The rough side of Silk

Yesterday was one hell of a storm and the lady birds got the ass end of the wet cold windy LATE MAY storm. Oprah my little black Silkie gives me the best eggs rain or shine this funny chicken never lets me down....So sitting here at home pulling a Yoko Ono and sat in bed all day pouring over my old cookbooks looking for my next kitchen adventure I realized people (in general) dont know how to cook a perfect egg. During my kitchen tenure when a young hopeful wanted a stint working with us, I'd give a test, a seemingly simple test. Make me eggs three ways. I would let the poor victim choose his methods but they had to be perfect. Easy? Hell no. To correctly, scramble, baste, fry,caudle or omlette is not the simple task it seems. The simple things can be the hardest.
    I consulted James Beard, Simca(Julias' Co author)The California Egg advisory, South Dakota Rotary cook book, Girl Scouts cook book, Joy, Mrs. Beeton's Book of cookery circa.1884 on and on a list of a thousand ways to get that egg done right. Do you add water to a egg to be scrambled or milk or cream do you add the salt after it is cooked or before ,it is said to bring toughness to eggs before cooking? arrghghghgh.
    ok. Kid gloves is the first rule. Gentle with this delicate orb of protein. High heat is going to be your enemy every time. Low flame, double burner and patience is the theme. Eggs solidify very fast and if the heat is not just right a curdled hot mess is sure to follow. OHHH and Mrs. Beeton (1884) recomends when choosing your egg , "apply your tounge to the large end of the egg,and,if it feels warm,it may be relied on as fresh."Well there you have it. AND in the winter months when the girls are not laying Mrs. B says I shoud slather my (not MINE but the chickens)eggs in lard and store in sawdust not touching each other in a dry dark place like the larder.Good god I've been doing it all wrong.
JOY OF COOKING 1943 IRMA ROMBAUR
SCRAMBLED EGGS
Melt in iron skillet over LOW heat 1T sweet cream butter browned
Beat and pour into the warm slillet  3 eggs and 3T top cream
When eggs begin to thicken ,break up eggs with a fork into sheds.When they are thick and custardy searve over buttered toast and sprinkle a pinch of salt.

There you have it. Now go practice its not so easy to get the feel for perfect custardy scrambled egg to a dry crusty rubber mess.

Simple, Seasonal and Local will always trump silly,over thought and out of season every time.
Get out of bed and practice the seemingly simple art of the egg. go on ...... 

Eggs are cheap but it's the thought that counts.

Breakfast at Hoffmans was a pleasant affair but.........there was a WTF moment or two. Lets begin. Gonna keep it simple today I'm up to eyeballs in jam production today. Harvested Merlot and made a Ppomegranate Cardamon Merlot Jelly. OK Hoffmans. Lovely little currant studded scones came out while we waited for our eggs, but to my dismay only had foil wrapped pats of butter and disks of some origin unknown jelly packs to lube up my scone. Now really? A bakery that has at least ten gallons at any time of  cream cant make their own sweet cream butter to go with the time and energy that went into the scone? Shame. Its the whole picture that counts. Then the jelly dilemma was even more annoying. A BAKERY THAT CAN'T MAKE JAM? sigh. Don't know what to say.Soooo all those fruit fillings in Hoffmans cakes,tortes pies etc...are origin unknown as well......I don't understand. Go big or go home. All the ingredients,equipment and payoff are already there in the kitchen ,so why pay to have pre made food brought into your establishment to play a paltry second fiddle to a lovely pastry. Well Santa Cruz please pay attention you just paid ten bucks for yer eggs at the very least they can make all the food in house. I had the Bennie with artichoke crowns and added sauteed spinach all on a toasted slab of sourdough with very yummy Hollandaise. Three eggs was a bit much but it was nice. Potatoes were potatoes. Cooked well i'd love to see a little griddle crust on them but again they were good. Coffee was abundant and very good. I hope hope hope it was Fair Trade. Hell don't we all want a fair wage for a fair days work. Last the server. he is a pro. I liked his style and worked his section with ease. It was a full house and he was runnin the show. Good Job. I'll be back but I will keep griping about the little things cause that's what life is about the little details. Good day.

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