to the roasting pan to come half way up the sides of the ramekins and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the desired doneness. Remove from the water bath and season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with plenty of chives and serve immediately.

Serves 6. This is a most simple, yet delicious version of Eggs en Cocotte. If you like, add bit of chopped ham, browned sausage, diced tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, or cooked vegetables to the bottom of the ramekins. And feel free to top the eggs with a sprinkling of shredded cheese. You can cook 2 eggs per ramekin for big eaters. Serve with a baguette.

An Ode to Garlic

I love you Garlic.
Potent, pungent,
Purple, white, and elephant,
Or roasted golden, sweet and mellow,
I can even kiss my fellow.
A must for pasta sauce,
Into stir-fries I toss,
Raw, minced in salad,
You satisfy my palate.
I love you Garlic.

Quick Aïoli
Printable Recipe

1 large egg
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 to 3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine the egg, garlic, and mustard in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. With the motor running, add the oil in a thin stream.


Add the lemon juice and pulse again. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


Makes about 1 ¼ cups. Traditionally, aïoli is made with just egg yolk rather than whole egg, and it’s made with a mortar and pestle or whisked by hand. I’m all for short cuts, so I use my trusty food processor. But since a single yolk wouldn’t come up to the blade in a food processor, making it difficult to get the emulsion started, I use the whole egg. The result is slightly less thick but still absolutely delicious. By the way, if you’re uneasy about eating raw eggs, use pasteurized eggs. For a milder tasting aïoli, use half olive oil and half grape seed oil or just a light olive oil. Store-bought mayonnaise pales in comparison to homemade aïoli. Try aïoli on sandwiches or as the base for salad dressings. Stir in minced fresh herbs and use as a dipping sauce for crudités, French fries, or calamari. Really, garlicky aïoli is great on just about everything. Keeps for a day or two tightly sealed in the refrigerator.