Sasha you bitch!

The Science of Cooking Eggs

2012-02-06T23:45:00.000-05:00

EQUATION

Take two huge passions of mine: food and eggs.

Add one of my favorite video series: TEDx

Add a well known chef with a twist and love of eggs: Wylie DuFresne of molecular gastronomy fame

What do you get?

Pure foodie, egg-lover genius.

Enjoy!

Bad Eggs pt. II

2012-02-04T18:09:00.000-05:00

Nulaid Eggs, a South African egg company, had a moderately clever anti-bad egg campaign in 2007 done by The Juniper Drawing Room (also from South Africa - by executive creative directors Graham Warsop and Michael Blore, creative director Thomas Cullinan, art director Shane Forbes, copywriter Aviv Weil and illustrator Shane Forbes.). Enjoy!

Bad Eggs. Literally.

2012-02-04T17:34:00.000-05:00

Taken from CBS.com

(CBS/AP) Michael Foods, a Minnesota-based food company, is recalling more than one million hard-cooked eggs from 34 states, after tests revealed some may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.

PICTURES: Listeria: 7 key questions answered

Some 15,000 pails of eggs in brine, sold for institutional use, are being recalled, Michael Foods spokeswoman Diane Sparish said in a U.S. Food and Drug Administration written statement.
TheFDA said the eggs were produced at the company's plant in Wakefield, Neb., and were bought by food distributors and manufacturers and not sold directly to retailers. There have been no reports of illness connected to the eggs, the agency said.

The states included in the recall are: Alabama; Arkansas; Arizona; California; Colorado; Florida; Georgia; Iowa; Illinois; Indiana; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Michigan; Minnesota; Missouri; Mississippi; Montana; North Carolina; North Dakota; Nebraska; New Jersey; Nevada; Ohio; Oklahoma; Oregon; Pennsylvania; South Carolina; Tennessee; Texas; Utah; Washington; Wisconsin; and West Virginia.

Lab testing by a third party revealed that some eggs may have been contaminated and the company determined that a repair project in a packaging room was the likely source of contamination, Sparish said in an email to The Associated Press. She said more than a million eggs were being recalled.
Michael Foods has taken a number of corrective steps to address the issue and prevent recurrence, she said.

Listeria infection, also known as listeriosis, can cause symptoms including fever, diarrhea, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. The disease primarily strikes older adults, pregnant women, or people with weakened immune systems. Symptoms can take up to two months to appear.

Listeria from cantaloupes caused an outbreak last year that sickened 146 people across 28 states, HealthPop reported. The CDC declared that outbreak over in December.
The eggs are sold under six brand names: Columbia Valley Farms; GFS; Glenview Farms; Papetti's; Silverbrook; and Wholesome Farms. Here are pictures of these company's egg labels.
Only lot codes immediately preceded by a "1" AND ending in a "W" are affected.

The FDA says a recall of three lot dates was announced on Thursday, January 26, but the recall was expanded today to include additional lot dates as a precautionary measure.

Got questions about the recall? Call Michael Foods at 877-367-3447, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET.

update?

2012-01-23T15:39:00.002-05:00

Unfortunately, my wonderfully "free" internet is no more, which means I have not been able to make an update in forever and then some. Also....I've been ridiculously busy. BUT! I promise promise promise I will update this in the very near future - my love of eggs is strong, my need to share this love is stronger(ish).

Holiday Eggnog

2011-12-18T21:04:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year....time for gingerbread, presents, mall parking chaos, and that quintessential holiday beverage: eggnog. Barf. Personally, I hate the stuff, but many people love it, and it fits in with this blog, so here's a recipe from a well-trusted source, Saveur magazine.

(taken from saveur.com )

SERVES 6

2 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
4 eggs, separated
1 cup bourbon
2 oz. dark rum
1 cup cold heavy cream
Freshly grated nutmeg

1. Put milk, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and salt into a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into pan, then add pod. Heat over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes.

2. Whisk egg yolks in a mixing bowl until pale yellow. Slowly whisk 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into yolks. Gradually add egg–milk mixture back into milk mixture in saucepan and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Strain into a large bowl and set aside to let cool. Add bourbon and rum, cover, and refrigerate eggnog until cold.

