To Cook - Part 3: Eggs

Eggs are one of my favorite things to cook.

Eggs are relatively cheap as an ingredient, very versatile, and healthy. They also are great way to learn and improve cooking skills, and are pretty forgiving. If you mess up making an omelet, you can easily turn it into scrambled eggs. If you crack open an egg for fried eggs and break the yolk, you can easily turn it into scrambled eggs. If you flip eggs to make them over-easy and mess up the flip, you can quickly turn them into scrambled eggs. In short when you learn how to cook eggs, you will likely make a lot of scrambled eggs. 

Put a little salt and pepper and your favorite hot sauce in those eggs and put it over toast—all good. Or if you want to get a little fancy, add some caviar and crème fraîche (I've never actually done this, but it sounds like a good idea).

Some chefs have very strong opinions about eggs. Some people think an omelet is overcooked if it has any brown and the inside isn't soft and runny. Others think scramble eggs must be cooked over low heat and have tiny soft curds, almost like porridge. I get that there is a level of cooking mastery in getting a perfect French-style omelet or this liquidy scrambled eggs, but it doesn't have to be that way. I love cooking eggs because you can do whatever you want, and more likely than not, it will be edible. It's not about doing it right, it's about cooking the kind of eggs that you like.

So let's get into some specifics.  

Fried eggs/Over easy eggs 

Warm your pan, put a little oil, crack an egg in a small bowl, and pour the eggs into the pan. Cover it for fried eggs so the water in the egg can create steam to cook the top of the egg. For over easy, flip the egg when the egg is cooked on the bottom and release it from the pan. If you shake your pan and the egg moves, it's ready to flip; if it's not, wait.  

If you want to get fancy, cook your fried eggs in butter and baste (spoon the butter) onto the top of the eggs to cook the top. When you put your egg in the pan, if it splatters, it's okay. It's just the water in the egg fighting against the hot oil. Turn down the heat in the pan, or wait. The splattering will lessen over time.  

Both types of eggs are lovely with a piece of buttered toast. Dipping the toast in the yolk and using the egg white as topping for the toast. Wonderful. My favorite way to enjoy a fried egg is to put it on top of a warm bowl of Chinese steamed rice (easily one of the greatest foods of all time). Mix a spoonful of soy sauce into the yolk and stir it up to create a wonderful sauce. There is one of my favorite dishes of all time.  

Scrambled eggs

Crack some eggs into a bowl, beat them with a fork until it's smooth and looks even. Pour them into the pan with some kind of fat. Olive oil works, lard works, and so does butter. Stir it a lot to make little curds, or fold it gently to make sheets of scrambled eggs. Do it over high heat to cook more solid pieces of eggs, or cook it slowly over low heat to make for a more even texture. You can add milk or water the egg while you beat them, but it doesn't really make a difference. Add more oil or butter if the eggs stick to the pan too much, or turn up the heat up on the pan.  

There are endless possibilities and variations with scrambled eggs, so experiment and try different things and see what you like. Mix in some cheese or bacon bits to the eggs. Try different seasonings. The nature of eggs and the relationship between heat, fat, and protein start becoming very clear when you begin cooking scrambled eggs and really pay attention to what is happening in your pan.  

My favorite way to cook scrambled eggs is with butter over medium heat. Eggs love being cooked in butter. First, I let the better melt but not brown, I pull in the sides as they are firm and end up pieces of eggs about the size of cheese curds. Then, I pull the eggs out of the pan while the egg is firm but not browned. Then I season with salt and pepper and hot sauce. 

Omelet 

The ultimate in cooking eggs is the omelet. It's one of the hardest eggs dishes to figure out, but it's a lot of fun and very rewarding. Pepin teaches it well in this video, so I'm not going to try to describe the process:  

 

Some tips:   

• Get the pan hot. Wait and be patient. You need the heat to get things rolling and moving like they do in Pepin's pan.   
• Have everything ready to go. Ensure you have toppings, seasonings, and the serving plate reading to go. The cooking of an omelet requires your complete attention, and things can move fast, so do your prep so you don't have to leave your pan.   
• Get a good pan. If you can't remember the last time you got a new non-stick pan, you probably need a new one. Also, get a new one if there are scratches on the pan or visible wear. I get mid-priced non-sticks and replace them every 6-8 months.   
• Practice. Every night after I put my children to be for about two months one summer, I made an omelet. I messed up a lot and made a lot of scrambled eggs. However, it was a lot of fun and I got really good at making omelets.

