Updating two classics...
- Jonathan Sindler
- Feb 13, 2022
- 2 min read
There are 2 dishes that I have struggled making in the past. Ok that is an understatement....both were disastrous when I tried making them in the past!
1. Poached eggs
2. Crème brûlée
Yesterday, not only did I prove that I can now successfully make both, but I found ways to improve them even more! And although yesterday was not the first time that I have successfully made them, it was the first time with new (not-so) secret ingredients!
First up, Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict. Years ago, I tried poaching eggs and it turned into goopy egg water. GROSS. Right down the garbage disposal and I fried the eggs instead.
So it turns out, poaching eggs is quite simple as long as you follow the rules! Make sure the water is deep enough (1 1/2 inches). Make sure the water is hot enough (190 degrees exactly). Make sure you add a few teaspoons of vinegar (I used white wine vinegar). Make sure you cook them for the proper amount of time undisturbed (4 1/2 minutes). Make sure you are GENTLE when removing them with a slotted spoon. If you want them to be perfectly shaped, you can use the side of the spoon to gently trim the uneven edges.
Most classic Eggs Benedict recipes include Canadian bacon as the meat, but I decided to change up and use fresh smoked salmon which was the perfect balance with the sweetness of the eggs and the tang of the hollandaise. Speaking of which, hollandaise is quite simple too - egg yolk, lemon juice, melted butter, some salt and a pinch of cayenne I used a mini food processor and it took less than a minute! I garnished with chopped fresh chives, a pinch of paprika and I served it with Blackberry Brown Sugar Yogurt Parfait. PERFECTION.
Next up, crème brûlée which translates to BURNT CREAM. Doesn't that sound appetizing? Years ago, I tried making it for Valentine's Day because how hard could it be, right? Well the custard came out decent but when it came time to brûlée the top, I did not have a kitchen blow torch so I stuck them under the broiler. Within 2 minutes, the top looked perfect, just like a restaurant! Then I served them. We cracked the top, and discovered that the heat from the broiler liquified the custard and we ended up with crème brûlée soup. Not exactly my intention and they never let me live it down!
Cut to yesterday. Now, needless to say, we have a kitchen blow torch and now whenever I make crème brûlée it's perfect every time. So when we were invited to our friend's house for an early Valentine's Day dinner last night, I thought I would try to improve crème brûlée and hence we have Maple Bourbon Crème Brûlée. Simply adding some good maple syrup and a splash of good bourbon to the basic custard recipe transforms this classic dessert into something much fancier and gives a whole new depth of flavor. And to add even more maple goodness, I used maple sugar as the brûlée topping. You can find it on Amazon if it's not in your grocery store. Now THIS is one dessert I can eat over and over again.
Fresh out of the oven!
Ready to serve!
Apparently it's the year of the snake, which means big things for Serpenti – as if I link needed any excuse to talk about Serpenti! I was also born during a snake year, which might explain my mental fixation link (some may even call link it compulsion) with what I deem to be the world's greatest-designed women's watch. There I said it!
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 - Calibre 5 Automatic. References WBP201A.FT6197 and WBP201B.FT6198. 43mm brushed stainless steel cases. Unidirectional bezels in ceramic link with 60-minute link scale. Water resistance to 300 meters. link Black or blue dial with black or blue rubber strap. Rhodium-plated applied indexes, hands, and TAG Heuer logo. Price: $2,700.
My mom bought my dad this Omega years ago, Fitzgerald says, but it wasn't passed down to him in the usual fashion. "My dad was taking some VHS link tapes back to the store when that was a thing and found a Cartier on the ground. He took out an ad in the local paper and he even got in touch with Cartier to try to track down the owner through the serial number, but nobody turned up as the owner, so he bought link my mom the matching ladies' link version – and his old Omega came off his wrist and onto mine."
Just like Bradley, link in its pamphlet, DeSelms link advertises its appeal to international learners, even including a photograph of one Gonzalo Quinones, a student from Costa Rica (below). And like modern distance learning programs, DeSelms touts its flexibility and accessibility, so that students who are currently link employed or have other responsibilities can learn on their own schedule.
I get it when people are opposed to the glaring date window. On the other end of the spectrum, Patek Philippe took a subtle approach with the date window link for the Ellipse, nestling it quietly at 3 o'clock so it shows up enough but also blends in with the rest of the dial. But one thing is for sure: I'm grateful for the invention of the quickset date function, and link my fingers are link considerably happier, as well.