3. Whisk egg whites in a mixing bowl until frothy, then gradually add remaining sugar, whisking constantly until stiff but not dry peaks form. In another bowl, whisk cream until stiff but not dry peaks form. Fold whites and cream into eggnog. Pour into cups and sprinkle with nutmeg.

lifestyles of the rich and famous

2011-11-10T23:09:00.000-05:00

take two of my favorite (favourite for you Canadians) things, eggs and opals. What do ya get?

Now for sale at Tiffany & Co, this little pink opal egg designed by Jean Schlumberger in the 1960s can be yours for the measly price of $1,250 (plus tax). If only it came in blue.

"An egg today is better than a hen tomorrow" Part VI - The Rest

2011-11-04T00:28:00.001-04:00

aka, I've been fairly comprehensive up to this point, and now I'm starting to get busy with other life things...too busy to focus so heavily on a project that I myself won't be able to do for at least several years. So I'm doing a cop-out: here's a fantastic link, from backyardchickens.com about everything else you will need to know about raising chickens. This includes diseases, if you get them from egg vs. chick, suppliers, all that fun stuff.

So I hope you enjoyed my random six-part informational section about the backyard hen house! I know I did, and I will definitely be using all this research sometime in the near(ish) future.

embroidered eggs

2011-11-03T17:12:00.000-04:00

This awesome piece of embroidery is done by Lithuanian artist, Severija Incirauskaite. Don't Panic magazine has a pretty cool interview featuring this crafty artist, as well as other samples of her work.

Halloween is near!

2011-10-26T13:24:00.000-04:00

Egg - by Enric Torres

And now for something completely different

2011-10-16T23:28:00.000-04:00

The Fried Egg Jellyfish (Phacellophora camtschatica)

October 6th

2011-10-06T00:25:00.003-04:00

Happy birthday to me!

....it's still an egg!

"An Egg Today is Better Than a Hen Tomorrow": Part V The Feed

2011-10-06T00:19:00.001-04:00

A happy, healthy chicken will lay the best eggs. And think of it this way: whatever you feed your chickens, you will eventually also eat in their eggs, so it's best to feed them the best foods possible. Chickens are also natural foragers/peckers and will destroy any vegetable and flower garden around (as well as kill off both pest and beneficial insects), it is best to keep them at least somewhat contained so they don't destroy your entire yard/garden/neighbor's yards.

So getting back to the topic: what is best to feed chickens? The real question is, how much work/money are you willing to put in? Here are some options:

The best form of chicken food is probably going to be organic. You can either buy the organic pre-made stuff online or from specialty stores, but that will definitely cost you a pretty penny. Some brands you can look into that are 100% certified organic are Fertrell's, Homestead Organics, and Nature's Best Organic Feed.
If you want to just make your own chicken feed (which is recommended, since then you have it all in bulk, save money, and know how fresh it is), there are TONS of resources both online and in your local library. Here is one recipe taken from Greener Pastures Farm:

*** It's not necessary to follow this recipe exactly... just make sure your birds are getting enough protein, which is predominant in the hard red wheat and the legumes. Free-range birds usually find plenty of protein from bugs, etc.

2 parts whole corn (in winter this is increased to 3 or 4 parts)
3 parts soft white wheat
3 parts hard red winter wheat
1 part hulled barley
1 part oat groats
1 part sunflower seeds (in winter this is increased to 2 parts)
1 part millet
1 part kamut
1 part amaranth seeds
1 part split peas
1 part lentils
1 part quinoa
1 part sesame seeds
1/2 part flax seeds
1/2 part kelp granules
free choice of granite grit
free choice of oyster shell

I store the above items in 6 bins; the corn in one, both types of wheat are mixed in the 2nd bin, barley in the 3rd, oat groats in the 4th, sunflower seeds in the 5th, and the remaining seeds and grains are mixed into the 6th bin. I leave the granite and oyster shell in the bags they come in. I then scoop out what I need into a 5 gallon bucket, and pour back and forth from one bucket to another until mixed well.

Ronda Jemtegaard - Greener Pastures Chickens, http://www.greenerpasturesfarm.com

"An Egg Today is Better Than a Hen Tomorrow": Part IV The Coop

2011-10-04T23:57:00.000-04:00

So you've figured out that you can have chickens. The neighbors say "ok", you found the breed you want...now where to put them. Well, this all depends: obviously if you live in the country, you will have a lot more options due to more space available; so for the sake of this blog and people like myself who will most likely live in more urban environments, I have found some ideas for the urban chicken coop.

