Lesson 7 - How to Scramble Eggs

You are still working through breakfast and brunch possibilities with the one sack full of basic groceries I suggested you purchase on your first excursion to the store.

Scrambled eggs are based on the same simple cooking principles as French toast, crepes and omelettes: beaten egg and hot fat to cook it in.

Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients

2-3 eggs (large or extra large size)
2 tablespoons butter or oil or non-stick cooking spray
(Again, if you are using a natural finish skillet, you will have to use a fat to prevent sticking.)
Salt & Pepper (optional)

Equipment

Medium to large skillet
Medium mixing bowl
Wire whisk
Large spoon or pancake turner

Method

Step 1: Beat eggs in bowl with whisk until foamy and well blended.

Step 2: Sizzle fat in skillet over medium heat.

Step 3: Pour beaten eggs into hot skillet, then turn heat down to low.

Step 4: As eggs start to set (as they did when making an omelette), begin gently pushing them around in the pan, making them buckle and pile together. Continue to do this until the eggs are very set and opaque, but have some bit of shine on top. The objective to tender eggs is to cook them slowly and remove them from the skillet when they are slightly underdone (approximately 2 minutes). This will keep them from getting rubbery and turning an unappetizing green color caused by cooking too fast at too high a heat level. For the record, there is nothing wrong or dangerous about green eggs, though only a few would care to eat them.




Step 5: Carefully remove to a plate with the pancake turner or spoon. Wait another minute or two for the top of eggs to cook from their stored heat. If the eggs are still too wet for your taste, you can top the plate with a skillet cover to cook the surface with the trapped steam.


Done!

Lesson 6 - How to Make An Omelette

Another VERY easy meal which is good for breakfast, lunch or dinner, with a variety of fillings both sweet or savory. Here, I show you how to make one with American cheese:

Ingredients
2 Eggs (3-egg omelettes are possible and sometimes desirable, but a smaller omelette is easier for a beginner to maneuver without messing it up.)
1 tablespoon butter or oil, especially if you are not using a non-stick Teflon skillet
2-3 slices American cheese or other filling (optional)

Equipment

Approximately 10 inch skillet with skillet lid
Pancake turner
Medium mixing bowl
Wire whisk

Method
Crack the eggs into bowl, then beat with whisk until foamy and well blended. Heat butter or oil in skillet over a low-medium burner until butter sizzles or oil becomes somewhat thinner. Working quickly, pour all the beaten eggs into the skillet, tilting the skillet to spread the eggs. This will cover the entire bottom of the skillet with a thin coating of the eggs.

Step 1: Egg poured into skillet, starting to set.

Step 2: Making small cuts into egg surface.

Step 3: Adding a filling.

Using the side edge of a pancake turner, make small careful cuts into the coating of egg to allow some of the raw egg to get direct contact with the skillet. There will still be some raw egg on top, but you will have helped it along. (You are approximately 3 minutes into the execution.) Turn heat to low. At this point, you can either add a small amount of filling to cover half the egg surface or you can immediately cover the skillet with the lid. In either case, you need to use the lid. Wait approximately another 3 minutes, checking to see that the egg is setting. It will start to get a slightly stretched sheen rather than a foamy, raised look. When this happens, slide the pancake turner halfway underneath the omelette, folding the lifted half onto the half still flat in the skillet. Slide the pancake turner under the omelette to remove to plate.

Done!

Lesson 5 - How to Fry an Egg

Egg Sunny-Side Up, above

Frying an egg is probably the all-time easiest cooking there is.

Ingredients

Eggs
1 tablespoon butter or oil OR no-stick cooking spray
(If you are using a regular skillet without a non-stick Teflon finish, you MUST use fat of some kind or the egg will stick very badly and be ruined.)

Equipment
Skillet and skillet lid
Pancake turner

Method

Eggs Sunny- Side Up
(eggs that are not turned over and keep their high, rounded golden dome of yolk)

Step 1: Heat the fat in the skillet over low heat for approximately 40 seconds. Crack an egg and carefully empty its contents into center of skillet. If you are having more than one egg, start emptying the shells at the far side of the skillet, waiting briefly for the egg white to start to set (harden and hold its shape).

