Thursday, June 3, 2010

Countdown #4






#4 Incredibly Edible
Its been way to long since I've written in this blog, and for the select few who have been waiting eagerly for an update, its finally here! Since I last blogged, I picked up a magazine that caught my attention as I walked by it. The first issue of "Chicken" magazine was interesting...and I got this magazine because I've heard so much about the joy and fun in raising chickens- which is doable even in a suburban setting. Now some people might raise chicken for meat(which is great and also the most eaten meat in the US) but for me, its ALL about the egg.


Lets be honest...there are not many dishes that the addition of an egg doesnt make better. Quite possibly the best part of a cobb salad is the egg on top(i'm not quite sure why its not included on more salads). Eggs on a sandwich or burger, for some reason, make it so much more decadent. If you've ever seen the movie Spanglish, you may remember the sandwich Adam Sandler cut in half, with the egg yolk drizzling out...any foodie had to be salivating at that image. Its also quite customary to crack an egg into ramen noodles, or the bubbling crock of korean soondubu jjugae(tofu stew). The emulsifying properties of eggs enable them to bind together concoctions like mayonnaise, which any lover of sandwiches can tell you, is what gives a nice fat sandwich some satisfying and needed moistness. Obviously the best part of eggs benedict are eggs. "Ah but the dreamy hollandaise sauce!", you say---alas, also an emulsion of butter and egg yolks. Even all by themselves-hard boiled, scrambled, over-easy, poached, preserved, salted-eggs lack nothing. Once a few friends and I, scrambled 30 eggs to try and appease our college sized cravings.











And all this is on top of the role that eggs play in desserts and baked dishes. Without eggs, you would have no light and fluffy lemon meringue pies and souffles..no decadent flans, creme brulees or trifles...no cakes even! The role that eggs play on a chemical level in these recipes are crucial for development of structure and flavor. Eggs lay the groundwork and lattice(literally) for all these different desserts.









Nutritionally, eggs are complete in their offerings of fat and protein. They contain vitamins A, B6, B12, D and E as well as riboflavin, folic acid, choline, iron, calcium, phosphorus and potassium. Although they are high in cholesterol, there is still much speculation on the hazards of eggs outweighing the benefits.


So, I love eggs. Life would be a pale shade of what it once was if eggs were to somehow vanish from our lives. To the person who first saw an egg drop seemingly from the butt of a bird and said "hmm i wonder what that tastes like?", i have to say...what the heck were you thinking??? but then, i have to say, THANK YOU for being so stupidly brave.