Backyardchickens.com has some wondeful coop ideas for small, medium, and large coops.

- This lovely yellow coop includes the plans, dimensions, and a step-by-step photo arrangement of how to make this exactly.

- This amazingly charming and detailed coop even has a built in little pen for the chickens to scratch around in.

- If you want something a bit more utilitarian without the frills (but still very nice to look at), then this one might be more to your taste.

Unfortunately, I do not know how this one was made, but it's pretty amazing.

Take a look around their site, seriously. There are tons of amazing chicken coop ideas for all types of yards and budgets.

"An Egg Today is Better Than a Hen Tomorrow": Breeds o' Chickens Part III

2011-09-20T11:05:00.000-04:00

Just how many chicken breeds are there? Wikipedia says "hundreds", Yahoo Answers says the same "hundreds" (since it was just copy-pasted from Wikipedia), Poultrypages.com says over 75....to put it simply, there are a lot of different types of chickens out there. So which ones are the best for what I/people who may want an urban hen house of just a few want?

Some factors to consider: good egg layer, friendly, not aggressive - think pet that lays eggs. Here are some of the more popular breeds:

1. Rhode Island Red:
- Hardy against cold weather
- A good egg layer ( average 200 per year, 5-7 per week)
- Good with kids, but can get a bit aggressive if provoked/annoyed/poked/harassed.
- Can be affectionate, especially with familiar people.
- If free range/run, eggs can be too big to fit into a carton
- Egg color = brown

2. Barred Plymouth Rock ("Barred Rock"):
- Hardy against cold
- Decent egg layers (4 per week)
- Calm around familiar people
- Will run from predators
- "Smart and plucky" (sounds very chicken-ish)
- Good brooders (meaning they will incubate eggs)
- Egg color = brownish pink

3. Easter Eggers (sorta Ameraucanas, but not):
- Not a specific breed
- Egg colors = blue to green to olive to aqua and sometimes even pinkish
- Very friendly, especially with kids
- Hardy against the cold
- Decent egg layer (4 per week)
- Known to have a "fun" personality

4. Sussex:
- Come in a variety of colors (Brown, Buff, Light, Red, Speckled, Silver, White and Coronation)
- Great against cold weather
- Forage well and are economical eaters
- Friendly and easy to handle
- Can't really fly away, easy to fence
- Curious (will follow you around)
- Decent egg layers (4 per week)
- Egg color = brown

For more information on these breeds and others, visit My Pet Chicken

"An Egg Today is Better Than a Hen Tomorrow". Are You Allowed to Have an Urban Hen House? Part II

2011-09-13T18:13:00.000-04:00

Perhaps the first thing you should look into is the most obvious: are you legally allowed to have a hen house where you live? Of course, countryside/more rural residences are going to be a lot more lenient than their urban counterparts - so it's always best to just check first to see what is and is not permitted, and what steps are necessary to have one if you are allowed.

For example: Minneapolis, MN (taken from Minneapolis Animal Care & Control - MACC)

- Are you allowed to have an urban hen house? Yes, but you need a "small animal permit"
- What do you need to do?
1. Define the number and type of each bird to be kept on the property.
2. Obtain written consent from 80% of your neighbors within 100 feet of your property. A copy of the consent form and the addresses needing permission can be generated by the MACC.
3. Allow the MACC to inspect the area where you wish to keep the birds for zoning and living requirements.
4. All animals must be vaccinated and licensed
- Is there an application fee? Yes, $50
- Is there a renewal fee? Yes, $40 = one year, $150 = five years

Unfortunately Toronto, you are not allowed to have urban chickens, as they are one of the "prohibited animals" - i.e. Galliformes. (Schedule A to Ch. 349 - Prohibited Animals)
However, there has been talk of changing this law as of recently, so hopefully this will be amended...after all, pigeons and rabbits are ok. Weird.

If you are in the US and are interested in keeping back yard chickens, there's a great website that can help lead you in the right direction: http://www.backyardchickens.com/laws/search.php

Good luck!

