Recipes from an Edwardian Country House is a book that was repackaged from an earlier book. Frankly, I hate it when publishers do this sort of thing, as I often have the first book and then end up with another copy of the same book .
For a long time my cable provider didn't provide a PBS station. It seemed weird, no PBS, but I learned to live it. After changing providers, I suddenly had PBS again.
We are suckers for collections of recipes by "famous" folk. So naturally, Favorite Recipes of Famous Men a 1949 cookbook collection by Roy Ald is a great one.
There is not a single member of Norma Jean and Carole Darden's family that you want to hang out with. While most of them are gone now, they live on in this delightful cookbook and memoir.
Recipes from an Edwardian Country House is a book that was repackaged from an earlier book. Frankly, I hate it when publishers do this sort of thing, as I often have
A dear friend of mine, posted a video (from Foodstyle.com)about poaching eggs in the oven and I was quite intrigued. Not only can poaching eggs, in the traditional method, be a disaster be challenging but you can only make 2-3 at a time!! Here is what I found: The video said to put about a tablespoon of water in each cup of a regular muffin pan, then crack an egg over the water and bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes.........well, that ALMOST worked. I DID use the scant tablespoon of water, and I DID preheat my electric oven to 350°, but when I tried it using a standard cupcake (muffin) pan, the egg + water filled it to overflowing and took a full 20 minutes to cook, not 8 to 10. On my second attempt, I had excellent luck using a jumbo size muffin pan (I think they call them Texas size?) and I gave it a light mist of vegetable spray, then put in the scant tablespoon of water and a large egg. I baked them at 350° for exactly 12 minutes (not 8 to 10) and they lifted right out of the pan with a spoon.....YUM!!!
A PERFECTLY POACHED EGG !!
Whether you are making one or 30, this method (with my tweaks) really does work and it couldn't be easier!!
The difference in cooking time (between my oven and the Foodstyle video) COULD be that their oven simply runs hotter than mine or maybe they were using smaller eggs (?)With so many variables, I suggest you do a "test egg" to see how long it takes in your oven before you make a whole pan of these.
One other note: When your eggs are done to your liking, take them OUT OF THE PAN right away or they will continue to cook.
Once upon a time, a nice Norwegian boy, named Paul Lowe, found he had a knack for cooking and making the food look really fine. He parlayed this knack into a job as a stylist. But he wasn't simply happy making other people's food look great, he wanted to show off his own food. So he started a blog and named it for himself, using the nickname he got from his flamboyant godmother, Sweet Paul. The blog was an immediate success and soon it spawned its own magazine called -- yes, Sweet Paul.
Then the blog/magazine got its very own cookbook: Sweet Paul Eat & Make. In addition to his cooking skills, Sweet Paul is also a bit of a crafter and he has included several easy projects in his cookbook. One look at this cookbook and you will understand why Paul was such a whiz as a food stylist. The photos are inviting, making you want to cook everything in this book. It is no secret that we love eggs and so does Paul. Here is Sweet Paul's preface to this recipe.
"I’m often asked what my favorite ingredient is. I always answer the same thing: eggs! I never get tired of them; there’s so much you can do with them. Runny, sunny, poached, hard-boiled, scrambled, put into omelets, on top, under, in the middle—any which way, just give me an egg, and I’m happy.
We feel the same way!
Baked Snug Eggs
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
1 tablespoon butter, plus more for the pan
8 medium-thick slices good-quality smoked ham
2 scallions, thinly sliced
8 large eggs
4 tablespoons heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F, with a rack in the middle position. Butter four small gratin dishes.
2. Fry the potatoes in the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Place 2 slices of ham in each dish. Divide the potatoes and scallions evenly among the dishes, then add 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon cream to each dish. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the eggs are set.
5. Serve warm.
What a great way to start the day. Grab some eggs, play some solitaire, dye a tablecloth, bake a cake, you can do it all with Sweet Paul!
Michael Ruhlman can wax poetic and philosophical about most anything in the food world. So one can simply imagine our joy when we found he was working on a book about our favorite food -- the egg. We do love our egg cookbooks and this one, appropriately titled: Egg, is no different.
Now we know what you are going to say, duh, everything has eggs in it so what's the big deal. True, eggs are eggs. We know that better than most, as we have an entire shelf of egg cookbooks. Ruhlman, however, brings his excessive/compulsive geek-y-ness to the subject of eggs. In the introduction, he describes a conversation with Alton Brown. Brown says "...the egg is the Rosetta Stone of the kitchen." Ruhlman is like the Food Language of Rosetta Stone software, follow along and soon, you too, will be fluent in no time.
First we get a look at all the ways one can cook the egg. Boiled, poached and fried lead us to gently fried, aggressively fried and deep fried. Shirred and coddled make their way into the mix. Speaking of mix, we get eggs in cake mix and yolks in pasta as well as meringues and mayonnaise. There is even a drink or two, like this one.
