Here comes the jet lag and holding its hand that is the flavor of the week: lethargy — that which follows a long flight and a vacation to Cairo. I’ll have to admit that I haven’t yet turned lethargic for it was only last night that I fired up the rotisserie grill and made two spring chickens stuffed with lemon slices, fresh thyme and crushed black pepper.
I had to let my kitchen know that I was back and a distant hello wasn’t going to cut it; although three weeks away from the kitchen will let you forget a few things like the need to wash your hands before rubbing your eyes after you’ve chopped chilli peppers. In fact, that was the deciding moment when I knew to take it easy and stick to simpler things until I’ve slept enough to get my mind back on track.
The jet-lag at that point had really kicked in, and I woke up almost screaming at the fact that I had slept through the morning and was edging closer and closer to stereotypes of the childless unemployed. No, I could never give in to this. I shall make breakfast, or should we say brunch, at 1:30 p.m. and return to the extra steps I’ve learned to take that many people find pointless. Why can’t we just crack the eggs and fry them up while the bread toasts in the toaster? Because that would be giving into lethargy and would make it feel more like a chore than an enjoyment.
Upon starting to cook, I, like many others before me, combated the intricate details in recipes. Intentionally avoiding the seemingly simple instructions, I’d leave out the extra tablespoon of butter to be added at the end because really, it wouldn’t add anything, in my opinion at the time, except some grease. I was wrong.
I was wrong again about sauces. Straining a sauce really does make a difference and straining it a second time will only deepen the flavor and give it that velvety element we usually find at fine dining establishments. Would people really be able to tell if I blanched all my vegetables in the same pot? Did I really have to change the water? The idea that I thought, “If I skipped a step, I’d end up with the same result,” now baffles me today.
When the time came, I sincerely threw myself into the world of technique and only then did I start connecting the dots. Simplicity was not at all simple. Details, just as in my previous advertising career, counted. Finding the hardliner in me, I became more critical of my end product and demanded more of myself. Patience made things happen in the kitchen and patience made everything taste more like itself than ever before.
The most important thing I learned is that there is no need to fuss for the sake of change, an idea that customarily poses as creativity. Adding more ingredients will not necessarily make your dish any better just like extra shopping won’t make your problems disappear. Even if all you have are two ingredients, they will demand your attention to detail, partial discipline, patience, tidiness and organization. Use all of these skills as investments that will pay you back upon serving your dish.
In the spirit of simplicity and patience, maybe it’s time we summon some of the revolutionary food spirit thrown our way in V for Vendetta, the movie starring Natalie Portman. This breakfast idea is known as egg in a hole, egg in a basket, egg in a nest, toad in a hole and even one-eyed jack but I will refer back to the sun and will eternally call it Sunshine Toast. With the simplest of ingredients, all you need for this one is some patience and approach the kitchen with all of its ups and downs – even when it reaches your bathroom scale.
Sunshine Toast
You will need:
2 tablespoons of butter
1 slice of bread
1 egg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Use something small and with a round edge (like a glass or a cookie-cutter) to cut a hole out of the center of your bread. Don’t discard the cutout. Begin melting your butter in a pan over low heat. The perfect eggs really depend on the temperature you use and not the time it takes to make it. Toast your bread and cutout on one side in the pan until golden. Don’t turn your heat up. You’ll risk burning your bread and butter. Turn your bread to the other side as well as your round cutout. Melt a tiny bit of butter in the bread hole, crack the egg directly into the hole and cook until the egg is set to your preference. Season with salt and pepper and serve with the toasted cutout.
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