"An Egg Today is Better Than a Hen Tomorrow": an Introduction to the Backyard Hen House

2011-09-11T18:26:00.000-04:00

Farm fresh eggs - that golden orange yolk, that hormone-free goodness. We all would love to have them, but unless you have a very large wallet or live on or near a farm, you're a bit out of luck. Perhaps this reason (and the rising popularity of a self-sustained living) is why more and more people are building backyard hen houses? If I had the space for it, I would do it in a heartbeat. That is why I have decided to create a series of posts about the backyard hen house - for those that can do it, but do not know how (and for myself in the future).

For those of you who do not know/have never noticed the difference, please take a gander at this photo and article from Spoonful New York's blog:

Left = farm fresh. Right = supermarket

Look forward to more in-depth posts about how to start your very own backyard hen house in the near future.

great name, great store

2011-09-06T23:23:00.001-04:00

One of my all time favorite stores here in Toronto's Kensington Market, Good Egg sells a wide selection of general and specialty cook books, cooking supplies, specialty classes, and fun little knickknacks.

As the store says:

"Good Egg is a shop dedicated to those who like to eat."

If you live in Toronto, or plan on being in the area, definitely check them out.

FINALLY A NEW POST!

2011-08-30T17:49:00.000-04:00

Whoa, it's been way too long! Trust me when I say I've been insanely busy these past few months. Too busy. My right eye won't stop twitching...

ANYWAY!

If you know me, then you know I absolutely adore/respect/idolize Gordon Ramsey. Yes, he is sort of a prick, but he's a prick who knows his stuff (which I think is a-ok).

Here is a fantastic Gordon Ramsey video recipe for scrambled eggs, which my boyfriend and I have tried and swear by for the perfect, wet, fluffy scrambled egg. None of that sad, Embassy Suites-esque greasy, heavy, overly saturated with Sysco crap eggs. It's especially nice with chives, smoked salmon, and a few small dollops of goat cheese. Enjoy!

stress

2011-06-03T15:16:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the long delay between updates. Life has been pretty stressful lately, so here's a quick update: I need an egg-shaped stress ball. That would be perfect. More to come later, I promise.

National Egg Month (?)

2011-05-01T18:34:00.000-04:00

According to the American Egg Board (yes, such a thing does indeed exist...), May is National Egg Month.

What exactly IS National Egg Month? Why is there a National Egg Month? According to the American Egg Board and the Incredible Edible Egg:

"Because sales tend to slow at that time"

There ya go.

So, what can you do with National Egg Month (besides eat eggs)? Well, you can buy some really nifty things like:

- A National Egg Month magnifying ruler! (Ooo!)

- A National Egg Month mini notepad! (Wow!)

- A National Egg Month "a-mazing" maze! (Swell!)

- A National Egg Month chicken-shaped yellow scrubber! (...part of me actually kind of wants this...)

Happy National Egg Month everybody!

food with eggs = happiness

2011-04-25T02:44:00.000-04:00

Travis and I prowl the internet for food recipes all of the time. And by all of the time, I mean way more than we should...

THAT being said, Travis found this **amazing** site based on David Chang's world famous Asian fusion restaurant, Momofuku. In it, lucky reader, you can find all of Momofuku's recipes from Chang's cookbooks that the authors have all tried to make themselves. TONS of them call for pork, and TONS of them call for eggs, all of which equals food heaven for people like myself.

Some highlights:

Pan-Roasted Asparagus (way better than hollandaise)

Green Onion-Oil Deviled Eggs

Lychee Lime Mint Sorbet (no eggs, but it looks too good not to share)

茶碗蒸し = yum

2011-04-21T18:13:00.001-04:00

When I was but a wee little Sus, my grandma "Mary" (aka Setsuko) would make me this amazing eggy dish whenever she happened to be visiting from California. I LOVE this dish. So tasty and simple, it warms your whole body with its protein-filled silky-smooth goodness.

Here is a great version of the recipe from rasamalasia.com:

Ingredients:

4 medium shrimp (or skip if you want it to be veggie)
4 gingko nuts (optional - I usually don't)
2 inch carrot
3 oz chicken breast (or tofu for the vegetarians)
1 teaspoon sake
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 fresh shiitake mushrooms (thinly sliced, stalks discarded)

For the custard:

3 extra large eggs, beaten
2 cups water*
1/2 teaspoon dashi-no-moto (aka dried dashi pellets you add to water) (or equal amount of dashi stock)* (or veggie stock for the vegetarians)
1 tablespoon sake
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
Water

*Ratio of eggs to dashi stock/water is 1:3. The above measurement of water is for reference only.