Nineteenth-Century Ale and Rum Flip
3 ounces/85 milliliters spices Christmas or pumpkin ale 2 ounces/55 milliliters dark rum 1 egg Pinch of ground coriander (or whole coriander seeds shaved on a Microplane) or ground ginger (optional) Grated orange zest (original)
Combine the ale, rum, and egg in a large mug. Whisk or blend with a hand mixer. Or toss the drink back and forth between two large mugs, as Jerry Thomas might have done. Heat it for 40 to 50 seconds n the microwave (or use a red hot poker). If desired, top with a pinch of coriander or ginger and some grated orange zest.
Did we mention omelets and custard? Sous vide? Pancakes or potato pancakes? How about cookies? We are more than happy to add Egg to our egg shelf.
Now get the kitchen and get cracking. (Give us that one. We never used the word "eggcellent.")
I found this fantastic idea on Pinterest and it works extremelywell. Not only does it produce a pretty colored Easter egg, but it doesn't smell up the whole kitchen like a vinegar based dye does, PLUS it is very economical!!
This could not be simpler:
Mix one small packet of UNSWEETENED Kool-Aid powder into 2/3 cup warm water and mix. A coffee mug works well for this; a different color Kool-Aid in each mug. Place a hard boiled egg in the liquid for about a minute then set the colored egg on paper towels. That's it!! I TOLD you it was easy!! The lemonade (yellow)isn't very bright, but if you add a little orange to it, it will give you a great color. Pink lemonade is a beautiful color; try them all and have fun!!
Happy Easter !!
Note: Use the small packets of Kool-Aid. Most of them are about .15 ounce, (it isn't critical).
Every year my friend, Ann, calls in October and says mark you wish list for Christmas. So I do. This year, Ann said, "I improvised." What did she mean? She meant she bought books on her own, with no supervision.
You can imagine how skeptical I must have been. There are three pages of books on my wish list. There is not a lot of room for error. So I must say, I opoened presents with a bit of trepidation. There was the River Cottage Handbook # 11 -- Chicken & Egg. Well you know I love me some chicken and egg books. I was a bit suprised to find that the River Cottage franchise had gotten up to 11 guides. (Actually, there are now even more.)
This is the best of both worlds: A book about chickens AND a cookbook! A lovely twofer!
Truth be told, the handbook is a bit heavy on the "raising" side of the chicken divide. But there are some truely wonderful recipes. Now I generally am opposed to nuts in my food, but sauced, they seem to be OK.
Chicken with Walnut Sauce
1 chicken, about 1.6kg, jointed into 8 pieces25g butter5 tbsp olive oil2 onions, peeled and finely sliced300ml dry white wine400ml chicken stock2 tsp sugar2 bay leaves3cm cinnamon stick (or 1 tsp ground)Freshly grated nutmeg3 large eggs120g walnut pieces8 garlic cloves, peeled and choppedA pinch of saffron strandsJuice of 2 limesA handful of parsley (or a third mint, two-thirds parsley), finely choppedSea salt and freshly groundBlack pepper
Have the chicken joints ready to cook. Heat the butter and three tablespoons of olive oil in a flameproof casserole or large frying pan (large enough to later hold the chicken pieces in a single layer). Brown the chicken in batches on both sides, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go. Don’t crowd the pan, fry the chicken in small batches, removing the pieces to kitchen paper as they are done.
Add another 1 tbsp. of oil to the pan and cook the onions over a medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened but not brown. Return the chicken pieces to the pan, in a single layer. Add the wine, stock, sugar, bay leaves, cinnamon and a generous grating of nutmeg. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer gently for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, boil the eggs for 10 minutes. Drain, cool under cold running water, then peel. Cut around the centre of the egg and separate the yolks from the whites.
Lightly toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat, shaking the pan. Add the remaining olive oil, then the garlic, and cook for a minute. Put the walnuts and garlic, egg yolks, and a few spoonfuls of the cooking liquid into a food processor and whiz to a smoothish paste. Stir this into the pan with the saffron and lime juice. Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes or so, until the sauce has thickened. Check the chicken is cooked by piercing the thickest part with a knife to see if the juices run clear. If not, cook for another 5 minutes and check again. Finely chop the egg whites and sprinkle them with the herbs over the chicken.
A different spin on your usual baked chicken!
Thanks, Ann, for asking that eternal question: Which came first? The chicken or the egg cookbook.
This is a very EASY recipe because most of it can be made ahead of time. It is a FUN breakfast to serve company or a bunch of rowdy teenagers or a breakfast buffet crowd because it can be finished off last minute!!
