Jewish Eggcellence

Some eggy inspiration for your inbox

Full disclosure, this newsletter has nothing to do with Judaism but everything to do with eggs. I just liked my working title so much that I decided to keep it :).

Let’s talk EGGS! A classic stalwart of the breakfast line-up. I get dizzy imagining all the things you can do with them (to them?) But, eggs are also ridiculously expensive right now. So expensive that the Wall Street Journal suggests people should literally skip breakfast altogether. That is simply awful advice and not eggxactly (see what I did there) how we combat the corporate greed creating these horrific issues in the first place. But, I digress…

Instead of leaving eggs off of your morning menu I think we can all choose to spend a little more time cherishing, celebrating even the Incredible, edible EGG. Really make those eggs count.

Sidebar: I casually joke in my video that this tag line probably came from the Egg Lobbyist or “Big Egg” as I like to call them. Then I googled it and this catchphrase was actually coined for the American Egg Board by a marketing company in 1976 to promote the consumption of eggs. YIKES! I went on a deep dive watching these commercials so you don’t have to. Wherever you think there is free choice, there is inevitably BIG Government all up in your eggs. Womp, womp.

Anyway, back to the newsletter at hand and a few eggy ideas for your weekending pleasure.

Pineapple and Egg Breakfast Tacos with Avocado & Chipotle Mayo

We do breakfast tacos over here at least once a week. In this case, the addition of quickly seared pineapple (sweetness) mingling with the world’s most (?) misunderstood condiment; big dollop of mayo + 1 chipotle pepper in adobo mushed up + squeeze of lime juice (smokiness) = a banger of a breakfast upgrade. Throw in some creamy scrambled eggs, a little cabbage and cilantro, and some avocado if you should be so lucky. This breakfast was so inspiring that it was the catalyst for this newsletter topic. I was like, “I shouldn’t be the only person eating this today!”

Crispy Fried Mortadella (insert deli meat of choice), Kale (insert greens on hand) Salad with an Egg and Whole Lemon

Crisping up mortadella is delightful. It takes mere seconds to achieve the effect and it adds texture and crunch. You could do salami the same way or prosciutto even. Heat a pan, toss in a few pieces of deli and wait for it to get crispy on both sides. This pan will now have a great slick of fat in which to fry your egg, you are very welcome. Whole lemon slices are a chef’s kiss for their surprising pops of acidity, and obviously the egg with runny yolk will always be your cherry on top. The salad part is up to you, arugula, romaine, red leaf lettuce, whatever you got you got. Same goes for the veggies. Dress it up in your best olive oil and more lemon, salt and pepper, scatter the crispy mortadella and let your egg runneth over.

Leftover Congee and a Soft Boiled Egg

I will always be team rice porridge. In whatever form it may take. In this case I had some leftover “purple rice” as we lovingly call it in our house - 2 parts white rice to 1 part black rice. The most magical thing about rice leftovers is how you can transform them. Enter Congee.

The magic of congee is that it takes just 1 or 2 cups of leftover cooked rice and with a little water and broth grows to 5 or 6 cups worth of congee. I could write it as more of a recipe one day but that really is the gist.

You take your leftover rice, toss it in a pot, add a bunch of water or broth (I like better than bullion), and whisk on low until the starchiness has leached and the grains have started to break here and there creating a rich consistency, then season to taste. This usually takes me about 15 minutes. In that same amount of time I make my 6 minute eggs (bring water to a gentle boil, lower in eggs using a spider or slotted spoon, cook for 6 minutes, remove to ice bath, peel gently). Some lightly pickled vegetables are a great contrast as well as your chili oil/crisp of choice. If you didn’t think you were a porridge in the morning kind of person, this iteration just may convert you.

That’s the run down for this week! Expect more egg ideas next week and maybe even a few guest chefs will show up to share their favorite ways to eat them, too ;).