The Egg Came First

I believe the egg came first, since many forms of life come from eggs. And I'm grateful they do, I can go a lot longer without eating chicken than I could without eating eggs. Eggs are healthy, filling, inevpensive and delicious. Even people who claim to not like eggs probably consume them every day. They lighten, leaven, bind and bond in baked good, sauces, custards and dressings as well as egg dishes themselves.

It is said that the pleats on a chef's toque (the fancy name for a chef's hat) represent the number of ways the chef can prepare an egg. Master chef's have a hundred pleats. Even if this is really just a kitchen legend, eggs really are versatile. My brother likes his eggs scrambled well, my other likes hers poached medium and I like mine fried over easy. That's three ways right there, only ninety-seven to go.

Eggs to me are a comfort food. I remember my grandmother making me eggs on toast when I was sick, and frying my eggs for breakfast before I went to school. My father didn't cook much when I was growing up but I have fond memories of the rare occasions when he would make us all a big weekend breakfast with his delicious scrambled eggs. They were more of a cross between scrambled eggs and a custard, they were creamy and soft with a very fine texture. I adored those eggs but my mother didn't adore them as much since she had to soak her skillet for two days to finally remove the inch layer of crusted on egg.

My favorite indulgence is Eggs Benedict. There is something about the combination of salty canadian bacon, a perfectly poached egg, the yolk a rivulet of pure gold running into the lemony hollandaise that sends me over the moon. One of my guilty pleasures is to go to a local casino for their breakfast buffet where they have not only traditional Benedict but several other variations as well. I can eat as many as I want. Oh, I know, it's not very good for me but I don't do it very often and I am the Gourmand Girl after all.

I doubt that there is any preparation of eggs nearly as versatile as the omelet. They are great for breakfast, lunch or dinner, quick to make and require very few ingredients. I love cleaning out the fridge and using whatever leftovers may be on hand to fill my omelet. Even just a dab of this and a bit of that can add up to a really filling omelet. I prefer the French method, which you add water, not milk to your eggs. The water steams up while you are cooking the eggs and creates a nice fluffy omelet.

Crack one or two eggs in a bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Add a couple of teaspoons of water per egg and beat again. The water will help you beat the eggs so that they are uniform in color and texture, with no streaks of white or yolk. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add a bit of butter to coat the pan. Pour in the eggs and swirl the pan gently to coat. Let the eggs set a few seconds then lift the outer edges to allow any liquid egg to run underneath, repeating as necessary until there is no more liquid egg. Cover the pan for a minute until the egg is completely set. You can fill from here or if you really like your eggs well done, flip the omelet over before filling. (If you have a hard time flipping, slide the omelet onto a plate, then invert the plate back into the pan). Put in your favorite fillings and fold the omelet over in half and slide onto a plate. (You can also to the fancier tri-fold but I think it looks bigger and more impressive just folded in half.) Be sure not to use too large a skillet, smaller skillets yield a fluffier, thicker omelet.

Pictured above is my breakfast, a one egg cheese omelet topped with salsa. It didn't take any time at all and it's kept me fueled all morning long and the entire breakfast was less than 400 calories. But if you really don't have the time, try making a stack of omelet forms on the weekend. Just follow the steps above but don't fill or fold. Stack them on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Then in the mornings, just grab a form, put some fillings in and microwave until hot. If you have to eat on the run, place a tortilla on a plate, top with an omelet form, add cheese and salsa (and whatever else you have laying around) and microwave. Roll it up and you have a homemade breakfast burrito faster than you can order at a drive thru.

The next time you are wondering about what to have to eat, think about having an egg. They really are incredible.