Nearly went out to my local coffee shop for one of their breakfast sandwiches (a commuting standby when I was going into the office every day) when I realized I could make one at home. Using a leftover sausage patty, a fried egg, and a slice of American cheese, I came away a couple bucks better off and very satisfied with my solution.
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I never make pie…well, hardly ever until now when we’re at home more. This take-off on key lime pie from a long-time friend, is an easy, fast, and fantastic diversion during a pandemic, or anytime. I have made this several times, trying out various store-bought Graham Cracker crusts. The one from the elves is best. I followed their (the elves) suggestion and brushed the crust with egg white, pre-baking it for five minutes. I sprinkled sparkling sugar for an extra kick and that really worked. I used regular old limes instead of key limes—not the easiest to get in Chicago—but was very happy with the result. The pie made it through three nights of binge-watching.
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As you get the hang of home cooking, you get better, or not, at improvisation—making up new recipes or adapting old ones, to your current pantry or today’s whim. I suspect that my grandmother’s claims that she couldn’t pass along her greatest recipes was more about not remembering exactly how to make that Irish stew or knowing that she never made it the same way twice. Lesson learned.
For some, or until you reach home cooking nirvana, executing a precise step-by-step routine is all you care about. And there’s nothing wrong with that! But joy and bliss await when you can cook on the fly—unless you really screw it up. 😉
I really love frittatas because like my chili or soups and stew and casseroles, they are ready, willing, and able to be modified, amplified, adapted, or short-changed as your ingredient supply changes.
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Breakfast casseroles can be really healthy and satisfying. Always a crowd pleaser, like if you’re having a morning-time birthday party or a day-after-the wedding family hangers-on brunch until it’s time for the relatives to get on their way home. The versions with bread are great, but this one and its variants taste just as good and are lower-carb.
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Everyone (even the kids) say these are really good scrambled eggs. Tasty, fluffy, buttery…etc. So, they have become the gold standard around our house. The technique is the most important thing here.
Update 2019: Better eggs really do taste better. Better = organic, really free-range. Larger, darker-yellow yolks, no animal stuff in the feed, no antibiotics. I keep trying out different brands from the store. My current favorite is Pete & Gerry’s, noticeably better all around.
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