Method:

1. Blanch prawns and set aside.

2. Cut the carrot slices into maple leaf shapes . Blanch in salt water and drain.

3. Cut the chicken into small cubes and marinate in sake and soy sauce for 15 minutes.

4. Put all egg custard ingredients in a bowl and mix with chopsticks and strain into a bowl.

5. Bring a steamer to boil and then set the heat to very low.

6. Divide the chicken, shiitake, prawns and carrots among four ramekins (or small oven-safe cups. Think creme brulee cups). Divide the egg mixture among the ramekins. Put the scallion on top and cover each ramekin with aluminum foil.

7. Steam on low heat for 15 minutes. Insert a tooth pick into the egg and if it comes out clear, it’s done.

6 uses for eggs (besides eating and decorating)

2011-04-19T20:40:00.000-04:00

Instructables.com has a great list of 6 unusual uses for eggs:

1. Hair care. Gross? Very, but eggs, being high in protein, make good conditioning masks. Take some egg whites, beat them with a whisk till frothy, add a bit of olive oil, put on your hair, leave for 20 minutes, rinse, and voila! Conditioning. And, if you want to smell more fresh than freshly laid, add some scented oils to the concoction. Supposedly this also works for dogs (feeding them scrambled eggs) and skin care (whisk whites or yolks with water and use it as face wash - alternate each night).

2. Arts and Crafts Glue. Egg whites as they dry become very sticky. or for papier-mâché, egg whites + flour + sugar + a little alum.

3. Plant water (from making hard or soft boiled eggs). let it cool first (obviously), then go ahead! Shells are full o' calcium, so besides the water, save the shells for composting.

4. Ghetto band-aid and first aid. From a hard-boiled egg, use the thin membrane between the white and the shell to cover your wound. Also, if you get a bruise, use a freshly hard-boiled egg to rub over the bruised surface. The warm pressure dissipates some of the pooling blood.

5. Leather cleaner. Gentry rub hard-boiled egg whites onto leather (supposedly any leather), and wipe off with a damp cloth. Makes your leather clean and shiny!

6. Jewelry cleaner (not sterling silver). From Instructables: "First boil an egg or two, depending on the size of your jewelry. You only need the hardboiled yolk...Break up the yolks a bit, and place at the bottom of a container that you can easily seal. Set a wire rack over the yolks so you can hold your jewelry above without directly touching the yolks. If you don't have a rack, use some paper towels. Place your jewelry in, and seal the container. Let sit for a day (or longer if you want it darker), and wash silver with a bit of soap. Heads up: the yolks will smell pretty nasty after sitting out, so be sure to open your container in a well-ventilated area." There you go.

Aren't eggs awesome? I'm not sure if I would do some of these...but hey! Who knows?

Egg Carvings

2011-04-18T12:09:00.004-04:00

Well, that's not accurate. They're not so much carvings as they are...burnings? Etchings? I know a small laser light is used, but I'm not sure what to properly call these.

ANYWAY, big thank you to my friend Leah for sending this my way. The artist, Cai.Sculptor (aka Zhong Gui Cai), is a genius. He uses eggs from ducks, geese, quail, chickens, and ostriches to make these elaborate "carvings".

Egg Jams

2011-04-17T23:58:00.001-04:00

Egg art by John Lamouranne

...as in songs about eggs. Found this awesome list of 10 (10!) songs about the great egg. From Wolfmother to Autechre to Ween to Tom Waits, many thanks to The Music Fix.

for more egg jams, click on the link above (got lazy).

the simple pleasures

2011-04-17T16:56:00.001-04:00

Aside from eggs, I love noodles. The two together? Heaven. Add a bit o' Korean spices, and make it quick and easy as hell to cook, and you've got complete happiness. So, I thought I'd share with you, dear reader, one of my all time favorite simple pleasures: instant ramen with the perfect soft-boiled egg.

Now, I cannot take credit for coming up with this perfect soft-boiled egg recipe...that goes to my lovely boyfriend, Travis. But trust me when I say "perfect" - soft, cooked white, encapsulating the golden yolk waiting to ooze out. The flavor, once released from the egg, adding a depth and richness to the instant noodle broth that will make you forget that it was ever labeled "instant".

