Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Confession about eggs

Turkey bacon, spinach, tomato, mozzarella scramble

As a child I loved eggs- but I feared mushy scrambled eggs. I hated those scrambled eggs in the metal server trays at breakfast buffets that seem bland, soft, and mushy. That's why I never really ate scrambled eggs for breakfast, opting instead for omelets, poached eggs, or fried eggs. At home, I would sometimes make scrambled eggs, but I would always make them a little golden-brown. This is especially good in Chinese dishes, like eggs with tomatoes, which would be just plain weird to me with soft scrambled eggs.

Then, when I watched a season of Top Chef during college, I realized this was considered quite sacrilegious. Anthony Bourdain would declare a contestant's breakfast dish inedible, because overcooking eggs is "unacceptable." Hmm... was my way of cooking scrambled eggs a foodie faux pas?

Everyone has guilty pleasures in food- food we know should not be cooked a certain way technically, but it tastes good to us. My mom likes her noodles on the softer side, and her steak well-done. Both are things that horrify my food sensibilities. But is there really a right way or a wrong way? If I enjoy it, then does the rest of the world's opinion matter? I've decided to embrace my own way of enjoying food.

Even so, I remain open to new suggestions. I got over my dislike of softer scrambled eggs after stumbling upon a recipe on my friend's fabulous blog, Winner Celebration Party. I followed her recipe to a T (coincidentally, I had all the ingredients on hand.) They turned out soft, fluffy, and delicious. It is a super addictive combination- I have also tried adding some sun-dried tomatoes to the recipe- divine! Props go to WCB to changing my mind about scrambled :)

I will never embrace those buffet eggs, but these have become a weekend staple for me!

Parmesan pesto scrambled eggs- great brunch idea


Parmesan and Pesto Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk
salt and pepper, to taste
oil
generous sprinkling of parmesan cheese
(Optional: sun-dried tomatoes)
dollop of pesto

Method:
1. In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Whisk.
2. Heat some oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add eggs, allow to solidify somewhat. Move the eggs around. Add parmesan cheese while still runny, fold. (Can add sun-dried tomatoes at this point if desired.)
3. Plate the eggs and top with pesto. Serve!


3 comments:

  1. i totally x3 agree. and it just dawned on me that western/american foods are hardly founded on long-standing traditions - safety precautions included. i have a hunch that the "asian" way to cook eggs has something to do with the risk of disease involved in eating uncooked eggs. whereas thinking about american food, it's probably the only one of its kind to comfortably accept cholesterol-spiking staples, sugar-saturated, over-processed grains, and blue foods (fun dip has such a gruesome appeal). anyways...don't be ashamed! you can't help but like the things you like...

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  2. Very true!! Insightful post. I agree about American food, Paula Deen is probably the best example of the excesses of American food. Seems like every dish is comfort food!

    However, it's funny that Chinese people don't like eating runny eggs but they have no problem eating tofu that has been fermenting for days... ;)

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  3. Great post, it was always hard for me to shake my feeling that they were raw and premature too! Now: runny is king.

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