Of What? Yes.
Do you know what I have had enough of? Small talk. Conversations with my father that take hairpin turns into uncharted and awkward waters. Neverending planning to see people to whom I have nothing to say but "Oh. Huh. Oh really? Still in Ajax. Huh. Oh. Nice. Yep, just down the street. Yeah, I probably will borrow my friends' wagons. Ha ha."
Last night Amy and I had a surprisingly good Thai dinner in Keswick. You might not think that a small town on the shores of Lake Simcoe might be the place to find a good green curry, but I assure you, that's faulty thinking. The food we had last night was as good as, and in the case of that curry, better than, any Thai food I've had in Ottawa.
The brunch I made this morning, for my mom and sister-in-law, for mother's day, during which I conscripted Amy to cook, even though it was her birthday, was very definitely not better than any brunch I've had in Ottawa. I've poached eggs before, but not very often. And cooking tip #42: If the water is not hot enough, the egg whites will disperse into the water. You won't think this is a problem until you do get the water hot enough, and the egg white molecules, thoroughly entwined with the water molecules, will cook and turn the water a cloudy white just before they create a foamy scum on the surface, just before you put the whole pot in the sink, grab a skillet, and start frying.
So yes, you can also add: kitchen disasters in other people's kitchens to that list.
Add a tablespoon of vinegar to the water before you put the eggs in -- it helps keep them all together.
I've heard that if you add a bit of white vinegar to the water, it keeps the whites together, but I've never tried it since I have a couple of poaching cups that makes my eggs look like the ones from McDonald's.
I used apple cider vinegar, because that's what my brother had on hand, so maybe it wasn't acidic enough to do the trick. But the heat was also definitely too low. Next time I stick to white vinegar and high heat, and I'm going to practice more before I do if for a group of people.
I've often flopped with apple cider too. It could be the age of the eggs as well - old eggs will be lazy. eggs straight from the chicken - won't even need the vinegar.
poached eggs are a staple in our family, but grandma always does it best, here is her advice:
A good splash of white vinegar
Rolling boil is a must.
once there, spin the water with a spoon to make a little tornado
pour the eggs into the eye of the storm ( I crack them first in a bowl, or else I get crunchy eggs)
set timer to 4 minutes.
wait for water to return to rolling boil. once it does, turn down just a little bit.
Of course I've followed these instructions, but it's never as good as when she does it.
The small talk thing drives me crazy, too. Luckily I moved the hell away from my hometown, so I don't have to run into people I knew in grade or high school. But I did end up settling in the place I went to university, Kitchener-Waterloo, so I'm constantly running into people I supposedly went to school with but, due to a few decades worth of chemical and alcoholic enthusiasms, I now have no memory of. So I usually just say: "If I met you in university, I was almost certainly either drunk or high, so I unfortunately have no idea who you are." Usually that gets a laugh until I say: "No. Seriously." And eventually they go away.
The other option is to come on crazy-religious, but that's the kind of thing that can backfire big time.
the 4 rules for poaching eggs (well, according to me anyway)
1. vinegar (you're right about the apple cider vinegar not being acidic enough)
2. salt, at least 1/4 teaspoon in enough water to poach 4 eggs
3. enough water, too little and the eggs stick together
4. the water has to be at a simmer, so a very gentle boil. if it's boiling too much the eggs will disperse and the yolk might break, and you already know what happens when the water isn't boiling enough.
good save with the frying!
xo
s