Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Monday, January 2, 2012

2011 Sunsets

A Couple Cooking Tools

So I know I'm late to the party on this, but I just discovered how to microwave an egg to make a sort of scrambled/omelet thing out of it.  However, I think I've found the perfect vessel for it, and it's pretty cheap.

We registered for these things back in 2002 for our wedding. At the time I probably thought 8 was an excessive number, but now I think I'm going to get a couple more.  They're less than 2 bucks, and I use them for everything- dips, puddings/dessert cups, nut cups (please hold your middle school giggles), and condiments.  They're pretty enough to put on the table for a party, but they hold up to the microwave, dishwasher, baking, even broiling.  What makes them perfect for this task is that the egg puffs up and still fits very nicely on a mini bagel or English muffin due to the small diameter.  And a little cup for a one-egg serving means not having to worry about heating up or cleaning out a pan. Better for the environment and better for my time crunched lifestyle.  Incidentally, Crate and Barrel has two larger sizes which have all the same fabulous properties, except that they are not so perfect for microwaving an egg.  I use the bigger ones all the time too.

The other thing I found out is that yes, you can use a cookie press to pipe meringues.

If you or your family is doing the whole "eat better/lose weight" resolution, meringues are a nice dessert option, because they are basically egg whites, sugar, and air.  Not ideal for the carb-phobic, but 0 fat grams, and low in calories with a little dose of protein from the eggs.  Some people think they're too sweet or they taste like styrofoam, but I like 'em.  And you can always make nests and fill them with something more extravagant, like nutella, dulce de leche, ice cream, lemon curd or raspberry jam, but then you're sort of getting away from the healthy dessert thing.

My parents bought me a cookie press about 3 years ago.  Theoretically this should have been a perfect gift. I am a baker type- I really get into the Christmas cookie thing, and I love making pies, cakes, etc.- but I am not a fussy cookie press type. So it sat unused in my "kitchen graveyard" (does anyone else remember that episode of the Cosby Show?) for all of this time.  I wasn't sure if loading the meringue in there would deflate it or what, but besides being a messy process, it was really simple and easier than fighting with one of those pastry bags in my opinion.  My cookie press has a star tip and has a continuous trigger for piping whipped cream and frosting, and it turns out- meringue.

Happy New Year!