We always have eggs at home but rarely do we have 42 eggs.
We happened to have a dozen eggs in the fridge when our order of 30 eggs from Baron Farms arrived.
Eggs are a practical thing to have in the kitchen as they are essential in making both sweet treats and savory dishes.
Photo by Trang Doan from Pexels
At home, I handle the "savory side" while my husband -- professional photographer and writer Riz Pulumbarit -- takes care of the sweet bits and things.
Both of us took weekend classes last year at Enderun, considered as one of the best culinary schools in the country.
Enderun is a partner of Ducasse Education, the leading French culinary institute of Chef Alain Ducasse, who believes that every person has the right to good food.
He believes in using simple and fresh ingredients (like the humble egg) but cooking them skillfully and with passion.
Our Enderun adventure
For years, I had been hoping to study at Enderun but never found the time until last year as I was busy working as a writer and editor.
Journalism was the course I finished in UP Diliman but I did take up Food Technology in the same university before shifting to journ.
In 2019, my husband and I finally had the chance to go on an "Enderun adventure." For five Saturdays, five to six hours each, Riz and I were in different kitchen classrooms at Enderun in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig City. I took a Culinary Essentials course while he took a French Desserts course.
The joke that went around in our culinary class was that at dismissal time, we smelled of garlic while those in the desserts class smelled of vanilla.
But the unpleasantness of garlic was nothing compared to the pleasantness of studying at Enderun.
The important thing we learned, aside from the cooking techniques, is the "Chef Alain Ducasse spirit of generosity" as he believes in sharing what we know and what we have.
Here then are a few simple yet practical things we can do with eggs...
Photo by Ksenia Chernaya from Pexels
Boiled Eggs
This seems easy but it is not. It is hard to tell if the boiled egg is undercooked, overcooked, or just right. Our culinary teacher said for perfectly boiled eggs, the eggs we must use should be at room temperature. Then, never put the eggs into the pot until the water is already briskly boiling. Cook the eggs for 10 minutes for perfectly boiled eggs. If you want soft-boiled eggs, take them out of the pot before the 10-minute mark.
Poached eggs
For poached eggs, the eggs should also be at room temperature. Also, use a tall pot and fill it with about two-thirds water. Once the water is briskly boiling, add some vinegar which will act as a binder but will not make the egg sour. Then create a vortex in the middle of the water before putting in the egg. The egg is cooked once it reaches a vibrant white color.
Breton Shortbread Cookies (Biscuits)
Based on a recipe on the "Cooking School" book of Chef Alain Ducasse
Ingredients: one stick butter, two cups all purpose flour, two teaspoons baking powder, half-cup sugar, half-teaspoon salt, three egg yolks, vanilla bean
In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients with the butter. Add the egg yolks with vanilla beans. After rolling the dough, refrigerate for 30 minutes. Then divide the dough into cookie portions and place them on a baking tray. Bake them until they are golden and crispy, or about 15 minutes.
Riz made cookies. One egg equals...50 cookies!
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