La vie française: L'œuf, Incroyable et Comestible (The Incredible Edible Egg)
Yesterday, I had a steak-hâché-œuf et frites for lunch - essentially, a hamburger steak topped with a sunny-sideup egg with a side of fries. Recently, I have also eaten a crêpe with bacon and a fried egg on top and tasty omelettes for dinner. Then, of course, there is the Croque Madame, a toasted ham sandwich with cheese and - what else? - a fried egg on top.
This recent fest of eggs has got me thinking: why, in the US, is the humble but delightfully tasty egg, destined for 2nd culinary class status as only a breakfast food - a meal that most Americans wouldn't think twice about missing? Or, at best, the egg is an afterthought when tossed in a salad or mercilessly mashed up with mayo and celery in an egg salad. Maybe once in a while it gets centerstage in deviled form.
Many other cuisines of the world utilize the egg freely for lunch and dinner. The Asians eat it with rice (mmmm, Korean bibimbap). My German friend and classmate, who also ordered the steak-hâché-œuf et frites also said it's pretty common in Germany to have things regularly topped off with sunny-sideup eggs. Geez, America, get on the wagon and fry up some eggs for lunch or dinner! Maybe top off a slice of pizza with an egg! They are so very tasty...and kind of pretty too (in sunny-sideup form).
By the way, I don't work for the National Egg Board or anything. Just thinkin' about ways to use eggs more often in everyday cooking.
posted by YDubL @ 11:21 PM
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7 Comments:
When I was younger, I followed the grand tradition of children everywhere and requested that cie cream be served as a main course more often. My mom always replied, "when you grow up and have your own apartment, you can eat whatever you want." Now that time has come and my diet mainly consists of eggs, cheese, mushrooms, pasta, and ice cream. Oh the simple pleasures of America's Dairyland. I think I'd feel right at home in France...
I wonder if you ever had just "ice cream" for dinner like you wanted. I have made popcorn my dinner many a nite. Yum. I also enjoy a fried egg with mayo on white bread occasionally.
But maybe we Americans are just concerned about our cholesterol intake.
god that lunch sounds sooooo goood. much love for the egg!
"The incredible edible egg!"
Hi Yuh Wen!
I love your blog, but I'm usually too lazy to post comments. Now that we're on the subject of food, though, I'm strangely motivated.
So, speaking of eggs, while you're in Bordeaux, you should definitely try the pastry that makes its home there, the canele (or cannele) de Bordeaux (there should be an accent over that last e, but I don't know how to make one). It's my new favorite pastry of eggy wonderfulness. All the fried egg-related food sounds great, too, though!
I ate an omelette at 1 am on Thursday. Because it was still breakfast food and I ate in the morning, am I still being a boring American?
Hmm. I favor foods in which the eggs are hidden, like pound cake (5 eggs) or cream puffs (4 eggs for the pastry, 2 for the custard). Must be because I'm more into baking than cooking... I do think the way eggs make things puff up (popovers, choux pastry) is nothing short of magical. I'm attempting meringues tomorrow!
ah yuh wen, i still dream of the teriyaki chicken fried egg rice you once introduced me to at joy yee's in chicago. i'm glad you've found so many lovely egg dishes in france as well.
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