When you cook eggs a lot, you begin to understand the possibilities in cooking. A hard-boiled egg is a very different dish than a poached egg, and the fact that they come from the same ingredient speaks to the imagination of cooking and the diversity of techniques in cooking. In addition, so much you learn from cooking eggs applies to other foods. For example, the thing where fried eggs are release from a pan when they're ready to flip, this applies to all meats when searing them.  

Buy some eggs, get a good non-stick pan, stick, and butter, and have fun.  

The worst thing that happens is that you end up with scrambled eggs.

Parenthood: Week 485 - Permutations

We like to do things as a family. 

The vast majority of our family outings include all of us. There are times when Diana or me will take all three of our sons out to do something like go to the beach or something. Most of the time, though, the three boys are together when we go out and do things together.   

While we have a great time as a family with all three boys together, I’ve begun to notice that there are advantages to having my sons be together in different groupings. This allows for some individual time with one of us and also lets two boys have some time away from the third, which can be a nice change of pace.  

I took Ollie and Ethan to go see Lightyear. We figured Lucas probably wouldn't get a lot out of seeing this film. He doesn’t sit for that long, and Diana wasn’t that interested in the film, so I took the older boys. They had a lot of fun. I was honestly not that into the film and ended up falling asleep for a chunk of the film, but I was really happy Ollie and Ethan had a good time. Now I end up falling asleep in most films, plays, and concerts, since becoming a father...something about the dark room. Ollie and Ethan were both highly motivated by the film, so they were really well behaved getting to the film, which was nice.  

Last week, Ollie had a camp on Friday morning, and Ethan and Lucas were free, so I took them to a local park district amusement park called Pirate’s Cove. We did take Ollie to this place with his brothers last year, and he had a good time, but he’s starting to get too old for places like this. He’s right at the top age of the recommended age limit. While Ollie generally doesn’t mind doing things that are directed toward children younger than him, I don’t want to push it. We asked Ollie if he minded us taking his brothers without him or if he wanted us to go some other time with him, and he said he didn’t mind me taking my brothers without him.  

When Ethan and Lucas are together, they often take their cues on what to do and where to go when they go to places from Ollie. Without Ollie, Ethan stepped up and made an extra effort to lead Lucas around and help him out on the rides. I also found that Ethan paid more attention to Lucas without Ollie around and ensured he was okay. Now, Ethan didn’t spend the whole time looking after Lucas. There were times when he ran off, completely oblivious to where Lucas was, but more often than not, he was doing a great job taking on the role of the older responsible sibling.  

I’m not sure what it will be, but I look forward to doing something with just Lucas and Ollie. They have the biggest age difference between the three of them. Even though Lucas is actually closer in age to Ethan than Ethan is to Ollie, developmentally, Ollie and Ethan are more able to communicate and play together. This will change, and the dynamics of their relationships as a trio and as pairs will evolve over time.  

I love how much fun they have as a trio. So much they do together makes me so happy to witness. As someone who only had one sibling, I didn’t really think about what it meant for them to have time in different arrangements until recently. I’m looking forward to creating space for these relationships to grow in different ways and watching them grow. 

Ollie, Ethan, and Lucas are great to each other, and I’m so glad that have each other.

To Cook - Part 2: My Influences

When I think about my biggest influences as a cook, I think about watching cooking shows with my mother. We would sit and watch various shows on public television stations. Cooking shows in the 1980s became popular leading up to the Food Network, founded in 1990. 

In this shows is where most I found the strong influences that inspired my love of cooking. Here’s who got me on the path of loving cooking:

Martin Yan

   

Mirrors are important, and Martin Yan showed me that Asian men could cook, have fun in the process, and do it with style and flair. His tagline was inclusive, and he demystified Chinese cuisine masterfully.  

Yan’s shows featured visits to restaurants, factories, and neighborhoods that expanded my idea of Chinese cuisine and helped me understand the culture, history, and pride that went into Chinese cooking. Yan showed me that not only could cooking be part of my life, but that cooking was part of my heritage and who I am.  