Step 2: Continue to cook on low heat for approximately 2 minutes. You will notice the egg white setting and thickening directly around and under the yolk although it will still be raw and transparent. Cover the skillet, allowing the trapped steam to cook the egg white, two minutes more for a runny yolk, and two minutes beyond that for a harder yolk. You should peek at the egg several times to make sure it cooks to your preferred hardness. It may take a little practice to time it just right.

Step 3: Slide pancake turner under egg to remove to plate. Serve immediately.

Eggs Over Easy
(eggs that are turned over only long enough to set the yolk on all surfaces while keeping the yolk runny)

Follow Step 1 above.

Step 2: Slide pancake turner under egg and flip the uncooked side onto hot skillet surface. Allow to cook for approximately 30 seconds.

Follow Step 3 above.

Done!

Lesson 4 - Crepes

Crepes are the very easiest of pancakes, using minimal ingredients and no leavening agents like baking powder or baking soda which cause batter to expand and rise before and during cooking. Crepes are typically thin and delicate, easy to roll or stack with all sorts of fillings, sweet or savory, like fruit, jam, cheese, and seafood. The list is endless. The ones pictured were filled with sliced strawberries and dusted with powdered sugar, also known as confectioner’s sugar, which is ground very finely and used primarily in baking and candy making.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted in small pot or in microwave (about 45 seconds either method)
cooking oil or no-stick spray

Equipment

Measuring cups and spoons
Large mixing bowl
Wire whisk
OR use a blender instead of the bowl and whisk
Large skillet
Pancake turner

Method

In a large bowl add the level measured cup of flour, pressing a depression into the pile of flour with your fist. Pour milk into this depression then whisk until milk and flour produce a smooth batter without lumps, 4-5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Add sugar, vanilla extract and melted butter. OR you can add all the ingredients in a blender and whip on moderately high speed setting until batter is smooth, less than 1 minute.


Allow batter to rest for 1 hour in refrigerator.

Lightly coat a cold large skillet with either cooking oil or no-stick spray. Turn burner on to medium heat, waiting around 1 minute for it to heat. ALWAYS watch that when you cook with oil that you do NOT allow it to reach a smoking point, a stage where it becomes highly spontaneously combustible. If it does start to smoke, immediately pour in the batter to lower the skillet temperature, then turn off the burner and wait until the heat stabilizes.

Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop enough batter to fill to top of cup, then pour batter into center of heated skillet, quickly using bottom and sides of cup to gently push out and shape the batter with concentric circles making the crepe as thin as you can without breaking it. You can also tilt the pan back and forth, and side to side to spread the batter, but this can be tricky for a beginner and produce uneven results. Batter has a tendency to thicken as it stands. If you can't easily spread your batter thinly enough in the skillet, add 1/4 cup increments of water to the batter, mix well and try again.



Cook for approximately 1 minute, then carefully lift and turn crepe over with pancake turner. Crepe will be delicate and prone to tearing, so take your time. You will notice that the crepe will be very lightly, if at all, a spotty brown color. It will also be very flat, unlike traditional pancakes. This is normal.

Cook the other side for another minute, then carefully lift from skillet to a large plate. Proceed with batter, separating each crepe with wax paper or foil to prevent them sticking together. You could also fill each one as you go along, folding and rolling the crepes around the filling. If you choose to stack them, spread each crepe with filling between each crepe before you add the next one.

Done!

Stovetop Grills

A recent question and answer about those indoor over-the-burner grills:

Hello,

I am considering buying a stovetop grill. I see they come in a range of prices & styles. Really don't need to spend a ton of money. What is your opinion of them and can you recommend any? The grill I would prefer should cover two burners on my gas stove. When I see them being used on the food network they make it look easy but I also see flames shooting out from underneath occasionally. That's scary.

