Baking Resolution

I've decided that 2011 will be a year of baking for me.  It's something I've often mentioned, but the time for talk has passed; now is the time for action.  To start, I'm making good meringue cookies.  I dabbled with whipped egg whites last year, but my arm tired, and they often tasted eggy (which is a bad thing).

The first time I ever made meringue cookies was actually in my high school senior foods class, where we snuck Hershey's kisses in the middle of the cookie.  I hate Hershey's kisses.  Nothing against Milton, but I don't like milk chocolate.

Now, I'm using a recipe from my girlfriend's mom.  Kind of.  I'm just using the sugar to egg ratio and baking technique--which are the two most important parts of meringue--since it's too cold outside to get cocoa powder, and tend to shy away from chocolate cookies with chocolate chips.  I feel that with a normal cookie laden with chocolate chips, each chip is a chocolatey oasis to look forward to; and that anticipation of contrast is lost otherwise.

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More Eggs in Ramekins

Updated on Sunday, October 17, 2010 at 8:04PM by Stash

For whatever masochistic reason, I've had meringue on the mind.  They just sound like a good idea, even though I don't own a mixer.  And if my less evolved ancestors could make meringue in whatever Flinstonian fashion before Turner Williams decided to invent the egg beater over a hundred years ago, so can I.  Mixer aside, I own a steel mixing bowl and whisk--and have a killer forearm from years of competitive ultimate frisbee.

To begin, a meringue consists of egg whites and sugar.  Don't let online recipes fool you--cream of tartar isn't needed and is for cheaters.  And again, not even an egg beater or stand mixer is needed.  Just egg whites, sugar, a whisk, and a tireless arm.

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Ramekins

I love ramekins; not like how I love bacon, but more similarly of how a flower loves the rain.  As bothersome as they can be to clean, I try to use them as often as possible.  They're ultra-manageable, create perfect portions, and give a satisfying sense of ownership.  With a little ingenuity, anyone can take advantage of these underused vessels.

I started using ramekins for entertainment purposes.  They are an excellent way to create personalized packages for a group of people.  Unlike throwing a nacho platter in the middle of starving scavengers, every guest feels special for getting their own dish.  Everyone will be sold on the dish before they taste it--and 87% of the time feel guilty for the extra effort they think I made, but didn't.

This week, I built a brunch menu around ramekins.  Many family style dishes are brunch appropriate, however I wanted to serve duck eggs sunny side up to take advantage of the rich yolk--which is a terrifying feat to do perfectly for a number of guests.  Of course, a family style platter of scrambled eggs would be easier, but that would ruin my guest retention rate.

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Working on my Veg Cred

Friday morning is the worst morning of the week.  Waking up at 3:30 or 4:30 Monday is rough, but at least I'm not hungry.  I'm always painfully starving on Fridays because I never eat dinner on Thursday.  When you go home straight from the airport, and don't get to the front door until 10pm, what are you supposed to do?

Now that I'm hungry and have kitchen access again, I need to figure out what to make.  Something big and awesome.  Whatever it is, pork will make it better, but I should really start working on my veg cred again.  I've become too reliant on certain animals and cuisines.  Haven't had a sweet potato hash in awhile, so I go to the store with that in mind, and will figure out the rest there.

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Cooking for Friends - Leftovers [pt 3]

The following morning I rise from my food coma- hungry.  Didn't I just eat?  Kitchen is still a mess from the night before.  Not much in the fridge other than leftovers.  Nothing but eggs and some spoiled goods.

As long as an egg is involved, the meal can be called breakfast.  I fire up the pans.  First I make a patty out of the mashed potatoes- can this be counted as a potato pancake?  That will take the longest to heat so it goes first.  After the first flip I throw some strips of brisket in.

The leftovers are done contributing- time to focus on the fried egg.  The best way I know how to do this is to tilt the pan so oil gathers in a corner.  I drop my egg in that location.  As it cooks I use a spoon to baste.  Of course, the egg is left runny.

White pepper would have looked better but come on- it's breakfast.