One more thing that Yan taught me: you could be a success in America with an Asian accent. This was a powerful message for a young child who got the message early on that having an accent made you less than. If Martin Yan could be successful and be on television, then all of the people in my life who talked with an Asian accent could also be successful. 

Jacque Pepin  

Pepin has been teaching me to cook my entire life. Out of all of the television chefs, he is the one who has most effectively taught me how to cook. 

Pepin teaches in a very calm and understanding way. It’s never about doing things perfectly but doing things more effectively the way you want. It’s not about making an omelet the “right” way; it’s about learning to make an omelet the way you like it.  

   

For Pepin, cooking was a job, and while he talks about his work as a cook with fondness, he loves cooking for his friends and his family. This comes through in his teaching with warmth. He wants to be able to help all of us cook for ourselves and the ones we care about with love.  

One of the most beautiful expressions of love was when Pepin gave tribute to his wife after she passed away. Pepin taught us all how to make her favorite sandwich.  

   

You can hear the sadness in his voice, but you also see him find meaning in the simple act of showing what it means to take care of the ones you love through cooking. Like Pepin, I want my cooking to be about love.  

 

Julia Child  

It all started with Julia Child. It was her cookbook, cooking shows, and all of her appearance, but that wouldn’t have been as powerful, influential, and important if it wasn’t for the way she saw cooking. For Child, cooking was an adventure full of wonder and joy. It was an activity in which mistakes were a feature, were meant to laugh off, and embraced.  

When I watched her cooking shows as a child, I didn’t initially understand her appeal. She sometimes seemed flustered or unsure of herself. However, now I realize in those moments, she was being all of us, uncertain of what to do next and not entirely confident in the kitchen. But that was okay because if Julia was like that in the kitchen and still could make a great meal, so could the rest of us.  

When Child and Pepin did shows together, I remember being so inspired by her. She was fascinated by the process of cooking. Child was both intellectual and spontaneous, and her interactions with Pepin were full of respect and love.  

   

 Julia Child taught me how to cook and, more importantly, how love cooking.  

All of these people helped me learn to cook and love cooking, but the most significant influence on my cooking is my mom, but that’s for another blog post...

Parenthood: Week 484 - Brains At Work

We have a routine where Ollie has to get "chores" done, and then he can have some times to play video games. For his chores, he has to do some reading and math work, clean up his play space, and practice the violin. It's wonderful to see how Ollie self-initiates this work. In the past, he needed me to tell him to get to work and remind him that he had to earn time to play video games. Now Ollie is coming up to me and asking if he can get to work. This is a great sign that he is managing his time better and thinking ahead throughout the day. 

The other thing that is really exciting about this is that Ollie sometimes wants to do more math work or read a book after his chores and after he's done playing video games. Ollie likes how the work engages his brain, and I love seeing him seek this out. Sometimes it's in his cubing hobby, and other times it's in workbooks. I'm so proud to see him find ways to engage his brain and explore.  

Ethan has been really into the challenge of making Lego sets. He still makes mistakes trying to interpret the drawings into three-dimensional shapes. Ethan periodically flips pieces around or misses parts that he didn't notice, but he's getting better at it. He is motivated by the fact that making Legos is like making an action figure for him, but I also think he really enjoys the process of making Legos and how rewarding the challenge is for him.  

Ethan is very much trying to figure out interpersonal relationships. He often comments on how he is treated the same or different than his brothers. He is very keen on his observations and wants to understand why things are the way they are. Sometimes I don't have time to explain the reasons, or the reasons are beyond his understanding, but I appreciate that he's trying to figure things out.  

This thinking manifests itself in Ethan being unreasonable and stubborn. While I find this aggravating and annoying at times, I feel it's a sign of thinking, making conclusions, and trying to fight for the way that something should be. This is an important thing that he develops and will be an asset as he ages. As his intellect grows, this, combined with his passion, will lead him to fight for what is right and not give up.  

I'm not sure what Lucas thinks when he looks at a book by himself, but he does this a lot. It's adorable, and sometimes his little brow furrows as he looks at a picture. It's so cute. For a little more than a year, he's been bringing books up so we would read to him. Instead of just sitting there while we read, he participates more in this activity. He will point to animals and name them, repeat certain words, and react emotionally more to books than he has in the past.  