There are no real measurements for this recipe; just one circle of toast, a pinch of cheese, one egg and one slice of precooked bacon for each serving (use the regular thickness bacon because thick bacon won't work for this recipe). These little beauties are quite filling and two of them make a hearty breakfast. The "do ahead part" is to spray the cupcake pan generously with vegetable spray, then put a "toast circle" (un-buttered) in the bottom of each cupcake well. Next, pre-fry the bacon. I do mine in the oven (the day ahead) because it comes out perfectly flat and easy to work with. Click HERE for my post on cooking bacon in the oven. Bake the bacon at 375 (no need to preheat) for about 20 minutes, or if you are frying it, cook it about 2/3 done (you want it almost done, but still pliable). Drain the bacon but don't let it cool down much (it tends to get stiff as it cools down). Quickly wrap each cupcake well, like this:
Add a healthy pinch of shredded cheddar ( I also like pepper jack cheese) on top of the toast, like this:
At this point, you can put them in the fridge and bring them out the next morning. When it's time to eat, preheat your oven to 400 and carefully break an egg into each "nest"
Sprinkle with kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper. Put them into the oven for for 15-18 minutes or until the eggs are done to your liking. Let the finished eggs sit in the pan for a minute or two (don't worry, they stay very hot). Scoop the baked egg cups out of the pan with a spoon (they come out easily). If you like your eggs done fairly well (like we do), you can pick these up and eat them out of hand, but if you like a soft set egg, you'll need a plate and fork.
I am definitely making these for Christmas morning, along with fruit cups
It is one of our favorite cookbook subjects: the incredible, edible egg. Now this little book is a rare and cool treat. We must digress....
Once upon a time a guy named Nick Fauchald decided to do a series of magazine/cookbooks and he headed to Kickstarter. The idea was to create small, hand made cookbooks. The idea was a big hit.
Volume One featured eggs; you had us at eggs....
Enter the writer of Eggs, one Ian Knauer. Yes, you might look at Mr. Knauer and think: hipster poser dude. You would be wrong. Knauer has serious food chops. He was also raised on a farm. An actual farm! He wrote a fine cookbook about food from that farm entitled, The Farm, and we liked it very much.
Moving on... The Farm is now a PBS show. (PBS is this really weird entity where each individual station picks and chooses what they air and, where I live, never really shows the programing that is getting the buzz which is a huge pain, but I digress again...) Do check your listing and best of luck.
Since the Holidays are upon us, we thought we would give a shout out to an eggy drink that is not a nog, but a fizz.
Strawberry Rhubarb Rum Fizz
2 fresh strawberries, hulled 2 ounces white or amber rum 1 ounce Aperol 1 ounce cream sherry Angostura bitters 1 large egg white
Muddle the strawberries in a cocktail shaker. Add enough ice to fill the shaker halfway, then add the rum, Aperol, sherry, bitters and egg white. Shake until your hands are very cold, about 45 seconds. Strain the fizz into a chilled coupe and serve.
Each little Short Stack has a witty cover and brightly colored pages. Each booklet is hand stitched by folks with developmental disabilities, giving them a job. Yes, there is a "but" coming on. The bright and zippy paper often makes for lousy contrast. Eggs is on a nice yolky colored paper, so the contrast is OK, but be forewarned, you may need a good light to read the recipes.
(Full disclosure, we did get a copy of this book from the lovely book publicist, Haley, but you know we never meet an egg book we don't eventually add to our collection, so we were glad to take a look.) However...
If you have read this blog for more than a day, you know that one of our favorite things is the incredible, edible egg. We have our own talented chickens. We have a large collection of egg cookbooks. One might just think that everything there was to say about the egg had been said. We beg to differ.
Put An Egg On It by Lara Ferroni is one of those "ah ha" inspiring moments. Rather it is one of those, "Why didn't I thing of that?" moments. There is almost no food item out there that is not greatly enhanced by an egg sitting on top. "Ice Cream!" you might say. Well what is meringue if not whipped and airy eggs. So that settles it. An egg is a great addition to any food.
An egg is the salvation of leftovers. Cold pizza comes alive when warmed with an egg sitting on top. Leftover rice? Sit and egg in the middle for a great lunch. Oh my, we could go on and on, but thanks to Put An Egg On It, we don't have to. Now here is where we were a bit skeptical. There was a certain worry that this was a book of trite recipes with an egg sitting on the top. Not to worry, Ferroni has assembled a series of thoughtful recipes that are complimented by the addition of the egg, making it the star and not merely an afterthought.
The book starts out with egg basics and right off the bat provided recipes for both a regular and sweet pickled egg. Then some basic meringue recipes and techniques. Both will come in handy later on. There is a Blasted Cauliflower with Eggs and Brussels Sprout Hash. There are hip, happening grains like farro, buckwheat, and grits. There is even Israeli couscous, which looks rather grain-like but is actually a pasta.
There is a lot of pasta. Carnivores have their say with a traditional steak tartare along with pork, chicken, and fish dishes. Even tacos and hot dogs make an appearance. That meringue we learned to make at the outset, proves valuable for the dessert section. Lest we forget, there is also a cocktail chapter, because what's a flip without an egg?