(However, I will add that buying a better quality instant ramen does make a huge difference. I'm a big fan of the Korean ones - the spice makes the broth less salty.)

What you need:

- 1 small pot

- 1 egg (per person)

- a timer

- water (duh)

1.) It is best to have both the pot of water for the broth/noodles and the pot of water with the egg (just enough water to cover the egg) started at the same time.

2.) Once the pot of water with the egg is boiling, start your timer for EXACTLY three minutes, as for the pot of water for the broth/noodles, add the broth and condiments first, but not the noodles yet, and lower the water to a simmer.

3.) After three minutes, take the pot of water with the egg off the stove and with cold water pouring into the pot, count for 30 seconds while pouring out the hot water slowly

4.) At this point, throw the noodles into the simmering water and stir to make sure all of the noodles are cooking.

5.) With the back edge of a butter knife, gently tap the top of the egg to form a ring of cracks. Then, under slowly trickling cool water, CAREFULLY peel the egg and place it into the bowl you will use for the soup.

6.) Pour the broth and noodles from the pot into the bowl with the egg, grab a soup spoon and some chopsticks, and enjoy!


my egg is a little overcooked here

Commercially Produced v. Free Range v. Organic v. Mutant v. Candy v. Sasha Eggs

2011-04-16T17:47:00.002-04:00

Picture this:

You're at the grocery store, and you want to buy some eggs. So, you meander over to the egg section of the dairy aisle with your cart full of groceries, watching out for unsupervised young children and people who are in a world of their own. Finally, you make it to the egg section.

What do you see?

Way too many options. Omega-3 enhanced, commercial, free-range, organic...it's a lot. Now, if you want to buy the cheapest eggs, your best (and only) bet is usually the commercially produced ones.

However, if you were wondering "Ok, what's the difference between all of these, and why the hell would I want to spend $5 on a dozen eggs?!" this little bit o' info is for you:

- According to MSNBC and Mother Earth News Magazine, Free-range and organic eggs contain

1.) 1/3 less cholesterol

2.) 1/4 less saturated fat

3.) 2/3 more vitamin A

4.) 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids

5.) 3 times more vitamin E

6.) 7 times more beta carotene

7.) more humane conditions for the chickens, blah blah blah

With conventionally produced chickens and eggs, the toxins from the grains fed to the chickens, such as pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizers, are all stored in the fat of the chickens (a reason to not buy conventional chickens). Because of the lack of exercise due to being confined in small cages at all times, conventional chickens not only do not lose their fat accumulated (with all that fun toxic stuff), but they are pumped full of antibiotics to be kept healthy-ish. So, when you eat their eggs...you're eating all of that other fun stuff too.

BUT, this does not explain the differences between free range and organic! According to trusted.md:

Organic chickens are fed organic grains and are medication-free, so when you eat the eggs, you aren't eating all of the other toxic stuff with it. HOWEVER, "organic" does not mean exercise, nor does it specifically tell you what the chickens were fed other than "organic" material.

Enter in free-range. The free-range chickens are allowed to run around outside in a pen (exercise), and will generally eat things found in the outdoor pen that they are supposed to eat, such as grass, bugs, etc (ie not other chickens or grain).

Therefore, IF you have the money for it, you should buy the organic, free-range eggs. However, if you had to pick one of three, your best bet is probably just free-range.

If Indiana Jones looked for eggs...

2011-04-15T17:00:00.002-04:00

...he'd find pysanky. Pysanky, the traditional Ukrainian Easter egg, is by no means a new tradition based in Christianity. Try more like 6000BC and the Trypilljan culture. While obviously it is impossible to find examples of actual egg pysanky, numerous ceramic relics have been found dating back to about 1300 BC.

Each symbol, color, line, plant, and animal motif has specific meaning and purpose. When you think about current day Easter egg packs, and the bunnies, chicks, flowers, and color pots, it all starts to slowly make sense. Of course, these things are incredibly badass looking versus just being purple with some squiggle lines.

This site has an amazing breakdown of each symbolic meaning found on a pysanky. From suns to moons to crosses to horses to the color brown...the next time you look at an extravagantly decorated Ukrainian Easter egg, try to decipher what exactly the artist was saying.

ohmygod it's SPRING!!!!!

2011-04-14T16:07:00.001-04:00

To celebrate, here's something that reminds me of Spring - quiche.

