We've been really diligent about eating leftovers and cooking to use up ingredients in the pantry and refrigerator. I appreciate not having to run to the grocery store because I'm bored with what we have and not throwing away or wasting food. However, there is a jar of Italian sour cherries in my refrigerator, which I think I bought in order to make Manhattans, but have since run out of bourbon or rye to make that cocktail. I need to figure out another recipe to use those cherries, and unfortunately the jar tipped over and leaked syrup all over the refrigerator, which became my excuse to deep clean my refrigerator. Our condo is tiny, and the husband insisted that the refrigerator had to come all the way into the dining room in order for me to scrub it. However, the refrigerator then blocked entry to my sink, and so I had to hose the shelves and drawers outside. I then brought in the wet parts back into the tiny condo for the husband to towel dry. But the results were worth it. Hubs complimented me for a spic and span refrigerator, and I felt accomplished in throwing away a super old jar of Chinese yellow mustard, radishes that had sprouted, and a packet of dill mustard from a package of smoked salmon from December. I also got to survey what was in the refrigerator and figure out my menus for the week.
The last time I had English muffins too long in my refrigerator, they got all too desiccated for me to use. I absolutely have been wanting to eat Eggs Benedict and knew that was why I got them. I get this bee in my bonnet to have something. I since got another package of English muffins which were also en route to getting dried out, and the last time I opened this package was a breakfast for dinner of a mushroom French omelette and sausage and toasted butter muffins. This time I was determined to cook Eggs Benedict, and remembered seeing a sachet of Hollandaise sauce in my tub of packets and mixes. I went for Easy Peasy rather than separate whites from yolks and then melt butter and whisk with lemon juice. HOWEVER, poaching eggs was a challenge. I had to throw away two whole eggs because they broke in the spinning water. I made a presentable one for the husband, but here's the two I poached for my meal. Really ugly looking poached eggs.
By this point, I was too hungry and frustrated to poach better looking eggs and decided to go with it. I covered my less than perfect poached eggs with Hollandaise to hide them. And decorated both with chopped chives and one of them with a chive blossom, which was delicious.
I hadn't eaten all day and was hungry for more dinner and still had two slices of Irish bacon and Hollandaise sauce left, so I toasted another English muffin and attempted to poach again. Nope. Ugly. What the fuck would Julia do? I was still hungry. What did Julia Child do when she dropped a chicken in her kitchen? She picked it up and placed it on a platter and said the guests would never know. My eggs would still be tasty even if the whites did not perfectly cover and congeal over the runny yolks. Hollandaise sauce to the rescue. Some chopped chives and a sprinkle of hot smoked paprika for embellishment.
For my second serving of Eggs Benedict, the yolks were still deliciously runny, and that was a win for this meal although I think it'll be another year before I ever attempt Eggs Benedict now that I've sated the craving or fed the beast.
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