hole in the middle, three ways

morning things that make me happy, in no particular order:

1. eggs 

2. eggboy

3. eggboy strum strum strumming on his guitar

3. eggs in a basket

4. toads in a hole

5. hole in the middles

6. coffee

7. hole in the middles made by mum

8. hole in the middles made by other people (even when eggboy makes them and breaks the yolk, which happens 100% of the time)

9. skyr with cacao nibs

so what i am saying is that the hole in the middle is my desert island breakfast, my ultimate morning comfort food, my favorite way of celebrating the new day. there was a time in my early years when i ate these guys every single day, and during that time my mum nailed down the science behind perfecting it: crispy toasted bread, firm whites, a runny yolk, almost too much salt and pepper (which means that it's just right).

in those days i ate it by first poking at the yolk until it broke, dipping the circle into the runny part, and then eventually working my way out to the crust. i always left the smiling crust.

my approach these days is more of a fork and knife method. i cut off a corner or cut out a triangle, i eat all of the mothership trying to get a good egg to bread ratio in each bite, and then i sop up the remaining yolk with the circle, leaving behind a crystal clean plate. 

i like to think that as my mother's daughter, i have inherited the hole in the middle gene, so today i am sharing the family hole in the middle recipe over on cup of jo! it's followed by a few  fun variations that include kale, pesto, avocado, and (my new favorite) pimiento cheese. check it out here!

-yeh!

brisket on sourdough with sriracha shaved brussels sprouts

there is a possibility that i spoke too soon about wanting winter to stay.

i know this because over weekend, when a recipe arrived in my inbox from sweet tara for steamed buns that require three (3!!) ingredients for the dough, the only thing that prevented me from acquiring the required self-rising flour from the shop across the street was the task of bundling up for -21ºf. 

never before in my life have i stopped at an obstacle when steamed buns were involved. 

but you guys. i've been wearing two pants, two-three pairs of socks, and two fleeces under my down coat on a regular basis. 

and my snot freezes. and my skin is cracky.

so while i do love winter food with all of my heart, i wouldn't mind the ability to go outside wearing just one layer and possibly pick a tomato from the ground.

on the bright side: i've been testing brisket recipes for the passover installment of molly on the range and have the terrible burden of having so much leftover brisket in my fridge. life is so tough, right? one day soon, when it warms up to positive degrees, i will make steamed buns with brisket in the belly. but for now, i have a delightful winter sandwich.

brisket on sourdough with sriracha shaved brussels sprouts

makes one sandwich, but can easily be doubled/tripled/septupled

ingredients

olive oil

2 thick slices of crusty sourdough

1 thick slice of brisket

1/2 c shaved brussels sprouts

a pinch of kosher salt

1 tb sriracha mayo* (or more)

*i keep a squeeze bottle of the stuff in my fridge and you should too. i use 1 tsp sriracha for every 1/4 cup of mayo, but add more sriracha as you wish.

clues

heat a grill pan or skillet with a bit of olive oil over medium heat. toss on the bread, and if the brisket is cold from being leftovers, toss that on too to warm it up. heat both sides of the bread (and brisket).

in a separate pan, heat a bit more olive oil over medium-high heat and add your brussels sprouts. season with salt. cook til soft and slightly browned and then toss with sriracha mayo. (you could also keep your sprouts raw if you'd like)

assemble and destroy!

-yeh!

king cake

you guys! eggboy and eggdad broke out the most insane carpentry skills this weekend to build the prettiest butcher block countertops ever in the world. they are so thick and sturdy and (almost) ready for all the tasties i simply cannot wait to make. today the plumbing and my new massive sink go in, right beneath a window that looks out to the farmstead, so i can make faces at the eggs while i wash my vegetables. these guys really shouldn't have done such a good job with the countertops because now i see myself delaying their planting season by requesting custom tables, vanities, and cheeseboards. (or maybe i should get off my bum and learn how to make a cheeseboard myself. i think that is what a real farm girl would do? eggsister is always doing cool wood crafty things, i think i'll take a clue from her.)

we are officially back in the market for wallpaper. the toile samples we've had taped up just aren't cutting it. i'm thinking it might be fun to get wallpaper with maps all over it? or a massive wall-sized comic strip? i don't know. life would be so much easier if willy wonka wallpaper was for real. any suggestions?

oyoyoy, i am so excited for the farmhouse kitchen. aside from the wallpaper, there are still a number of things to do, like figure out a range hood and rip up the carpet, but after experiencing these countertops this weekend, it feels so much closer to being finished. i wish the farm wasn't so far away from all of you so i could have everyone over for the inaugural high tea, complete with crumpets and marzipan.

speaking of marzipan: i took a little liberty with my king cake decorations. is it awkward to have a no sanding sugar policy? i fear i've offended some mardi gras die-hards, but tell me, is it so bad to want marzipan on everything? you can get the recipe over on food52 and use sanding sugar to your heart's content. please celebrate mardi gras with a little extra oomph this year so you can make up for the fact that egg and i will be spending the holiday caulking and sanding.

how were all of your weekends????? and did you eat waffles????

-yeh!

FRIDAY LINKS

do you guys all know that feeling of having everything set up for a day of productivity the night before (including having everything in its mise-en-place and not staying up too late watching the house of cards episode with the *ahem* meechum situation) and then the next day discovering that the only cut of brisket available in this town is a frozen brisket and you therefore have to wait until it defrosts and you therefore have no other choice but to let the entire day go towards perusing the marshmallow peeps section at both michael's and target?

it makes me want to make this version of a frowny face:

(say hi, egg sister!)

it's not the most frowny face in the world (because peeps), but it's one i made today out of non-productivity. i hate waiting for the brisket to defrost. am i being silly to rule out the solution of defrosting it in the microwave? don't answer that, i'm already four hours into this, i'm committed. here are some links!

this! is how a cookbook review should be.

it's a tightrope walker cake topper (!!!!!!!!)

mini cakes and mini cakes and more mini cakes. don't ever stop making these you guys.

did you see what state is the happiest state?? (another reason to visit me, despite our lack of brisket options.)

the daintiest little kimchi dumplings i ever did see.

i wouldn't mind a hot tub and this bathing suit.

after reading the first chapter in my chicken mama book and a serious conversation with brian, i have decided that my first chicken will be a silkie. 

tonkatsu sandwich with the crusts cut off, can't touch this.

...happy friday, everyone!!!!

(oh those pictures are from that hot air balloon ride from a few weeks ago.)

-yeh!