This is a great example of making the egg and integral element of what might be a familiar dish. This light and airy version will have you heading for the kitchen.
Spring Onion Soup with Soft-Boiled Eggs.
1 pound spring onions or leeks 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup dry white wine 2 cups chicken stock 1 bay leaf Salt and freshly ground pepper 4 1/2 inch slices baguette Olive oil, for brushing the baguette 2 eggs 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
Clean the onions well and chop just the lights and light green parts.
Melt the butter in a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, time, and salt. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions have softened and turned deep golden, about 30 minutes.
Increase heat to medium-high and stir in the wine; cook until reduced by about half, about five minutes. Add the stock, along with one cup water and the bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Brush the baguette slice with a little oil and toast for 5 to 10 minutes, until golden. While the bread toasts, soft boiled the eggs.
Ladled the soup into 4 individual ovenproof bowls (I like to use mini coquettes), filling them only three-quarters full. Top each with a toasted baguette slice and one quarter of the cheese. Place the bowls on a baking sheet and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and golden in spots. To serve peel the eggs (or scoop them from the shells) and place half of an egg on top of each bowl of soup.
What a refreshing change from the usual bowl of brown onions and a thick crust of cheese.
Ferroni not only writes cookbooks, she is an accomplished photographer who has contributed the photos to several of our favorite books including Top Pops and Absinthe Cocktails. Even if you don't have your own chickens, run out to the framer's market and grab a dozen -- grab two. Then crack open Put An Egg On It. You won't be sorry.
This quick and HEALTHY change to mayo-laden egg salad was a huge success; we didn't miss the mayo at all!! It was light and delicious and packed with flavor. I can see countless possibilities with this little recipe (I'm already planning to add a few green onions? hot sauce?).
Personally, I enjoyed this salad just wrapped in a big leaf of lettuce, but Picky-Picky husband went for the traditional sandwich.
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped 1 large ripe avocado 2 stalks celery chopped finely 1/3 cup diced tomato flesh (see note) 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard (see note) salt to taste (I just added a pinch) pepper to taste (see note)
NOTE: NO MAYONNAISE!!
Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and mash the flesh (I mashed about 3/4 of the flesh into a smooth paste and left 1/4 of the flesh in little chunks.
Stir the prepared yellow mustard, salt and pepper into the mashed avocado, mix well.
Add the chopped eggs, celery and tomato and stir gently until well mixed. That's it!!
NOTE: I wasn't sure how to explain "tomato flesh"; it just means leave out the juicy-seedy part of the tomato.
NOTE: Two tablespoons of yellow mustard is going to seem like a lot, but the final product does NOT taste overly mustardy, trust me. I just used plain old yellow hot dog mustard.
NOTE: I cook with coarsely ground black pepper, so I used a scant half teaspoon. If you use finely ground pepper (it measures differently) use less.
NOTE: I put this salad in the fridge for several hours without any avocado darkening problems because I laid plastic wrap right on the surface of the salad and pressed down a little to force out all of the air. I'm not sure if it would turn dark overnight because it never lasts that long at our house.
We were so excited to get a copy of How To Boil an Egg by Rose Carrarini from the Rose Bakery. Then we were saddened to learn that we had never written about Rose's first book, Breakfast, Lunch, or Tea. What were we thinking? How did that one get away? Well perhaps tomorrow. Today we are looking at How To Boil an Egg. If you read this blog you know we have a stacks of "how to" egg books. I will be the first to admit that they are often quite repetitious, which is odd given all the things one can do with an egg.
There are indeed plain egg recipes. There are muffins and scones that use eggs, tarts and quiches. An occasional flan. Since these recipes were garnered from the Rose Bakery, there are many recipes that fall into that lunch and tea option. Carrarini shines with sandwiches and soups. The Hot Tofu Pot is not what one thinks of when one heads into a bakery, but on a cold day, what could be better.
Hot Tofu Pot
1 liter (4 ½ cups) vegetable or chicken stock 1 onion, cut into bite-sized pieces 1 leek, cut into bite-sized pieces 2 celery stalks, cut into bite-sized pieces 1 carrot, cut into bite-sized pieces 1/1 head spring cabbage, cut into bite-sized pieces 4 baby turnips, cut into bite-sized pieces 300 g (11 ounces) firm tofu, cut into large bite-sized pieces dash of shoyu 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional) 25g (1 tablespoon) butter (optional) 4 eggs salt and ground black pepper hot chili sauce or Dijon mustard, to serve Pour the stock into a pan and bring to a simmer.
Add the onion, leek, celery and carrot and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add the cabbage and turnips and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, until just tender but not overcooked, then add the tofu and warm through.
Season to taste with shoyu and salt and pepper, if necessary, and add the chives.
The eggs may be fried in olive oil or butter or added to the pan and poached.
Transfer the eggs to 4 individual bowls, ladle in the stew and serve immediately with a hot chili sauce, Japanese chili powder, or Dijon mustard.
