I don’t remember liking eggs as a little girl, but I’m told that I did.
Since that moment of forgetting, I’ve spent much of the time not liking them. You don’t like broccoli? I don’t like eggs. Just one of those things. It wasn’t until I was in my mid-20s that I decided to give them a heartfelt go and try to like what so many others took pleasure in. Slowly, slowly I developed a taste for the unhatched. I still prefer them mixed with other things, cheese preferably, but I’ve had many memorable meals where I’ve actually chosen to eat eggs. You can now often find one hard boiled in my lunch. I can’t imagine eating bi bim bap without the characteristic swirl of the soft yolk.
But making them delicious at home? Man alive, I couldn’t do so to save my life.
Here are two recent failures.
I did successfully make some slow-cooked scrambled eggs over the Christmas holidays. When I tried to make them again one night for dinner? Fail. Mind you, I did get distracted by a naughty storyline on Coronation Street. No excuse. Second fail was trying to make an omelette using Mark Bittman’s help. It tasted fine, but I was not satisfied. It was not fluffy enough.
I think I’m done trying — don’t give me any advice. Like a good cappuccino, a good ice cream cone and a good pupusa, some things should be left to experts outside of my home.
I know where to get a good poached egg, Sugar makes some mean scrambled eggs and fluffy omelettes are up the sleeve of any good diner cook. I’ve got my bases covered.
My best eggs are the ones in my baking. Let’s go with that.
5 comments
tss says:
Jun 20, 2010
Eggs fascinate me. Among many, one good reason is that many of top chefs in the world say making a good egg is a skill learned over a lifetime, and that the simplest things are often hardest to do right. Understanding the egg means understanding everything important about cooking: seasoning, temperature control, timing, texture, contrast, colour, combination, etc.
I spent 28 years not eating eggs, and now I can’t get enough. I am obsessed. I have read so much about omelet making, scrambled eggs, poached eggs, and experimented, that it’s become pathological.
But that’s me, obviously. I understand your sentiment, not being bothered to do what others do so well. I could never see myself making wine or beer or pizza or (real) barbecue or (real) caesar salads, etc.
cream says:
Jun 20, 2010
So, when am I coming over to try your eggs?
A Canadian Foodie says:
Jun 21, 2010
Your eggs LOOK great – but, hey! Come for breakfast one weekend and we will do omelets together! I had to work at my eggs, too!
valerie
John says:
Jun 23, 2010
Hey Cream,
Re the less than fluffy omelette, I find using water instead of milk or cream will yield a much fluffier result – Bittman may not agree, but a chef taught me this trick long ago and I never looked back.
Good luck,
John (Ontario Bertazzoni guy)
Cream’s Cursed Eggs: A little redemption | cream and sugar says:
Jul 7, 2010
[...] your encouragement, I decided to get back on the horse and try my hand at eggs again. They are one of those things [...]