R


Dear R,

Flames shooting out from underneath a grill, particularly an indoor grill, are scary, and you are right to be cautious. There are a few things you can do to minimize the flares. Before you go shopping, carefully measure the width of the 2 burners across your stovetop (all stoves are not the same) where you are planning to use the grill, and look for a grill that is the same size or slightly bigger than the burner dimensions. A grill that isn't quite big enough to cover the burners isn't going to be big enough to cover the flames, especially if you plan on really turning up the heat. (The grill also needs to be balanced and stable on the stovetop.) Keep in mind that for theatrical effect, the Food Network cooks may be working with burners turned on to the maximum. You do not have to use a very high flame to get good results. Another tip is to cut off at least some of the extra fat from the meat before cooking so there will be less to melt and collect in the pan. Some grills have very low sides that may not contain the grease very well.

I would also discourage a high flame if you are planning to purchase a non-stick pan. Non-stick surfaces are great for clean up, but cannot withstand very high temperatures. The jury is still out on whether there are any serious health issues associated with non-stick surfaces. Over time, a non-stick surface, even under the best handling, will wear off and chip. You definitely do not want this in your food. Given you will have to replace it in time, it might not be the best deal in terms of budget.

Although it is very heavy, cast iron is an excellent grilling surface and can take a great deal of heat abuse. If you use a no-stick cooking spray before grilling, you will minimize clean up, but you still won't have the total ease of a naturally non-stick surface. You can also "season" cast iron with a coating of oil to improve its non-stick abilities. Large cast iron grills start at around $50. If you want a better price, non-stick ones can be found for as little as under $20.

Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Linens N Things are some of the U.S. retailers that carry a wide range of cookware to suit your taste and budget.

Oh, you're going to want a pancake recipe to go with that, aren't you? I'm mixing a batch now. Coming up!

Best Wishes,
Susan at Cooking for Cowards

Playing with Fire - Kitchen Safety Tips

A few sound principles to keep you and your kitchen safe from fire danger:

• Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT allow oil or any other fat to heat to the smoking level. I don’t care what a recipe says. Smoking fat is seconds away from spontaneously bursting into flames (known as the flashpoint), and unless you immediately lower the temperature by introducing food into the pan, you are at risk.
• Invest in a small, kitchen-sized fire extinguisher. Learn how to use it and learn how to know the difference between a simple fire you can put out on your own versus one beyond your control.
• Wear short or tightly fitted sleeves when using your stove or oven. Material can catch fire. A robe is one of the worst offenders.
• Young children and pets are distracting and can literally trip you up. Give your kitchen a wide berth from them as much as possible.
• Turn the handles of your pots and pans to the side crossing the stovetop at an angle rather than letting them point out at you. An idle handle can catch on you if you pass it too closely, hurling your dinner to the floor and on your feet while exposing you to a sudden burst of flame.
• Watch the wine. Many of us like to relax with a glass or two of something potent and tasty while we are cooking, but if you want to stew yourself, wait until you are done with your prep and execution. A drunken cook is a reckless cook. You must have your wits about you. This is good Standard Operating Procedure whether around heat or knives.
• Call your utility company immediately if you smell an overwhelming presence of natural gas. You or a neighbor may have a gas leak that must be investigated. It is best to leave the house if the odor is not obviously coming from a burner that failed to ignite because the pilot light went out. If the pilot light is out, turn off the burner, wait for the gas to clear the room, then carefully relight the pilot.
• Keep potholders and dishcloths away from heat sources.
• Clean up spills as they occur, particularly greasy ones.
• Print off a copy of this brochure, read it through, then have it around as a handy resources – just NOT near the stove.
• Make sure your home smoke detector is functioning properly.

Prometheus paid a stiff price for bringing us fire. Please don't disrespect the gift of heat to suffer your own.

More Tips on Measuring Ingredients

Eureka! While it's likely too soon for you to get excited over such things, I've found excellent auxillary conversions for nagging little questions like how much weight of potatoes equals how many cups. This invaluable reference tool will surely find a place tacked up in my kitchen. I hope someday it will find room in yours.