Hope you all had a wonderful New Year's Day. Aside from birthdays, and hangovers, and new years wishes, January 1st marks the day in 1943 that my devastatingly handsome father scored the winning touchdown at the Sugar Bowl for the University of Tennessee! From there he was drafted by the Washington Redskins. I have the signed football from the Sugar Bowl and the Redskins contract. My dad was a fullback...and the deal was $5000.00. He didn't play long however, injuries from the war got the better of him. But we commemorated New Year's day with "Tennessee doughnuts" anyway. My dad would buy the biggest yeast-glazed doughnuts he could find and fry them up in a bit of butter in a frying pan, flattening them with a spatula as he went along. You ate them like pancakes, with a fork and a knife, and let the sugar, and disappointments, melt away. Yesterday, two requests appeared on my blog for the recipe for the "double-boiler"scrambled eggs that my husband makes me for on New Year's morning. He wrote it down last night and named it "Voluptuous Scrambled Eggs." The recipe is below, along with a photo of the dish just before I devoured it. As you can see, a tiny jar of caviar goes a long way. The day unfolded with more delicious things to eat: Jasmine tea and Christmas cookies at the home of close friends who wanted us to see their sparkling Christmas tree before it was disassembled, and then a late afternoon party at the home of "wedding planner to the stars," Marcy Blum, whose generosity can seriously damage any New Year's resolutions for moderation. Quarter-pounder crab cakes, prime rib, and champagne for 80!
Today, my best friend (since we were 13) and her daughter (now a rabbi) are coming to town (from Philadelphia and Durham, NC respectively.) We are celebrating the end of the holiday with one last feast at Norma's -- the restaurant in the Parker-Meridien Hotel famous for its sumptuous breakfasts.
For tonight we'll nibble on lettuce. May this year be a healthy one for all.
VOLUPTUOUS SCRAMBLED EGGS
9 extra-large eggs 1 Tbsp water 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, one of which is cut into small pieces 1 heaping Tbsp goat cheese, cut into small pieces
Put several inches of water into a smallish pot. Fit a non-stick frying pan to cover the pot. Or use a proper double-boiler. Get the water simmering. Beat the eggs and the water together vigorously.
Put one Tbsp butter into the pan and let it melt completely. Swirl to make sure entire pan is coated. Add the eggs. Keep the water at a slow simmer and have patience. Eventually the eggs will begin to set. Stir them slowly and gently with a rubber spatula. As the eggs begin to firm up, add all the pieces of goat cheese and a few small pieces of butter. Continue stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan. Add more butter as the eggs get firmer. Here’s where you need the most patience: The eggs should firm up as slowly as possible, so you may need to turn the flame down – or even remove the pan from the heat of the water for a moment. When the eggs are just about set – they will be soft and there will be a bit of liquid eggs in the pan -- add a pinch of salt and stir until the eggs set to your taste. To my taste, they should be very soft with a small amount of runny eggs. Spoon them onto a warm plate. Serves 2 or 3