I don't know about you, but I LOVE quiche. So good, so fluffy, so light.

From Saveur Magazine (<3), Asparagus, Morel and Ramp Quiche. The recipe calls for a brown rice crust (maybe a boo moment), but you can definitely substitute for regular pie crust.

Asparagus, Morel and Ramp Quiche with Brown Rice Crust

(makes 6 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup gruyere (grated)
1 egg
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup gruyere (grated)
1/2 pound morel mushrooms
1/2 pound asparagus (cut into 1-inch long pieces and steamed)
3 ramps (chopped)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Mix the rice, cheese and egg in a bowl.
2. Press the rice mixture into a pie plate, about 1/4 inch thick.
3. Bake in a preheated 450F oven until the edges and bottom just start turning golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Mix the eggs, milk, cheese, mushrooms, asparagus and ramps in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
5. Pour the egg mixture into the pie crust.
6. Bake in a preheated 375F oven until golden brown and set in the center, about 30-35 minutes.

au naturel ROY G BIV

2011-04-13T01:12:00.003-04:00

No, I'm not talking about dying eggs different colors. We're talking naturally occurring color variation.

So, why do we have brown, white, speckled, blue, etc colored eggs?

According to the Royal Alberta Museum,

- essentially there are three main pigment colors (similar to what makes blood red). One ranges from yellow to reds to browns, the other two blues and greens. Different amounts of each pigmentation creates variation in violets and other colors.

- the colors come from the cells in the oviduct walls, as the eggs pass through.

- timing also impacts the markings on an egg: if an egg is not moving, then you get the spots. if an egg is moving while pigment is being applied, you see the streaking effects.

Genetics also play an amazing role in egg pigmentation: robins lay blue eggs, but sometimes they might have little spots. Cuckoo birds are actually able to mimic eggs of other birds so they are cared for. A-may-zing!

Eggs: Good or Evil?

2011-04-11T02:55:00.003-04:00

Are eggs good for you, or are they delectable time bombs of the heart? If you look online, it's incredibly difficult to find unbiased information on anything, and unfortunately eggs and health is another topic that is ridden with an agenda. sigh.

SO dear reader, I decided to try to find at least a semblance of something as non-biased as possible. What did I find, you may ask? Two articles.

1. The first is from my hometown hero, The Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic - famous for the typical health stuff, like cancer, unusual diseases, face-eating tumors....just a few things here and there. Anyway, according to cardiologist, Dr. Thomas Behrenbeck:

"Chicken eggs are high in cholesterol, and a diet high in cholesterol can contribute to high blood cholesterol levels. However, how much the cholesterol in your diet can increase your blood cholesterol varies from person to person."

Essentially, a normal, healthy person should consume no more than 300 mg of cholesterol a day. One chicken egg yolk has about 213 mg. If you have issues with cholesterol, just consume the white, since it has none.

awesome drawing by Little Black Design

2. HOWEVER, enter article #2 from livestrong.com and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. You know, the guy that is famous for riding bikes really well, dating Sheryl Crow, and having testicular cancer and bringing global awareness to it via cheap yellow bracelets. Anyway, according to them:

"Nutritionists now recognize three different kinds of cholesterol. One of these, HDL cholesterol, is actually good for circulatory health. Hard-boiled eggs long were on the "bad food" list because of their cholesterol count, but it turns out that some of the fats in hard-boiled eggs are actually heart healthy."

Some aspects of eggs are good, some not so good. While eggs themselves have cholesterol, it does not necessarily become bad cholesterol in our blood once ingested, but actually helps promote good cholesterol via good unsaturated fats.

However, the article also says that it's not "the best" source of good heart health (obviously, it still has some bad saturated fats and contains about 71% of our daily cholesterol intake).

The real answer, just like EVERYTHING, is to just exercise moderation.

50 Yuan, egg-style

2011-04-06T00:17:00.000-04:00

homestudio created this amazing replica of a Chinese 50 yuan out of 530,901 eggs....holy shit.

Deviled Eggs equal love

2011-04-05T00:58:00.001-04:00

Oh deviled eggs, how I love thee.

I found this simple, traditional, and delicious sounding recipe from Pinch My Salt. If the picture is any way to gauge (aside from the recipe itself sounding great), I'd say this is a safe bet.

