Who Wants Seconds?

EoMEoTE#12 - The Round-Up

How about those eggs? (ba da boom!) (The Nightmare - John Henry Fusili (1741-1825)

In the kitchen
I saw a Spicey, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held egg and toast in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said: "Is it good, Spice?"
"It is tasty-tasty," he answered;
"But I like it
Because it is cheap,
And because I started this whole damn thing."

(with heartfelt apologies to Stephen Crane)

Well, folks, it's time for another very late EoMEoTE round-up, this time for my ill-fated Halloween edition. With a final tally of a mere six participants, with two of them co-founders of this whole shebang, it's now official that I will never beg, plead and cajole to host someone else's event ever again. Too scary! I offer my most humble apologies to Jeanne and Anthony, with a sincere hope that their baby recovers this month and gets back to its customary growth spurt!

The lovely Jennifer, over at Taste Everything Once, made fabulously creepy deviled eggs, and pan de muertos to DIE for (sorry!). Our friend Elizabeth, from Blog From Our Kitchen, shared some memories from Halloween days of yore, while super-spicey Anthony, our man that cooks down under (or our man down under that cooks?), did an homage to Wicker Man that was scarier than the original, frankly. Everyone's favourite (and funniest) sister, Jeanne, slipped into a night of the living bread, while talented Sarah, at The Delicious Life, tricked AND treated with a gorgeous curried "egg" salad. And lastly, but never leastly, Stephanie (the hostess-with-much-more-mostess-than-me over at Dispensing Happiness) whipped up a wicked pissa eggy skull.

My thanks to everyone who participated! I'm really looking forward to finding out what Jeanne's got in store next, because I know it's going to be great.

UPDATE  20 NOVEMBER: Oh, good God, just let a crater swallow me up now. I actually left out two lovely, sweet bloggers from my round-up! Sincere apologies to both Andrew, from Spittoon (who may have had the scariest experience of everyone), and Brenda, of Culinary Fool (whose entry may be the loveliest)...thanks for sending me such lovely reminders!

EoMEoTE#12: The Halloween Edition

Well, it's that time again, boys and ghouls (which for End of Month Egg on Toast Extravaganza purposes means in the general vicinity of the end of the calendar month), and the absolutely fabulous Jeanne from Cooksister! has allowed me to be the hostess with the mostess for  this edition. I would mention Anthony (the man who cooks over at Spiceblog), since he co-founded EoMEoTE many moons ago, but I'm not sure that he knows I'm involved yet, so I won't. I'm naughty like that.

I'm not going to lie...I'm more than a little thrilled to be hosting this time around, as it's the 1-year anniversary of the darndest little event in the history of the food-blogging internets, people! Did those wacky kids know what they were starting a year ago? I don't think so, but hundreds of posts later, from every corner of the world, scores of food bloggers who've had a great time every month are glad that they did. Be you prince(ss) or pauper, you can get your egg-and-toasty groove on with the EoMEoTE, and as The Martha says, it's a good thing. I salute them collectively (bowing, of course) with, "My liege".

Now we come to EoMEoTE#12 - The Halloween Edition, the other reason that I'm ticked pink (or blood red, to be topical). Throughout grade school, I watched the afternoon-long 'Creature Double Feature' Saturdays on Channel 56 in Boston (and slept with a crucifix over my neck, "just in case"). In 5th grade, I went trick-or-treating with a friend and dressed as a gypsy, and promptly forgot that I had worn a pair of my mother's earrings with a string of bells on them. I walked, the bells jangled, I thought someone was following us, we screamed and ran, the bells jangled harder, press repeat. Frankly, I think it's that kind of thing right there that qualifies me to host this thing.

But let's get down to brass tacks, shall we? Would you like to film your own eggy masterpiece (with the addition of toast and horror, of course) a la The Amateur Gourmet? Maybe you enjoyed EoMEoTE#10 so much that you'd like to Seuss it up some more, this time with some Poe in the mix? You could get crafty, or re-write an old tune, or even do something really horrifying (with photographic proof, natch)! The field is wide open, really, so do what you will. The end result should be:

1. You make something Halloween/horror-esque, incorporating eggs and toast (or another carb, if you must).

2. You record it pictorially and write it up, and blog about in the next week or so.

3. Send me a link to your post,  and I'll get together a round-up in a timely fashion. Wait a minute, who am I kidding? This is EoMEoTE, for crying out loud! I'll do the round-up eventually, and you'll like it, nyuck, nyuck. I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with!