The other way we see Lucas grow greatly is through his speech. He is working hard to say more sounds, and he sees speech as a gateway into the world. This is partly because we are making him say words when he points to candy that he wants, but I also think he sees the benefits and is just having fun with how words feel to say and sound to himself.  

Then there are the quiet moments on walks when he stops, sits down, carefully touches a blade of grass, and smiles. Watching his brain at work as he explores and interacts with the world is magical.

To Cook - Part 1: Essential Tips

Here are the most important things to remember when cooking. 

Safety  

If there's a fire in your kitchen, don't water to put it out. Instead, cover the fire with a frying pan top or pot top and deprive it of oxygen to put it out. Many fires in kitchens involve grease, and water on hot grease makes the grease splatter and potentially spread the fire. So instead, cover it up.

Cut slowly and carefully using knuckles as a guide. The only times I've cut myself with a knife were when I was trying to cut quickly for no good reason. Use knives carefully with good technique.  

Wash your hands before you cook and during the cooking process.  

Turn the pot and panhandle to the side. I've never knocked off a pan off the stove, but I've gotten close.   

Clean  

I've never understood the division of labor between cooking and cleaning. One person cooks, and their partner cleans? It's nice when people help each other out. Households where chores are a collaborative effort are optimal. But cleaning is part of cooking in many ways. You have to clean vegetables and fruits, you need to clean your hands often when cooking, and you have to clean surfaces, dishes, and utensils.  

I recommend cleaning utensils and dishes when you have time while you are cooking. It makes the pile of dishes after a meal less intimidating. For example, while waiting for water to the bowl, clean off the cutting board. Waiting for a steak to rest, clean off the stovetop. There's a fair amount of time when you need to wait while you cook, so use this time to tidy up.  

It's a wonderful feeling at the end of meal prep to have a clean kitchen. I really struggle to cook in a kitchen that isn't clean. Before you start cooking, having a clean space is sanitary, and safer. The process of cleaning clears the mind. Unfortunately, I'm not always able to clean up right after a meal. Especially with kids, the kitchen isn't sometimes thoroughly cleaned up until after they go to bed, but it's a great feeling when it is cleaned up. It's now a space ready for creation.  

Tip: dishwashing gloves make cleaning feel like less of a thing. I mind doing dishes far less when I have dishwashing gloves.  

The arc of cooking starts with a clean kitchen and ends with a clean kitchen. Embrace cleaning as part of your process, and take pride in your tools and space.  

Pay attention when you cook…with all of your senses.  

The most rewarding cooking moments have been when I have been entirely focused on cooking and not distracted. All five senses are involved in cooking, and it's a wonderful experience to be fully engaged. There is a sound when the water leaves vegetables as it hits a hot pan and when meat is done searing. The color at the edge of pancake zucchini fritter tells you it's time to flip. The smell of ginger in a pan lets you know it's time to add other ingredients into a stir fry. There is the feeling of a finger touching banana bread and it coming back like a soft pillow that lets you know it's done, and of course, there's taste. 

There are times when I cook when I play music or listen to a podcast, and it's not a bad thing to do this, but it's not the same as letting the sounds of cooking create a soundtrack of your process and helps you focus all of your senses.  

I've often cooked while being distracted, and it's inevitable with small children in the house. There's no shame in that, but try to take time to cook with all of your senses. It's a lot of fun.  

Cook when you're not hungry.  

Cooking when you are hungry can be stressful. It's hard to enjoy cooking when you are just trying to make a meal as soon as possible. Try to find moments to cook between meals. You don't have to eat what you cook. You can try cooking something and working on recipes and then save what you make for the next meal. 

Don't just cook to make food to eat.  

Sometimes cook for the sake of enjoying cooking.

Parenthood: Week 483 - What Love’s All About

Ethan has always had trouble sleeping. 

When he was a baby, he wanted to be cuddled to sleep. He preferred to co-sleep, and it took many difficult nights to get him to sleep by himself in his crib. While Ethan is a more independent sleeper, not much has changed. He still wants to be cuddled to sleep and would still prefer to co-sleep. Currently, we are keeping him in his bed at night by bribing him with a Lego advent calendar. If he stays in his bed all night, he can open a window in the calendar.  

