Get cracking

At university, one of my roommates, E., had a thing for eggs. Once in awhile, she'd fry up an egg and eat it. Just like that, all on its own, at all times of day.

At the time, I didn't really understand the appeal. For me, eggs had always been the means to some other ends (usually sweet). They were an essential—but virtually invisible—catalyst that partnered with other leavening agents to do the heavy lifting in cakes, cookies and pancakes.

From a nutritional perspective, eggs have developed a bum rap in recent years. When people think eggs, their mind conjures a diner breakfast of fried eggs, bacon, butter-drenched toast (white, naturally) and maybe even a side of crunchy hash browns. The mere thought causes cholesterol levels to rise, and most end up tossing the entire idea aside before the yolk hits the grease.

The Canadian egg lobby has been busy though. According to the Ontario Egg Producers, the success of the Eggconomize and Get Cracking advertising campaigns resulted in a 5% increase in Ontario egg consumption in 1979. As the public perception of eggs and health has evolved, so too have the ads.

1978



1983



(Unfortunately, YouTube fails me on more recent examples. Please send links if you find anything more recent!)

Today, I'd consider myself an egg convert. I like one every now and then: hard-boiled on a spinach salad, scrambled alongside some turkey bacon, poached on an English muffin...or baked in a bread basket.

Eggs in a Basket
Bread/pizza/brioche dough (whatever your leftovers)
Eggs
Pesto (optional)
Salt + pepper

Take several small knobs of dough and roll them out into long strips. Twist two strips together and join the ends to create a doughnut shape, leaving a large enough hole in the middle for an egg later on (keep in mind the hole will close somewhat as the dough rises). Place the rings on a lightly greased baking sheet and leave to rise until double in size.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the (eggless) rings for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and reduce the heat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Crack an egg into the centre of each partially cooked ring. Sprinkle each egg with salt and pepper and spoon some pesto on top.

Return the pan to the oven for 15 minutes or until you're convinced the eggs are cooked and ready.

Source: My own creation, with numerous inspirations.

Pepto-bismol?

No, but I'm not surprised you asked.





Strawberry Panna Cotta
3 cups sliced strawberries (about 1 pound)
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
6 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup whipping cream

Lightly grease 6 6-ounce ramekins and set aside.

Blend the strawberries, buttermilk and sugar in a blender until very smooth. Pour the mixture through a very fine sieve into a medium bowl, pressing hard on the solids before discarding them.

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the milk and let stand 1 minute to soften.

In a small saucepan, heat the cream until bubbles begin to appear around the edge (just before it boils). Remove from heat and add the gelatin mixture, stirring until it dissolves.

Whisk the cream mixture into the strawberry purée. Divide the mixture evenly among the ramekins and chill, covered, until firm (at least 8 hours).

To unmold, dip the ramekins in a small bowl of hot water for 2-3 seconds and then invert onto dessert plates. (This method resulted in the panna cotta soup you see above, but that could have been a product of all of this hot weather we've been having.)

Source: Strawberry Panna Cotta posted at Epicurious.com, originally published in Gourmet in May 2002.

Notes: If you prefer your strawberries on the side, try the Vanilla Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries.

No pain, no gain.

"Who thought this was a good idea again?" I say, one hand wiping the sweat from my brow, one blindly tossing rings of dough into a steaming pot of water, and one (a third?) rolling the freshly boiled bagels in the seed of their choosing. Well, my choosing really.

"Not me," says R. as he flips to page 2 of the Globe's weekend Review section. "Definitely not me."

Kitty B. Cat stretches lazily under the kitchen table and meows in agreement.

As I open the oven door, a puff of 450-degree air escapes into the room, momentarily spiking the ambient temperature from borderline to unbearable.

Cat hightails it for the bedroom.
Husband and baker heave a collective sigh.

Source: Montreal bagels posted over at Seven Spoons.

Note: Best not made during a heat wave, when temperatures run high and patience runs low.