Equal Parts

When I worked at a bakery I learned that success partly comes from using a limited set of ingredients to create a wide array of offerings.

A sweet apricot filling can be piped into a strudel or folded into the center of a cookie. A batch of toasted pecans can fill a pie or be rolled with raisins into sourdough and baked into a dense breakfast loaf. Caramelized onions can top a loaf of rye bread or be pocketed into hamburger buns. Lemon curd can be used in great bounty to fill a classic lemon tart, or spread lightly in between the layers of a chiffon cake. A finished loaf of brioche can be sold as is, or sliced and baked again with almond frangipane to make a delicious bostock pastry. If the brioche loaf doesn’t sell, it can be left to stale, then toasted and ground into bread crumbs, and sprinkled into the apricot strudel to add structure and crunch.

How much can you do with how little?

Success in cooking at home is based on this same principle.

We make Jeff’s Spicy Pesto Pasta once every couple weeks. There’s always leftover pesto, which we stir into scrambled eggs, pour onto simply grilled vegetables, mix with whole grains to make lunch salads, or spread onto Mushroom Toasts. Last Saturday, Jeff added the pesto to his post-workout breakfast sandwich, and I was jealous. I had opted to have just scrambled eggs, and I knew he was enjoying the better meal. Thankfully I didn’t have to wait long for my own taste; we shared one the following day for a light dinner.

POACHED EGG SANDWICHES WITH PESTO AND AVOCADO

Toast 2 slices of your chosen bread (we usually use a rustic white loaf or sourdough) according to your chosen method (I like to use a square griddle pan on the stove top).

Meanwhile, poach 2 eggs.***

To assemble the sandwich, spread a layer of pesto on one slice of toast. Add the poached eggs. Top with sliced avocado. Finish with the other layer of toast. Slice in half and enjoy.

***I can only poach eggs using a tool, specifically the Oxo Silicone Egg Poacher. For years I’ve tried poaching eggs without the tool, using tricks I learned on the internet -- add some vinegar to the pot, swirl the water as you add the eggs -- and I’ve never had success. Jamie Oliver, in his video demonstration of poaching eggs, says something along the lines of, If you have great eggs this will usually work most of the time. That doesn’t inspire confidence in me, nor does it indicate a high success rate, so for now I use the tool.

To do so, place the poachers in a large pot and fill with water to the indicated stopping line. Bring the water to a boil. (There’s some debate about how vigorous this should be. I store my eggs in the refrigerator, and when I add them to the pot they will quickly drop the temperature of the water. For this reason I bring the water to a vigorous boil. Otherwise it gets too cold too fast and the eggs will spread instead of cooking quickly.) Meanwhile, crack each egg into a small bowl. When vigorously boiling, pour each egg into one of the poachers. At this point I do turn the water down slightly (say from 9 to 8). Cook until your desired doneness: for runny eggs, about 3 minutes, for a slightly firm/slightly soft texture, about 5 minutes. The water may foam up around the poachers; that’s ok, just lift the pot for a few seconds to settle it, and return to the heat.