How To Boil An Egg features the work of Fiona Strickland, a botanical illustrator from Scotland. She has captured many of the Rose Bakery dishes with eerie calm. At first glance they seem like photographs. It might not have been such a great choice. Frankly, it seems hard to imagine that the food could possibly live up to the illustrations. And then you read the recipe for the Welsh Tea Cakes or the Mashed Potatoes, Eggs and Parmesan and all you want to do is break a few eggs.
Who knows what sends us down the path to obsession? I do know that one of the first cookbooks I bought with my own money was Marion Cunningham's The Breakfast Book. I have vivid memories of the book because it is one of those "go to" books that I consult often. I cannot help thinking of that book today upon hearing the new that Cunningham died.
The best tribute I have ever read of Marion Cunningham came from her friend, David Lebovitz. In 2006 he easily summed up what made her special.
Readers of Cookbook Of The Day know of our abiding love the egg. One of my favorite egg dishes came from The Breakfast Book. It is Marion Cunningham's Featherbed Eggs. I always referred to them as "feathered" eggs. This may well be the greatest recipe that any cook can have in their cooking repertoire. First, it is incredibility easy. Any man, woman, or child can assemble it with little effort. Secondly, it can be customized to make it your own by adding virtually anything under the sun. My particular favorite is sausage! Finally, it is a "make ahead" dish and perfect for company.
When you have guests staying over and you are dreading being the breakfast short order cook, simply whip this up in the final minutes of dinner prep. Now is the perfect time to add your own touches. Sausage, as I said before, steamed cauliflower, apple slices, use your imagination. Cover the pan and set it in the refrigerator. While the coffee is brewing, set your dish in a cold oven and in less than an hour you will have a glorious breakfast with little fuss and big rewards.
Featherbed Eggs
6 slices white bread Salt and pepper to taste 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar, Gouda, provolone or Montery Jack cheese, or a combination 1 1/2 cups milk 6 eggs
Butter the sides and bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Arrange the slices of bread in the dish, trimming the edges, if necessary. Sprinkle the bread with a little salt and pepper. Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the bread.
Combine the milk and eggs in a bowl and briskly stir until the mixture is all one color and completely blended. Pour the milk mixture over the bread and cheese. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
Baking the Featherbed Eggs: Because the dish will be chilled when you are ready to bake it, start it in a cold oven and turn the thermostat to 350 degrees. Bake for 1 hour, or until the bread custard is puffy and lightly golden. Check at 45 minutes, in case your oven is a little hotter.
My favorite picture of Marion Cunningham was taken in 1987. She is seated across from another cooking legend, Edna Lewis. Oh to have been a fly on the wall, or the garden chair.
We have been quite fond of Allegra McEvedy since we got a copy of her first book, The Good Cook. McEvedy believes in straightforward cooking with great ingredients. That's it. Since The Good Cook, she may be best known for starting Leon, a healthy, fast-food, restaurant chain, like McDonald's only the Big Mac is butternut squash with lentils. (She has since moved on to other things.)
Bought, Borrowed & Stolen is a cookbook, travelogue, and knife lovers dream. The premise of this cookbook is a bit different and engaging. McEvedy shares recipes from her numerous travels based a a particular knife she procured, legitimately or not, from each culinary adventure. Since the recipes are far flung and a sometimes a bit exotic, they may be a bit more complicated than some of McEvedy's usual fare, but they are worth every story. If there is a drawback to this book, it is the fascination with the knives. It would seem that more ink has been given to the tools rather than the food. And why should we be different. (Seriously, you know we love kitchen gadgets!) So here are some knife facts cribbed from The Guardian and the book.
1. Picnic knife, Turkey
My mum bought this one in a Turkish hardware shop because we were going to have a picnic. It is so basic and has no place among my professional tools, yet I love it because when I hold it, it takes me back to that lunch in the biggest pine forest I had ever seen.
2. Artisan knives, New York
The chap responsible for these beauties is a blacksmith (and ex-farrier), with a suitably grizzly beard for a bloke whose best friend is an anvil. Michael Moses Lishinsky operates under the name Wildfire Cutlery (he actually works out of Oregon). His knives are full tang, which means the metal from the blade extends all the way through to the heel, making them stronger. These are made of heat-treated carbon steel, as opposed to stainless steel, so you have to dry them after use (I oil mine too), but they stay sharper longer.
3. Suction-free, San Francisco
I was sitting at a bus stop between restaurant shifts when I noticed my knife roll had gone. Like the scars on my arms, my knives represented my professional culinary journey. Next payday I went down to Japantown to get my first replacement. I had never seen a knife with holes in it before. The idea is that as you are chopping veg super-fast, the holes help to break any suction, so the slices don't stick to the blade (although I have never noticed them make much difference). I was feeling nervy about knife theft, so I went straight to an engraver's and carved my initials on it.
