Dining out is one of the best favorite forms of culinary inspiration. Last weekend I went out for brunch at "Eats" on Clement Street and ordered the Waffle Bacon which was described as bacon pressed in a waffle, cheddar, Hungarian peppers and a sunny up egg. It was a wonderful combination of gooey, chewy and crisp and had many classic flavors associated with breakfast. It was definitely the sauteed peppers that tied the bacon, egg, cheese and waffle together and took the dish to the next level. I knew this was something I had to order again or better yet, try to duplicate at home.

Instead of using Hungarian peppers I took the easy route and used diced green chiles from a can. The result? Oh my. It was delicious! The truth is, a bacon waffle topped with chiles and cheese is actually quite good without the egg as well, though you can imagine how the yolk forms a lovely sauce for the bacon waffle. Sometimes more is better, and it's the excess of this recipe that makes it so satisfying. Who doesn't love bacon, cheddar or green chiles? They are my go to ingredients for making everything from eggs to soups or stews taste better.

I'm not a huge proponent of packaged foods like pancake and waffle mix, but in this case it's a good shortcut. While I often make pancakes or waffles from scratch, having a mix on hand is worthwhile. You can even make your own mix if you like. What restaurant dish will inspire my next recipe? I can't wait to find out...

Chile Cheddar Bacon Waffle
Makes one serving (multiply to serve as many as you like)

Ingredients

Waffle batter, homemade or from a mix
2 strips bacon, cooked and cut into 4 pieces
2 Tablespoons cheddar, shredded
2 Tablespoons fire roasted green chiles (such as Ortega brand)

Optional:
1 teaspoon butter or oil
1 egg

Instructions

Heat waffle iron and grease as directed. Pour in the batter and lay a piece of bacon in each quadrant. Close cover and cook until done. Meanwhile heat a small nonstick pan. Add the butter or oil and fry the egg. Meanwhile place the chiles in a microwave safe container and gently heat in the microwave until warm, about 1 minute. Place the waffle on a plate, top with the chiles, cheese and egg, if desired.

Enjoy!

Eggs are basic and yet one of the harder things to cook well. My two favorite ways to eat eggs are poached or softly scrambled. I like creamy scrambled eggs, cooked low and slow, and so soft that no curds form. When it comes to poached eggs, the yolk should be runny and the white should be firm, but not rubbery. It's crucial to dry the eggs after poaching, so they aren't waterlogged. Both recipes take patience to master, but once you do, you will have so many options.

The great thing about eggs, scrambled or poached, is that they pair well with so many other flavors and can be eaten any time of the day. I particularly like them for dinner. You can serve eggs with anything from the simplest fresh herbs to the most luxurious ingredients such as lobster, gravlax, caviar or truffles.


Earlier this month instead of going out for our anniversary, Lee and I stayed in for an over-the-top breakfast for dinner celebration for two. I supplemented some homemade gravlax (thanks dad!) with some Tsar Nicoulai caviar I bought. I folded the caviar into the hollandaise sauce and served it on top of the gravlax, poached eggs and English muffins, eggs benedict style. Mixing the caviar into the hollandaise sauce helps extend it and makes a dramatic presentation. You need about an ounce for two servings. Any kind of caviar would work, from less expensive paddlefish to high end osetra.


A few weeks later when the folks at Mirepoix offered me a couple of Summer truffles, I again thought of eggs. This time I scrambled six large eggs gently in butter with a knob of fontina and served them on top of sliced toasted brioche with a healthy shaving of fresh truffles. The earthy nuttiness of Summer truffles is easily overpowered with other ingredients but a delicate and mild preparation of eggs makes the perfect foil. I used one large truffle, about one ounce for two servings. Because they are so subtly flavored, it's wise to use Summer truffles as a topping, rather than cooking them. For a less expensive version of this dish using truffle salt or truffle oil instead of fresh truffles, check out my recipe for Creamy Scrambled Eggs.

With both of these dishes I would recommend drinking cava or Champagne. Something sparkling with a bit of sweetness. The bubbles help cut through the richness but don't overwhelm the subtle savory flavors.

What's the most extravagant egg dish you've cooked or eaten?

The addition of fresh herbs breathes life into dishes. Herbs are vibrant, bright and introduce flavor that is so startlingly different from dried herbs that I can never understand recipes that imply they are interchangeable.

In Italy I learned to make spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, chile flakes and parsley. It wasn't just the color contrast but the lively springiness of the parsley that made this simple dish so wonderful. Likewise sage leaves crisped up in butter or olive oil lend intensity and crunch, a handful of cilantro in a tossed green salad gives it a lemony zing and a sprinkle of chives on smoked salmon adds a delicate, almost sweet oniony flavor.

I have a little herb garden and I do mean little. A harvest of herbs from my window box is roughly equal to a generous garnish, so I have to keep raiding my mother's herb garden and buying herbs if I want to cook with them. Last week I got a chance to try Daregal fresh frozen herbs and found them to be surprisingly convenient and fresh tasting. I made a lovely omelette filled with asparagus and Jarlsberg cheese and a couple of pinches of Daregal frozen dill. This filling combination feels very Scandinavian to me though I have no idea if it really is...

Spring Omelette
serves 1

Ingredients

2 eggs
3-4 asparagus, a couple tablespoons sliced
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon shredded Jarlsberg cheese
pinch of dill, fresh or frozen is fine

Instructions

Beat the eggs in a small bowl until foamy. Thinly slice the tips and about half of the asparagus stems, about 1/3 cup total. Heat a non-stick pan and add a splash of water and the asparagus; simmer until the asparagus is tender, about 2 minutes. Drain the asparagus and set aside. Wipe the pan clean. Add the butter to the pan and heat over medium low heat until melted. Pour in the beaten eggs, swirl to cover the pan with the beaten eggs and let set slightly. Sprinkle the asparagus, dill and cheese on the eggs and cook until barely dry, then flip onto a plate and serve.

Enjoy!