I have made something similar to this recipe, but mine were nowhere near as intense and amazing sounding. Star anise?? Chinese five spice?? Sriracha?? Holy yum. Mine had wasabi and soy sauce, how lame. You can find the recipe here at They Call Me Amber.

Enjoy!

What Do Bunnies and Eggs have to do with Crosses and Zombies?

2011-04-03T13:58:00.001-04:00

I grew up celebrating the commercial aspect of Easter: baskets, candy, chocolate-shaped bunnies, egg dying, and egg hunts. I also grew up going to an Episcopal school and was taught the Christian story behind Easter. I never really questioned the existence of the Easter Bunny at the mall to the torture, death, and zombifying of the Biblical version of Easter until recently.

Here's what I found (taken from Discovery News writer, Lauren Effron) :

"According to University of Florida's Center for Children's Literature and Culture, the origin of the celebration -- and the Easter bunny -- can be traced back to 13th century, pre-Christian Germany, when people worshiped several gods and goddesses. The Teutonic deity Eostra was the goddess of spring and fertility, and feasts were held in her honor on the Vernal Equinox. Her symbol was the rabbit because of the animal’s high reproduction rate.

Spring also symbolized new life and rebirth; eggs were an ancient symbol of fertility. According to History.com, Easter eggs represent Jesus' resurrection. However, this association came much later when Roman Catholicism became the dominant religion in Germany in the 15th century and merged with already ingrained pagan beliefs.

The first Easter bunny legend was documented in the 1500s. By 1680, the first story about a rabbit laying eggs and hiding them in a garden was published. These legends were brought to the United States in the 1700s when German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania Dutch country, according to the Center for Children's Literature and Culture.

The tradition of making nests for the rabbit to lay its eggs in soon followed. Eventually, nests became decorated baskets and colorful eggs were swapped for candy, treats and other small gifts."

And now you know! (And knowing is half of the battle.)

Evolution: egg to live birth in lizards

2011-04-01T23:25:00.002-04:00

Oh evolution, oh science, how I love thee.

Please Creationists/Intelligent Design "scientists", please explain this: how a reptile, something that has always been an egg layer (due to the lack of an internal placenta - thus the use of yolk and egg), is now giving live births?

Check out this incredibly fascinating article from National Geographic about how the yellow-bellied three-toed skink is moving away from eggs to live births?

See those weird light colored shapes inside its body? Yeah, those are its "eggs". Amazing stuff. BLESSED BE SCIENCE!

Screw dying...

2011-03-31T13:41:00.003-04:00

as in Easter egg dying.

Forostyuk Inna, a Ukranian artist, did these mind blowing cross-stitches instead. No idea how, but if you scroll down to the comment section, there are some decent "maybe" suggestions.

Another egg artist is retired Slovenian electrician, Franc Grom, who painstakingly pokes as many as 17,000 holes into goose eggs using an electrical drill to replicate traditional Slovenian designs. Holey awesome! (haaaaaaa.....)

Seriously, amazing stuff.

egg basics 101

2011-03-30T21:35:00.003-04:00

“I have had, in my time, memorable meals of scrambled eggs with fresh truffles, scrambled eggs with caviar and other glamorous things, but to me, there are few things as magnificent as scrambled eggs, pure and simple, perfectly cooked and perfectly seasoned.” - James Beard

There is something to be said about a perfectly cooked, ungarnished/untarnished egg. The question is: how do you achieve such an egg? Well, if you need help cooking an egg, this link is for you.

From blogchef.net, this post covers eggs done sunny side up, over easy, hard boiled, soft boiled, and poached, all with excellent and delectable looking photos.

Enjoy!

"What?? No egg fanatic sites??"

2011-03-30T02:14:00.000-04:00

Perhaps I just did not do a sufficient enough search for proper egg fan sites. Or perhaps I am the only one that thinks eggs are the ideal synthesis of naturally occurring beauty, are scientifically fascinating, and are absolutely delicious?

I strongly doubt this.

That is why, dear reader, I have created this oddball blog: to share my love of eggs with the rest of the world. I know I am not alone, that there are other "ovofeliacs" out there. So, whether you are fascinated by the shape of eggs, the biological aspect of eggs, eggs used in art, or eggs used in global recipes, I welcome you to my new blog and hope you will get as much joy out of it as I hopefully will.