Some more linky-schminkys for you all...maybe cool, maybe amusing, maybe helpful? >-]

50 Greatest Horror Movies of All Time
Memories
Head in a Jar
Haunted House Soundtracks
West Side Story, Re-Imagined
The Shining, Re-Imagined
Lovely designs
Paper toy patterns
Montage-a-google
Tombstone Generator

EoMEoTE#10: Oh, The Eggs & Toast That You'll Make!

Lily-Lou Who (with the remains of fried eggs and toast points on her face)

Oh, the Eggs & Toast That You’ll Make!
by Dr. Moira

Congratulations!
This week is your week.
It’s EoMEoTE#10!
Breakfasts up for critique!

You have eggs in the pan.
You have toast on your plate
You can get out your camera
Don’t worry about being late!
You're free to join in.  And you’ll be welcome, you know.
And YOU are the foodie who'll decide what to show.

You'll look at the round-ups.  Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "Oh, I’ll never compare!"
But, with your pan fun of eggs and your plate full of toast,
Whatever you choose will be great for your post.

You may think up some combos
That will use all your skills.
But it’s the end of the month,
And your budget is nil.

It's o.k. to take a break
From the posh foodie scene.
Here the toast is always tasty
And the eggs sometime green!

Over here you can rest
Without worry or care
Well…you might have to rhyme,
Or write a limerick, if you dare.

Still, when you join in the fun,
You’ll feel good.  Even flash!
Just make a simple breakfast.
There’s no need to spend cash!

OH! THE EGGS & TOAST THAT YOU'LL MAKE!

You'll be on Cook Sister!
You'll see your name up in lights!
You'll join the other foodies
who use up bits and bytes.

You won’t feel a bit nervous, or any kind of stress.
It’s EoMEoTE! You’re guaranteed of success!
Whatever you make, you'll fit in with the crowd.
Whenever you post, you’ll do Jeanne quite proud.

Except when you don't
Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
and missed EoMEoTEs
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
By a schedule that’s quite packed,
And you’ll miss all the fun.
Sometimes that’s a fact.

You'll get Cook Sister’s feed
And you’ll feel your heart sink.
Look at all the entries!
And the jokes, pics, and links!

WAIT!
That's not for you!

Somehow you'll remember
That the month is now waning.
You'll make a great breakfast
With whatever’s remaining.

With camera in hand,
once more you'll feel great!
Ready to snap what you’ve made.
The eggs and toast on your plate!

OH! THE EGGS & TOAST THAT YOU’LL MAKE!

There is fun to be done!
There are new dishes to try, there is admiration to be won.
And the magical thing is you’ll meet new friends, too.
The foodies ‘round here are sweet through and through.

You'll miss out sometimes,
as you already know.
You'll get involved
in so many events as you go.
So be sure to make note.
On PDA and on wall
and remember that EoMEoTE’s
such a great ball.
Just never forget to stock eggs and some bread.
And head straight for the hob when you get out of bed.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

FOODIE, YOU'LL HAVE A BLAST!

So...
be your name Johanna, or Andrew, or Sam,
or Anthony ‘“Spicey” if you please, m’am!’,
You’ve got to step up!
This month is for you!
Your breakfast is waiting.
Show us what you can do!

O.K., this is so incredibly late, even by EoMEoTE standards, that it's pretty ridiculous. But, I had so much fun ripping off Dr. Seuss' "Oh, The Places You'll Go!" that I decided to post it anyway. Viva La EoMEoTE...and thanks for another great theme, Jeanne!

EoMEoTE#7: Breakfast Burrito with Chipotle Ketchup

click to enlarge

Once a month an event draws a crowd
If you cook with eggs and carbs, you’re allowed
Cook Sister! holds sway
Send your entry, don’t delay
Spark a flame, snap a shot...she'll be proud!