4. Pig-leg boner, Brazil
As I walked past a hardware shop in Salvador, I was attracted to this by its weird shape. When I got home I took it to my butcher but none of us could see how having the handle so high above the blade helped. When I return to Brazil I'm taking it with me and getting a demo – until then it remains my strangest and least-used knife.
5. Pastry slicer, Morocco
The knife man in the main souk in Marrakech sat on a carpet, surrounded by wood shavings. He carved this one to tackle pastry (especially filo) and cakes and I have found it most useful. Shaped from lemonwood, it is the most pleasing thing to hold.
6. Butcher's Chopper, Hong Kong
As I wandered around a vast indoor market in Kowloon, with about 100 butcher's stalls, I noticed that all of them had this knife. It's a serious butcher's knife, made of wood and stainless steel, with well-balanced weight for one so large.
7. Lorenzi's ceramic knife, Italy
G Lorenzi's in Milan is one of the finest names in sharp implements. Ceramic knives keep their edge much better than steel knives, and with that comes an almost surgical precision (mine is the only straight-edged – as opposed to serrated – knife that I use to slice tomatoes). And they are easier to keep clean as the ceramic doesn't absorb odours as much: I've done the garlic test on that.
8. Unagi-Saki, Japan
In Japanese cuisine, almost every job has a specific knife for it. This one is for cleaning eels.
9. Cleaver, Mexico
I like the mid-size of this cleaver: not as daunting as my enormous Chinese chopper, which I use only for the occasional precision strike. This is in my regular armoury for the way it goes through chicken bones, pork ribs, racks of lamb, even fish steak.
10. Fisherman's Friend, Norway
This is a Scandinavian design classic. It has a Japanese steel blade and is extremely efficient at filleting fish.
11. El Jamonero, Spain
No prizes for guessing what my jamonero is for: all 25cm of it are designed to slice ham. Factory-made by Arcos (a well-known Spanish knife producer), its handle is cool to hold and there is a reassuring weight to it. Slicing this dense meat is suprisingly difficult, but the dimples down both sides of the blade help by letting air in, so less pressure is needed and you can keep your strokes smooth. I like the fact that the Spanish still carve ham by hand.
While the cutlery is impressive, the recipes are also quite grand. We are willing to admit that most of these recipes will never end up on our plate, but just seeing them is enough for us.
Burmese Duck Egg Curry
6 duck eggs 125ml / 4fl oz light oil (such as peanut/grapeseed) 2 banana shallots (or 4 regular), peeled and sliced into thin rings 2 onions, peeled and chopped ½ teaspoon turmeric 2–3 bird's-eye chillies, sliced very small 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped ½ a thumb of ginger, washed, gnarly bits trimmed (but not peeled), finely chopped 1½ tbps tomato purée 1 tbps curry powder 250g/8oz okra, trimmed and cut into thirds/halved, or little ones left whole 3 medium tomatoes, chopped large ½ tsp shrimp paste (optional but authentic, though if you want to keep it vegetarian just add a bit more salt) A handful of chopped coriander Salt
Bring a pan of water to the boil and carefully lower in the duck eggs. Cook them for 4–6 minutes, depending on size, then drop them into the sink to crack the shells and run them under cold water.
Heat the oil in a wide saucepan. When it's hot, drop in the shallots, breaking them up into rings. Once they are a deep golden brown (5–8 minutes), use a slotted spoon to transfer them on to kitchen paper and sprinkle immediately with salt.
Put the duck eggs into the hot oil and lower the heat. Fry them for 3–4 minutes, turning them to brown on all sides, then take them out of the pan and sit them on kitchen paper, too.
Keeping the pan on a medium heat, add the onions, turmeric, chillies, garlic and ginger and fry for a few minutes, until it all starts to soften, then stir in the tomato purée so that the onion is well covered in it. Cook for a minute or two before adding the curry powder and then stir that in well, too.
Add the okra with a big pinch of salt, followed by the tomatoes, and give it all a good stir. Dissolve the shrimp paste in 500ml of hot water, pour it into the pan and bring to a fast simmer. Let it bubble away busily for around 10 minutes without a lid to reduce, then lower the eggs back into the pan giving them a prod so they are mostly submerged in the liquid. Put the lid on and simmer for just another couple of minutes so that the eggs warm through, then turn the heat off and give it a 3 minute rest.
Finish by sprinkling a little salt on each egg and scattering on the shallots, with roughly chopped coriander on hand to top off each serving.
As someone who may have a ill-gotten knife here or there, I found this book to be great fun. Thanks, again, to TheGuardian, we have the opportunity to actually watch Allegra McEvedy cook the above recipe. Check her out.
There is nothing tricky about boiling eggs for Easter, but there are ALWAYS those eggs that crack as they boil, or the phone rings and you forget the eggs on the stove (and they overcook and get those green "rings" around the yolks, etc.) Not a big deal, but it can be a hassle when you are preparing for a crowd.
