Eggs Benedict

Happy Easter everyone!

I thought I would re-post this in honour of the day...

***

Morning.

Hopeful and filled with untouched possibility.

I am excited to begin again; grateful that life affords me opportunity to change, and learn, and grow with each new day.

































I shut the door on yesterday and look toward the sunlight.

What will I experience?

Who will I meet?

What will I learn?

Who will I forgive?

What love is in store...

Today is a new chance.

To embrace all that I am in a spirit of wholeness and acceptance, knowing that I am just who I should be and trusting that life will take me exactly where it is going.

Living in the fullness.

And noticing everything.

Fresh linen and springtime landscapes.

The comfort of coffee.

The kindness in a stranger's smile.

A seagull on the wind.

A prayer filled with hope.

Joy is accessible every moment we are blessed to be breathing.

And on this Springtime Easter Sunday my hope is that you will take the time to create moments of beauty for yourselves that will add a sense of refuge and solace to your own busy lives.

For myself, I can't think of anything I enjoy more than what I call "country weekends."

These are the weekends I make a conscious effort to stay home, slow down, and enjoy some of life's little pleasures.

Like brunch. At my own table in front of the fireplace, sipping a cool glass of Asti Spumante and enjoying the luscious decadence of eggs benedict.

In keeping with my philosophy that an elegant life need not require a hefty bank account, I took an outdoor table from my garden and covered it with a lovely white tablecloth to create an atmosphere as inviting as it was comforting.

Feelings of peace and ambience can be created in our homes with beautiful food, warm decor, soft lighting, and carefully chosen music.

Within each of us is the creativity to make everyday moments extraordinary.

We just have to make the time to do so - and to embrace the importance of nurturing the soul.

Somebody told me the other day "Small is the new Big."

I love that.

I believe that true joy comes from learning to notice and appreciate the little things.

A well set table.

The smell of good bacon.

Chopin.

The comfort of companionship.

***

I'm going to leave you this morning with my recipe for eggs benedict because learning how to make a hollandaise sauce from scratch and perfectly poaching an egg are simple kitchen basics that often elude home cooks.
But why wait to have gloppy hollandaise sauce that most likely came from a package when you can make this light, citrusy, concoction yourself?

"Out at the sea the dawn wind wrinkles and slides. I am here, or there, or elsewhere in my beginning"
~TS Eliot

Eggs Benedict
For printable recipe click HERE

Hollandaise Sauce Ingredients

* 4 egg yolks
* 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
* 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
* Pinch cayenne
* Pinch salt

Directions

1. Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume.
2. Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler,) the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble.
3. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume.
4. Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use for the eggs benedict. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.

Eggs Benedict
Ingredients
* 8 slices Canadian bacon
* 4 English muffins, split
* 2 teaspoons white vinegar
* 8 eggs
* Salt and pepper, to taste
* Hollandaise sauce, recipe above
* Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

Instructions

1. Prepare hollandaise sauce and keep warm.
2. Brown the bacon in a medium skillet, butter and toast the English muffins, cut sides up, on a baking sheet under the broiler. Cover with foil and keep warm in the oven
3. Fill a 10-inch nonstick skillet half full of water. Add white vinegar to the cooking water. This will make the egg white cook faster so it does not spread. Bring to a slow boil.
4. Gently place the whole eggs in their shells into the poaching liquid for 10 seconds. This is a trick I got from Gordon Ramsey and will keep the eggs from spreading and feathering. Remove from water with a slotted spoon and then gently crack each egg into a small ramekin. Gently slide each egg from the ramekin into the water taking care not to break it. Repeat with remaining eggs.
5. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook 3 1/2 - 5 minutes (I like a five minute egg) until the egg white is set and yolk remains soft. Remove with a slotted spoon, allowing the egg to drain on a paper towel. To assemble: Lay a slice of Canadian bacon on top of each muffin half, followed by a poached egg. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon hollandaise sauce over the eggs. Garnish with chopped parsley. Yield: 4 servings