After missing the last two installments of the EoMEoTE, you can bet the hen house that I wasn't going to slack when this one came around. I've missed two months' worth of bad puns (no eggxageration- are there any other kind with EoMEoTE?) and questionable haikus (not an alleggation, I swear) fer God's sake, so I just had to step up to the egg cup this month...especially when the henchanting Jeanne asked for limericks! It was eggceptionally difficult to get the word 'Nantucket' out of my head, so I hope you all appreciate my efforts.

We almost always have a huge breakfast on Sunday mornings, skip lunch, and have a light dinner. What fits the bill when pancakes and french toast seem too heavy (yet strangely, not enough), but you still want your brekkie to pack a whallop? Why, a breakfast burrito of course! Home fries, scrambled eggs, cheddar, sour cream, chipotle ketchup, sour cream, avocado and fresh cilantro...all wrapped in a big flour tortilla...now THAT'S what I'm talking about.

I've become completely hooked on chipotle ketchup lately, but I'm not very fond of the price- L2.90/270g bottle! I always experiment with barbeques sauces during the summer anyway, shirrly I could come up with a ketchup as well! What's the difference between the two? As far as I can tell from online sources, not much. Some barbeques sauces (commercial and homemade) are sweeter and some are hotter, while most commercial ketchups (or catsups, if you prefer) are bog-standard concoctions of tomatoes, sugar, and not very spicy "spices". I like bottled ketchup on fries, but that's about it. For anything else, from eggs to steaks (blasphemy!), I want something with more of a presence.

As a matter of fact, this recipe isn't really very different from the sauce I made for the ribs we had last night; use it as you see fit, adjusting the heat level to your own tastes. I would say that this sauce has a heat level of about 4.5/10.

CHIPOTLE KETCHUP

2 tablespoons BUTTER
1 medium ONION, minced
2 cloves GARLIC, minced
1 tablespoon GROUND CUMIN
1 tablespoon DARK BROWN SUGAR
2 CHIPOTLE PEPPERS in ADOBO SAUCE, minced
1 tablespoon ADOBO SAUCE
1 tablespoon VINEGAR
1 tablespoon WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
4 tablespoons TOMATO PUREE (TOMATO PASTE)
2 cups WATER
1/2 teaspoon SALT, optional
2 teaspoons SMOKED HOT PAPRIKA, optional

1. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. When the foam subsides, add onion and garlic and saute until soft.
2. Add the cumin and brown sugar, stir to combine, and cook for ~1 minute.
3. Add the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, vinegar, worcestershire sauce, and tomato puree, stir to combine, and cook for ~2 minutes.
4. Incorporate the water 1/2 cup at a time, reducing the sauce before each addition (this should take 20-30 minutes total).
5. Taste the sauce and decide whether you need/would like to add salt and/or smoked paprika. If so, add the spices and cook for a further few minutes. If not, remove the pan from the heat and either use the sauce/ketchup as is, or blitz in a food processor or chopper to make smoother.
6. Cool and use immediately, or refrigerate and use within one week.

EOMEOTE#4: Scrambled Eggs, Pork Chipolatas, Home Fries & (of course) Toast

click to enlarge

"My wife and I tried to breakfast together, but we had to stop or our marriage would have been wrecked."  -Winston Churchill


I knew a month ago that I wanted to participate in the fourth edition of the End of Month Egg on Toast Extravaganza (kindly hosted by the meggnificent Jeanne of Cook Sister! ), but I wasn't sure that the style of eggs I normally eat would be eggxotic enough to keep company with the crowd of reggulars over there. We always tie on the diner feedbag on Sunday mornings around my house, but it just didn't seem eleggant enough to call to Jeanne's attention. I mean, we think scrambled eggs are deleggtable, but would the other EoMEoTEers think so, too?

Some might think this breakfast a bit eggstravagant, but not when you look at it as the kind of good old-fashioned gut-filler that silences any grumbles until dinner (at least). Organic pork sausages, home fries made from fingerlings and onions with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, scrambled eggs with cream and fresh thyme, and olive oil bread toasted and spread with butter. Add on some orange juice and a couple of cups of coffee, and you're set.

Fingers crossed, the deggxterous EoMEoTEers will find them just as begguiling as we do.