scrambled eggs – fancy pants style

I’ve just returned from a week of travel, and the refrigerator is a tad bare. But I’m hungry. And we need to eat lunch. There’s half a shallot from last night, some feta cheese that is still good, a jar of roasted red peppers, and four eggs. A rummage through the fruit drawer leads me to two lone grapefruits. Ladies and gentlemen – we have a lunch!

It is very interesting how some of the most delicious things that I’ve eaten for lunch have been discovered through the use of odds and ends ingredients and the benefit of a well stocked pantry and spice cabinet. I will never forget the day the kitchen sink eggwich changed my life…

Anyway, as I was sauteeing the red peppers, shallots and garlic, I added a little pinch of dried basil and a little pinch of dried oregano. Everything was smelling fragrant and delicious. I started feeling a sassy and added a splash of dry sherry to deglaze the pan and WOW. Sherry and eggs and shallot and garlic and feta and basil and oregano and roasted red peppers equate to very, very tasty and wonderful scrambled eggs. The salty feta is such a wonderful counterpoint to the other flavors. I think my humble little eggs felt very fancy with the addition of that dry sherry.

Now if we ever have any fancy people show up for brunch, I’ll serve them these scrambled eggs; they’re the best I’ve ever had. In the meantime, I plan to add this to the regular rotation, finished with two juicy little grapefruits drizzled with honey or any other fruits hanging out lonely in the fruit drawer. A handful of lettuce tossed in vinaigrette will also make a very tasty addition.

scrambled eggs – fancy pants style

serves two

two cloves of garlic, minced
one small shallot or half of one large shallot, chopped
one roasted red pepper, chopped
four eggs, cracked into a bowl and whisked with a splash of milk, salt and pepper
a pinch of dried basil
a pinch of dried oregano
about two tbsp of dry sherry
about 1/3 cup of crumbled feta
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
a splash of extra virgin olive oil
heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and add enough olive oil to thinly coat; add the garlic, shallots and roasted red peppers, and cook until just beginning to brown – stir regularly to prevent the garlic from burning
slowly pour in the sherry, stirring to coat the vegetables (you should hear the sherry sizzle in the pan)
reduce the heat to low and add the eggs, stirring constantly around the edge of the pan to gently “scramble” the eggs
when the eggs hav reached theired desired consistency, gently stir in the feta
garnish with some chopped chives or parsley if you have fancy people dining with you

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fabulous roast chicken – chapter three

A few years ago I met the mot extraordinary Lebanese woman named Diana. She was living with my in-laws while completing her Master’s Degree in Counseling. I think she may have secretly been an angel sent straight from heaven; she taught me about Lebanese food and fed it to us in copious amounts, and she consoled our family as we helplessly waited day after day at the hospital, my father-in-law dealing with a devastating illness that nearly claimed his life.

I relished the time we spent chatting on the sofa for so many reasons, but I found it especially interesting to discuss our different worldviews and the cultural nuances that shaped us both as young, independent, determined woman. For instance, when I hear a rumble of thunder, I think of the spectacular storms that I grew up with in Texas. Diana wonders where the bombs are falling.

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gratitude and Judith Jones – thanksgiving in january

I was recently reading an article in Saveur’s December issue. The article is entitled, “Personal Space: an editor’s kitchen reflects a lifetime.” The writing is about Judith Jones (an accomplished cookbook editor who published Julia Child’s first cookbook), her kitchen and recent publications, and about how one’s kitchen can be a telling reflection of the style and personality of the cook who spends time there. This was a thoughtful article, but what struck me the most were the pictures of Judith in her little kitchen and apartment, as well as the mention of her latest cookbook, The Pleasures of Cooking for One.

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