Bacon and Egg

In honor of National Sandwich Day, here's my homage to the simple but important Bacon and Egg Sandwich. I am very particular when it comes to my sandwiches and you'd be surprised how many people miss a beat making something as simple as an egg sandwich. There are only three ingredients; bacon, eggs and bread; but the success is all in the quality of the ingredients and cooking technique, combined.

I do have a family member who prefers the most inexpensive white bread, but I prefer a good quality sour dough, baguette or brioche with some flavor and texture for my sandwich. The eggs; I am lucky, I have friends with chickens, so farm fresh Araucana eggs are my preference - as long as the girls keep laying eggs. Bacon; this is where I can go either reduced-fat turkey bacon or a good quality applewood smoked bacon; like from D'artagnan or medium-thickness slab bacon, from my local speciality market.

During my put out a few hundred breakfast banquet chef'n days, the bacon would be lined on sheet pans and cooked in a 350 degree F oven until light brown. Allow for carry-over temperature; remove the bacon before the rasher of bacon cooks to a well done or burnt stage. Isn't it funny how bacon cooks from done to burnt quickly?Today, a microwave is a great appliance for cooking bacon. Probably one of the best uses I have found for using a microwave. 

Here's the part where most people get derailed; the egg pan (I use a non-stick pan only for eggs) needs to be preheated to a medium heat, then add a combination of unsalted butter and olive oil to lightly grease the pan. Caution: pan - don't let the pan get too hot that the white of the egg burns. Flip the eggs using your best saute chef move (ha), break the yolks with a spaltula, top with warm bacon and fresh grated black pepper. Cook eggs until desired doneness. To guild the lily, warm the brioche or bread slices in the pan before topping with cooked eggs and bacon. 

There you have it, the makings of the perfect Bacon and Egg Sandwich with slightly runny eggs. Required, two napkins.

Sunny Side

This post is an ode to song writer Bobby Hebb, who passed last week. His message in that very popular 1966 song "Sunny" has made its memory bookmark in millions of peoples lives. How could you not sing along with such an upbeat song? The song "Bread" was on the flip-side. In fact the song was covered more than 802 times by the likes of Marvin Gay, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Cher and many others.

I find keeping it on the sunny side begins first thing in the morning, so to keep Bobby's message alive here's my recipe for Eggs Benedict. Go ahead, serve them sunny side up in stead of poached you may find yourself whistling "Sunny".

Eggs Benedict

Egg Up!

National Egg Day is June 3rd; though there is conflicting information as to when it originated and by whom. The egg has been an object of celebration for millenniums in every culture and with so much symbolism surrounding it. But, you don't have to jump on the bandwagon because of National Egg Day; how about just because they are so versatile. Whether you enjoy eggs in quiche, eggs with ham & sunny side up, poached into eggs benedict, or hard boiled and deviled - give eggs a break! That's no yoke!

These poached eggs I enjoyed at the Park Hotel Kenmare. Thank you Chef Mark Johnston.

Tips for cooking successful poached eggs:

Use the freshest eggs for poaching.

Add a few drops of white vinegar to the water before poaching.

Spin gently simmering water with a spoon- like a whirlpool, gently add cracked eggs one at a time. Note, water temperature will lower to proper poaching temperature once eggs are added.

Use a slotted spoon to gather poached eggs in water.

image: Hirsch Media

Gone Bananas

After a few days of holiday entertaining, guests and any over indulgences - get through the midweek hurdle with my Banana Smoothy Recipe. 

Banana Smoothie 
recipe by George Hirsch | From George Hirsch Living it UP! TV series companion cookbook

Makes 2 servings, so share

1 cup frozen sliced bananas
1 Tablespoon low fat peanut butter
1/2 cup fat free milk
1/3 cup plain low fat yogurt
1/2 cup crushed ice

Place the bananas in a blender and puree. And the peanut butter, fat free milk, yogurt, and ice. Blend until smooth. 

enjoy!

image, firOOO2

Authentically Greek

Opa! Great way to start your morning. Great quality ingredient. Chobani Greek Yogurt, it's the real deal. And the list of benefits are as long as the ingredients not added. 

All natural. No preservatives. No artificial flavors, synthetic growth hormones: No rBST-treated milk, includes 5 live & active cultures, including 3 probiotics. Made with real fruit. Twice the protein of regular yogurts. A good source of bone-building calcium. Gluten-Free and Kosher-Certified. Safe for people with corn, nut and soy allergies.

Chobani's story begins with its owner, Hamdi, who was born and raised in Turkey; and is a third-generation maker of Mediterranean foods. He started AgroFarma with the vision of bringing high quality, all-natural products to the U.S.. After reaching quick success with Euphrates; authentic feta cheese, Hamdi launched Chobani and formed an expert team. Chobani's Master Yogurt Maker, Mustafa Dogan, custom blends special yogurt cultures just for Chobani.

"Mustafa's custom blends special yogurt cultures; we add these to the milk that we receive daily from local farms to make yogurt. We then strain this yogurt to make it outrageously creamy and ridiculously high in protein.

Did you know it takes three pounds of milk to make one pound of Chobani?"

Next the yogurt is strained to remove excess liquid. This magical step is what puts the ”Greek” in Chobani Greek Yogurt and makes the yogurt so outrageously creamy and rich.

It's made in the authentic Greek tradition, in New York State and available throughout the U.S.

Available at Whole Foods.