My ideal breakfast is baked eggs, a nice thick ham steak and wondrously high popovers, this is the food that makes Sunday mornings so special and different from the other 6 days. Sundays are the time to slowdown and reflect on your week and your loved ones in your non formal pajamas for hours. A nice and slow day...
When we were kids my Mother always made baked eggs, that is what she called them. The English like to call them shirred eggs, but the concept is exactly the same. Because it is a dish based in the 60’s we start with a Pyrex custard cup, you know the clear glass cups that hold 7 or 8 ounces, cups that were basic kitchen equipment before we all got so sophisticated.
When my oldest son left for his senior year of college in September, he was leaving the comfort (or more likely uncomfort) of on-campus life and trading it for a 4-bedroom apartment. No
longer able to rely on cafeteria food, he was going to have to cook for
himself. Over the years I had taught him a few basic things about cooking but
never really gave him anything resembling real lessons. I guess I was just
hoping he was going to pick it up by osmosis. Though he has watched me cook
over the years and picked up some basics I wanted to give him a little more
formal culinary send-off. Starting in early August I began to think about what
he liked to eat and what specific skills he would need to cook those dishes. We
spent a few days going over the basics – heat control, knife techniques, etc. I
also knew that there were certain basic tools and ingredients he would need for
his kitchen. Stuffed into his luggage were three knives, a spatula, frying pan
and pot. Finally, I drew up a few basic recipes and cooking techniques that I
emailed to him. The result was a sort of mini- cooking "Cooking 101."