Yes, I Did It

Last night's Eggs Benedict turned out to be not bad. The eggs were little dry but that's because I fried them instead of poaching. They and the fakin" bacon had a better taste and were crisper. This was a nice contrast to the Hollandaise which was uber creamy. I was surprised that I pulled it off.

Tonight I'm just going to reheat Chinese .(it's been a rough day here) and just sit back.I will be writing about the Times Dining tomorrow. It has a lot of interesting stuff in it that's worth discussing .

Now tonight go and did what I did. Conquer your culinary fears

Making The Impossible

Even though I've made Eggs Benedict before I always see it as a challenge. Why, you ask? it should be easy. It's not .It's poaching eggs, microwaving fake bacon along with whipping up Hollandaise sauce and toasting the English muffins.There's four cooking processes at once acting here and it all has to come together to form one perfect dish.

Funny how individually the four techniques are the easiest in the world.Yet combined - it has to be a strict ballet with every step orchestrated to go with the next.Poach the eggs to long and the yolks will solidify. Leave the muffins in the toaster too long and wind up with a burned mess. Don't whisk the sauce too much and yuck - lump city. That's why I meet this dish with trepidation.

I can't spend too much time on today;s entry. I have a whopper of a dinner to prepare. Making Eggs Benedict may seem simple enough. Yet it's more complicated than roasting or baking.
Wish me luck

Edam Good Cheese

The holidays bring those ubiquitous wine and cheese parties. The question is what makes a good cocktail hour cheese? It could be Brie but that can get too runny and messy at times. Any of the Italian cheeses can have a sharp bite which can almost ruin taste buds. The best bet is the mild Edam, a wonderful cheese that can be sliced or cubed. It is a perfect accompaniment for breads and crackers and is also good on its' own.

Edam cheese originated in Holland and probably started in the 14th Century. It was a good cheese for traveling and made its way to the New World during the era of exploration. I t sis still popular in the US, Canada and the Nordic counties. Edam is also liked because it's one of the lower calorie cheese , being made with skimmed milk. It's lower in calories than its' cousin the Gouda cheese.If you;re looking for it in your local cheese shop, look for wedge with the black wax rind around it as opposed to the usual red. Edam cheese has a mild, slightly nutty and salty flavor. It won't over power the foods that it is served with

How to serve Edam? I usually like mine of pretzel flats. These are a type of cracker that have a baked pretzel exterior. They work perfectly with the Edam's mild taste . I also like the cheese thinly cut on brown bread. It makes a wonderful sandwich at parties .It's also is light and doesn't leave that heavy feeling that some other cheeses leave.

This holiday season , think of serving Edam cheese with your white wines and champagnes. Its' the perfect partner , allowing other tastes to be spotlighted. Its' mild , nutty flavor is subtle and doesn't go harshly with the stronger flavors of the season.

What To Do About Easter Leftovers

Now that the eggs have been hunted and the chocolate bunnies are sans ears, it's time to think about what to do with the leftovers from yesterday's holiday meal. Your fridge's shelves are probably groaning with the leftover ham , lamb and asparagus. The thing is these are great foods that can be transformed into some tasty dishes.



Ham leftovers are the easiest to deal with after a big feast. You can grind it up with a little oil and create fresh deviled ham. This is perfect on sandwiches or even on crackers for a evening snack. You can also chop it up , mix in some celery , onion and mayo and have a nice chunky salad to go with rye bread. Ham is also good with eggs. Fry some up with eggs for a hearty breakfast or lunch. Mince it for Western omelets.Lamb is a bit trickier. Most people just reheat it and eat it the way they did on Easter. However you cam cube it and then add curry along with veggies for a tasty twist on an Indian classic. You can also make it into a casserole using lamb gravy along with white or wild rice. You can also cut it into cubes and microwave it as kabobs.




Like, ham asparagus can have a few reincarnations. If you had served it just boiled, then you can have it cold the second time around with a vinaigrette sauce as a salad. Add some chopped red peppers or grape tomatoes for color. Also you can reheat a second time and freshen it up with some just made Hollandaise sauce. if that's not your thing then just rebroil with some butter and sliced up Easter egg on top Add a sprinkling of newly grated Parmesan cheese.

Don't consider all those leftover Peeps and chocolate your meal for the next few days. If you have leftovers use them. There's plenty to do with all that spare ham , lamb and asparagus to create a second feast.