A blast from my past

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm someone who is easily overcome by nostalgic thoughts. If you were to observe me on any given day, you'd most likely catch me with a wistful expression as I think back on times in my life, especially those times I feel I didn't properly cherish.

Some of my fondest memories come from the many summers I used to spend with my Aunt and Uncle. Ever since I can remember, every summer my parents would ship me and my brother off to visit a few weeks. As we got older, the vacations got longer. I eventually made the trip solo, as my brother is fours years older and had to go off to college. But, it wasn't until I left for college did my annual visits stop.

My aunt Patty is the person that taught me the most in the kitchen. Her photo albums are littered with pictures of me in her kitchen, helping her bake and cook (and eat!) our many creations. In fact, she has a rather amusing picture of me propped on her counter "kneading" a lump of bread dough. By kneading, I mean randomly poking and squishing.

Anyway, one thing I always remember is the morning my parents would come to pick us up. Before my aunt moved to South Carolina, she only lived a few hours from me and my parents. This allowed them to make a weekend trip. So, in the morning before we would leave, my aunt and I would get up early, and she would indulge my childish fantasy to work at a restaurant. She would man the stove and I would "take orders" from everyone in the dining room (yes, she even printed menus! She's the best aunt ever...) The one dish that I remember most, and the one that still reminds me of those wonderful mornings, is eggs Benedict. To me, she was a master at this dish. The English muffins were crisp and chewy; the eggs were poached to perfection, with their fluffy whites and delightfully runny yolks. The Canadian bacon was tender and salty, and the piece de resistance, her homemade hollandaise sauce was absolute heaven. Every time we played Restaurant, I ordered the eggs Benedict, and to this day I've never had any that could come close to my aunt's.

In an ode to this wonderful memory, I decided I'd make it. Well, a somewhat warped version of it at least. Remember in my previous post, when I mentioned I was lazy and impatient? Well, I'm about ten times worse in the morning, if I manage to drag myself out of bed before noon. I wasn't even going to attempt to make hollandaise sauce, so I bought the pre-made kind (I cheat! I know!). My first attempt at poaching eggs was a success, though. I didn't have any English muffins. I did, however, have some pre-made crumpets, which were equally delicious, and quite handy considering I wasn't about to get dressed and trek to the grocery store to get the real deal. Same goes with the Canadian bacon. I did have turkey bacon, which worked just fine.

So here's a glimpse into my childhood. Seems odd, that such a dish would be the favorite of a child, but it's something that will always take me back to those mornings filled with family, love, and delicious food.

Thank you, Patty and Bill, for some absolutely amazing memories.



Was it good, you ask?










Why yes, it was :)