This oven method, of cooking eggs in the shell, is not only fool proof, but the eggs come out absolutely perfect and you can make a ba-jillion at once!!
Preheat your oven to 350 and place large size eggs in a mini-muffin pan (large end down). If you don't have a mini-muffin pan, you can use a regular cupcake pan (they they will just roll around a little more).
How long you bake the eggs depends on the size of eggs you use and how hot your oven runs. I used large grade A eggs and cooked them for 25 minutes. If you are concerned about it, just run a "test egg" to gauge how long to cook them.
When the eggs are done, use tongs to put the eggs into a bowl of ICE water (for 10 minutes) to stop further cooking.
NOTE: After the eggs are cooked, you MIGHT find SOME eggs that have brown speckles on them, but don't freak out; these little specks will dissolve when you put the eggs into the ice water. The next photo is before and after the ice water bath.
Not only is this a great way to cook Easter eggs in bulk, but the eggs are delicious!! The yolks are bright yellow and the whites are very tender (not rubbery like boiled eggs can produce).
Where has this cooking method been all my life!?!?
At Lucindaville we were raving about our new chickens. They are still a bit skittish and will not be laying for several months, but they are getting to know their new home.
We are looking forward to lots of eggs, which means looking for new egg recipes. In addition to the chickens we picked up a two volume gem from the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. Eggs featured a volume on egg production and breeding and this volume of recipes.
Book II was a compendium of chicken and egg recipes for the adventurous housewife. Of course the book was ready to teach you how to accomplish that most French dish, the omelet. I was drawn to more fanciful recipes.
The drink section of the book gave up a treasure trove of interesting drinks with the most outlandish of titles. Perhaps because there are just so many uses for eggs, spending the time to invent really lovely sounding names was just too much trouble. My particular favorite is the Albumen Fruit Beverage. Stick that on a menu and see if you have any takers. (Still I am thinking there might just be a Cocktail At The Burn Pit with 'Albumen" in the name.) Then there is the very French LaitdePoule or Hen's Milk. Again, it does not sound that appetizing. But judge for yourself.
Albumen Fruit Beverage
1/2 c. orange or lemon juice 1 egg white Honey to taste
Beat egg white into a froth, add fruit juice and strain. Sweeten. Serve cold.
LaitdePoule
1 egg 1/2 c. powdered sugar 2 tbsp orange flower water 1 c. boiling milk
Beat the egg, add sugar and orange flower water. Mix thoroughly and add hot milk, stirring as it is added.
Here is another in our long line of egg cookbooks. Alessandro Filippini, who worked for 25 years at Delmonico, wrote 100 Ways of Cooking Eggs.
Originally compiled in 1892 100 Ways of Cooking Eggs was republished by the Dodge Publishing Company in 1915.This lovely period piece features a delicate, faint green decoration on each page that echos the cover with its beautifully “wrapped” egg.
Having worked at Delmonico for a long period of time, Filippini saw his share of famous clients and many of them got egg on their name – or their name on eggs.There are both eggs and an omlete Vanderbilt, both featuring a sauce of peppers.There are eggs Buckley, Hamilton Fish, W. W. Ladd, Jr., and Jay Gould to mention a few names that might stand out.
Since this little book was written from restaurant recipes, they tend to call for a dozen-egg minimum. The omletes begin with a basic omelet and the variations are just things stuffed into them.There are the usual sausage, ham and tomatoes preparations as well as a few sweet egg concoctions.
Eggs à la Paysanne
Put half a pint of cream into a dish, on the fire, and when it boils, break twelve fresh eggs, season with a pinch of salt and twelve whole peppers; let cook two minutes, and then set it in the oven for three minutes, so that the eggs get a good golden color, taking care that they do not harden.Remove form the oven, place the dish on another, and serve.
I don't buy refrigerator ("whomp tube") biscuits very often, but I DO buy them for this recipe. My family absolutely loves this quick and easy breakfast. As a matter of fact, the first time I made this, I was told "this is gold!!" Even Picky-picky Hubby gave double thumbs up which is rare!!
This weekend treat can easily be "tweaked" to suit your family. Here are the basic ingredients: 8 ounce Pillsbury refrigerated crescent rolls 1 pound (total) cooked breakfast meat (see note) 1½ cups frozen shredded hash browns (thawed) 1½ cups shredded cheddar 4 eggs (don't be tempted to add more) ¼ cup milk ¼ teaspoon black pepper ¼ cup Parmesan cheese Open the refrigerator rolls and press into an ungreased 12" pizza pan, pinching all of the seams shut. Important: make sure you press some of the dough up onto the sides of the pan to create a "lip". DO NOT PRE-BAKE THE CRUST.
