This blog has always been something personal for me. Not personal in such that it was a secret in any way. I mean, it is out here for the whole universe to see, right? But personal in that it has always been very much just (or is it really just a “just”?) a journal of my culinary exploits. And not fancy exploits by any means. My home cooking, what I like to eat, what I like to make for my family, what I like to prepare just for me. And with that, little bits of my (and our) life as well. What we cook and eat and live every day.
For over six years blogging has been my beloved hobby, my baby, my solace, my me-time, “my place”. Yet, when I think about, over these past six years, it has grown to be more than just mine. It’s yours too. You, who leave wonderful comments, words of encouragement and great suggestions. You, who email to say that “you’ve never really cooked before” but you read something here that gave you a push and oh how wonderful it felt (how I love these!!!). You who never comment at all but keep coming back. You must know that to me, you are all the bee’s knees. You are a big part of what inspires me to keep blogging, to keep reaching out. So in a way, YOU are a part of this blog as well.
And for that I’d like to say THANK YOU!!!
And, although I never have before, I’d like to take this moment to ask: What would YOU like to see more of on 80 Breakfasts? I’d love to hear your suggestions, your whims and fancies, simple or fantastical. I would truly be so happy to hear them all! Leave a comment or send me an email at eighty_breakfasts(AT)yahoo(DOT)com. You can also send a message via Twitter @80breakfasts. The year’s end is almost upon us and it will soon be time for another set of resolutions…maybe you can help me with my list.
Meanwhile, let’s enjoy some breakfast shall we? :)
French Toasted Egg-In-A-Hole
- 1 + 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk (full fat or low fat are fine, not skim)
- 2 slices of your favorite bread
- A couple of generous pats of butter
- Whisk 1 egg and the milk until fully incorporated. Place the mixture in a shallow bowl.
- Cut out a circle in the middle of a slice of bread with a 2.5 inch cookie cutter. Repeat with the other slice of bread.
- Place the bread (slices and the small circle cut-outs) in the milk egg mixture. Soak one side and then the other, for about half a minute on each side (not too long or it will get soggy!).
- While your bread is soaking, melt a pat of butter in a non-stick skillet. When the foam has subsided add the bread. Cook until toasted and bronze on one side – flip to cook the other side. Right after flipping the bread over; pour one egg into the hole. Let this cook until the bread is golden brown and the underside of the egg whites are set enough to flip. Flip carefully to cook the top of the egg to your liking – I like the white to be just set and the yolk to still be runny. This happens in a matter of seconds so be confident and quick – flip, pause, and remove from pan. Repeat with the other slice. Cook the bread circles as you would regular French toast.
- Serve immediately!
I like to use a hearty brown bread for this. Try to get an unsliced loaf so you can control the thickness of your slice. This is quite an important part of the whole procedure I think. Here’s what I do: I crack an egg into a small bowl or cup that is more or less the diameter of my cookie cutter, then I slice the bread as thick as the depth of the egg in the bowl. Pretty clever, huh?
This is already a delicious and nourishing breakfast as is, but if it’s the weekend, and you’re with the people you like best in the world, you may want to serve this with some breakfast sausage and maple syrup. I’ve sprinkled a bit of arugula flowers on top as I had just come from the market and my favorite organic farmer waved a bouquet of wild arugula at me, knowing how much I love it.
Thank you once again for being a part of this blog, and to that extent, a part of my life. Sending you all warm thoughts and virtual hugs this weekend! :)