In my early twenties, when I was living in Germany, my typical breakfast consisted of a soft-boiled egg, a slice of Knäckebrot and some tea. At some point, and without giving it a second thought, I started eating other things for breakfast, maybe it was muesli or maybe I got up early and had breakfast at the University cafeteria, I don't remember. Gradually I forgot about soft-boiled eggs for breakfast.

A couple years later, and living in the US, I read a book by Margaret Atwood, I think it was The Robber Bride. At one point, one of the main characters assembles a breakfast tray to take to her her moody and artistic husband, a composer of atonal music. This passage immediately struck a chord with me, not so much because I also happen to live with a composer of atonal music, but rather because it instantaneously brought to my mind the breakfast I used to eat but had completely forgotten about. "I used to eat that all the time!" With the memory came the desire. "That's it. I want to have that again." I could see the unctuousness of the egg yolk, feel the crunch of the toast and smell the tea.

There were unexpected obstacles in my quest for this very basic food item. It turns out, Americans are not fond of soft-boiled eggs and consequently, egg cups are not standard items in house-ware stores. I finally located some, made in France. I bought four of them, but one would have sufficed. To my dismay, the eggs I made never pleased my husband, until I finally figured out that his ideal soft-boiled egg actually was a medium-boiled egg.

For me a soft-boiled egg is perfect, when the egg white has coagulated but is not yet hard and the yolk has thickened but is still liquid. About a week ago I had a longing for a soft-boiled egg for breakfast again. Hmm, with a cup of tea and some orange marmalade this is a very fine breakfast for me. Very grown-up.

My Method For Making Soft-Boiled Eggs

Put egg in a saucepan and cover with cold water.
Bring to a boil.
Simmer gently for exactly 1 minute.
Transfer to an egg cup.

This method usually works for me, yet no two eggs are alike. There are a number of variables, such as size of the egg, thickness of its shell, and the power of the burner. Most instructions recommend putting the egg in boiling water and simmering for 2-3 minutes. I find starting out in cold water prevents cracking and after simmering for 2-3 minutes my eggs are always too cooked for my taste.

I like to sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper on my egg and dip pieces of toast in the yolk. If the egg turned out too done I scoop it out of the shell and put it on the toast.

I worked in a kitchen once where one of the breakfast items was "Eggs in a Glass (oeufs mollets)." It consisted of two soft-boiled eggs in a glass, peeled but still intact. Very annoying for the kitchen personal. The key is to cook the eggs a bit longer and then immediately run cold water over them. Remove just enough of the shell so you can ease the egg out of its shell with the help of a spoon.

The USDA warns against eating raw or undercooked eggs because of a risk of Salmonella. People with health problems, the very young, senior citizens, and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable.

Eat at your own risk!  1:40:18 PM    
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I griped about how tedious it was to make candied orange peel.

However, it was totally worth it. When I sampled some immediately after I had made it, it seemed too tart and bitter to me. A couple of days later the bitterness was gone. Even the children like to snack on it. It is delicious, full of orange flavor and with just the right amount of sweetness.

It was definitely worth making, especially since there is not a lot of loss in volume. I started out with two quart-sized bags, loosely filled with orange peels. After blanching, scraping off the pith and cutting it into small stripes, I had exactly four cups. This yielded almost five cups of candied peel. I understand, when the sugar syrup is absorbed, it fills up the cells and thus increases the volume. Almost five cups of candied peel is a lot, especially since a little goes a long way.

Yesterday I made the most wonderful ice cream with a bit of candied orange added. It was so flavorful. I will post the recipe, but as often happens, I totally improvised and need to recreate it one more time, before putting it in writing.  11:23:11 AM    
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