Cook (and completely drain) one pound of your favorite breakfast meat (NOTE: I used equal parts of crisp bacon, breakfast sausage and finely diced ham...but ANY combo will work well. Just make sure the total weight is about a pound). Sprinkle the cooked breakfast meat, evenly, over the unbaked crescent dough. Next, evenly sprinkle the thawed hash browns and cheddar cheese over the cooked meat. In small bowl, whisk the 4 eggs, black pepper and milk together. Drizzle evenly over everything. NOTE: Don't be tempted to add more eggs. It is going to SEEM like it isn't enough, but trust me...it is perfect.
Lastly, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over all. Bake in a 375 pre-heated oven for 30 minutes (my oven took 28 minutes). Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before you cut it.
Sauteed mushrooms, peppers, etc. would be wonderful in this breakfast pizza. Just add them the same time as the thawed hash browns. You might have to add a couple extra minutes to the total baking time if you add a LOT of extra veggies. NOTE: You can also use one of those small boxes of JIFFY pizza crust mix instead of the crescent roll dough. NOTE: If you use frozen hash browns, make sure they are thawed before using in this recipe.
Mrs. Philip Martineau, sometimes known as Alice, wrote several cookbooks and a gardening tome or two or three.Caviare to Candy features recipes for small households from all parts of the world. This particular “new” edition Mrs. Martineau notes:
“…there are fashions in cookery as in all things and “Caviare to Candy” must be kept up to date.Readers have urged me to give more French dishes while some have said…I should tell them how to make and omelette, and how to prevent Brussels sprouts looking brown instead of green!
So here is good eating to you all, good appetite and a cook good enough to like experimenting.”
Caviare to Candy was updated in1933.Mrs. Martineau suggests Welsh Rarebit as a savory, but interestedly, with all the lovely hard English cheddar, she suggests Kraft cheese.
She laments the poor soul who lives in a small flat and thus, has very little room to hang game.
Since the poor old cook in one’s employ has rarely eaten in the finer restaurants.How Mrs. Martineau asks:
“…can one expect one’s cook to invent such a sauce as current jelly beaten into horseradish cream to eat with saddle of mutton – or to stuff French prunes with chutney as an alternative?”
I am definitely explaining to my cooks that she should add current jelly to the horseradish cream.
I keep coming back to this economical and emergency recipe.
Poached Eggs with Sweet Corn
A dish for an emergency
Make a white sauce of half a tin of sweet corn, butter and a spoon of milk or cream, pepper and salt.
Heap up and pour over the poached eggs, and garnish with tiny strips of fried bacon.
Well, you know most anything is better with fried bacon.
We were thrilled to hear that Angry Bird is coming out with own egg cookbook. As you know, egg cookbooks are a favorite here at Cookbook Of The Day. Until the Angry Bird hatches, you will have to settle for this gem, Good Egg Dishes by Ambrose Heath. Heath wrote and translated more than one hundred works on food, this being the fourth of his books we have reviewed.
Like many egg cookery books, this is not so much a "cookbook" as a list of how to treat the eggs after they have been cooked. It is more of an egg "decorating" book.
Eggs Sur Le Plat Clamart
The bottom of the dish is garnished with green peas à la française, and the egg is broken on to these and baked.
How many peas? How high the oven? You are left to the imagination.
The most favorite thing about this book is the clever use of recipe titles. Heath wallows in his French providing the most decadent titles for the most simple of dishes. Think about it-- eggs cooked over peas -- I don't think so. But EggsSur Le Plat Clamart, I am so making this dish.
How about scrambled eggs? Heath makes a mere scrambled egg a vision of poetry.
Eggs Scrambled Chatillon
The scrambled eggs are served in a border with minced fried mushrooms in the middle, surrounded by a heap of fried parsley, and little fleurons of puff pastry round the outside.
Again, if you have to ask how to scramble and egg or make a puff pastry or fry mushrooms or parsley, this book is not for you.
Chatillon is a French town or family or battle, one would guess depending upon how you perceive your eggs.
A border is a small platter with slightly raised edges. Now days a square plate would work nicely.
Fleurons are literally florets. In typography they are those curly cues around type, the frilly bits, which accurately describe the exact way those little bits of puff pastry should adorn the boarder.
Here is his cooking instruction for Eggs Mollets.
"There is no English word to describe this kind of egg, which might perhaps be called a soft hard-boiled one, for it is cooked enough for the white to to be firm enough for the shell to be removed, while the yolk remains quite soft inside."
Let's go out a limb here and and say that in English we would call eggs mollets "soft-boiled" eggs. Again we must point out that a soft-boiled egg doesen't hold a verbal candle to eggs mollets. And, as a added bonus, Heath points out that for every recipe that calls for poached egg, eggs mollets can be substitute and there would, of course, be a name change:
"In any recipe for Poached Eggs that follow, an Egg Mollet can be substituted where convenient. The name would then run: OeufsMollets So-and-So."
Next time you are in restaurant and the waiter says, "How would you like your eggs?" You know what to say!
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