Ethan tells me he doesn’t want to be alone at night and is afraid of his dreams. Maybe this reflects something about how he sees the world and himself. While I try to give him space and space to talk about these feelings, I need to provide structure and get him to bed. Like other children, he uses ploys like needing a drink of water or wanting another story to keep from going to sleep. Some nights his demands aren’t a big deal, and other nights are very frustrating and irritating.  

If Ethan doesn't get to bed at a reasonable time, he will have a more challenging morning, which is harder for us all to deal with. Also, the longer he stays up, the less time I have to take care of things that I want to do for myself or the house. 

I was having one of those nights with Ethan. We had read books together and listened to music together, and he was not settling down to go to sleep. I felt annoyed, and I was done. I told him sternly that it was time to go to sleep. Ethan asked for one more song and one more hug. I said fine, sighed, and without thinking much, I turned on “Philadephia” by Neil Young, lay down in his bed, and pulled Ethan into my arms.  

 

I looked up at the ceiling as the song started to play. After the piano introduction, I looked over at Ethan as I heard these lyrics:  

Sometimes I think that I know 

What love's all about 

And when I see the light 

I know I'll be all right 

In the dim light of the room, Ethan was facing me, eyes closed and peacefully sleeping. All my frustration with Ethan second before before went away as I looked at my beautiful boy. I was so eager to be done with getting Ethan to bed so I could get on with my evening, but I found myself staying with him as the song continued to play.  

Love is about many things. It’s frustration becoming adoration in mere seconds. It’s forgiveness and acceptance and letting healing come in the quiet moments. 

Someone is talking to me 

Calling my name 

Tell me I'm not to blame 

I won't be ashamed of love

To Cook - Introduction

I love cooking. It combines science, culture, creativity, traditions, innovation, and love. Cooking has the potential to transform what is essential and mundane into an artistic and cathartic experience. Great cooking can be simple or almost incomprehensibly complex. Through cooking, we connect to people worldwide and throughout history. 

Cooking has things to fear. Everyone who cooks will burn themselves. A gas flame on a stove can reach over 3000 degrees Fahrenheit. Everyone who will eventually cut themselves doing prep with knives. If you don’t clean surfaces and utensils well, handle foods safely and cook proteins to safe temperatures, you can get sick from food as a consequence of cooking. And you can mess up and make things inedible when you cook.  

Mistakes are a feature of cooking. For example, eggshells fall into bowls when eggs are cracked; food gets undercooked; a dish tastes too salty, an omelet apart, or an ingredient gets burned. Cooking requires you to see mistakes as opportunities to be creative, to problem solves, and most importantly, to learn. A big piece of eggshell is a perfect tool to get eggshell out of a bowl. If a piece of chicken looks cooked on the outside and still isn’t done, let it in the oven. Sometimes all you need is a little sugar or water when a dish is too salty, and if an omelet falls apart, now you got scrambled eggs.  

Cooking is a language of love for others and oneself. When you cook for someone else, you are saying I care about your well-being on a primal level. You are contributing to their health, mood, and spirit, not just for that one meal. Food prepared one day affects how bodies develop over time, and the cooking for someone adds to a feeling of care and self-worth for those served that resonate throughout a whole life. 

When we cook for ourselves, it’s a moment of creation and self-care. When we create things, it reminds us that we are powerful, and there is a satisfaction that comes from creating beauty that enriches life and the human spirit. When the act of creation brings us the sustenance to thrive, it is self-care on a seemingly basic level, but it can transcend and makes us feel love for ourselves.  

So this summer I’m going to write about cooking and food. It’s an important part of my life that I haven’t written about on this blog. I’m going to get into some food memories, the fundamentals of cooking that I follow, and some of my favorite things to cook.  

Tonight, I’m going to braise some cabbage in butter, a magical dish. The cabbage steams with its moisture, and the butter enhances the flavor of the cabbage wonderfully. It takes time like forty-five minutes, but it’s worth the time. Next, I’m making steamed rice, cooked in a time-honored Chinese process. The ritual of washing the rice and measuring the amount of water in the pot makes me feel proud to be Asian. Finally, I have some chicken thighs to cook. I may fry them up to make chicken teriyaki, but if I have some broth, I might make some soup. We’ll see. 

Friday’s, cooking and me.