New Yorkers seem bored by the number of choices they have available to them at all times. When I was there this summer, I was overwhelmed by all the food options, and I had to remind myself that my stomach has a limited capacity. Alas, I could never try it all.
The natives seemed to crowd the local bodega more often than the trendiest ice cream shop. I can’t tell you how many times I stopped into a random bodega for a bottle of water and heard yet another local order something ordinary, like chicken and rice. From all appearances, this did not seem to be magical chicken and rice.
I finally figured out that the corner store had subbed in for a home-cooked meal. You know when you eat out too much and you’re relieved to eat anything out of your own kitchen? The bodega owner looks out for you like your own mother, asking about your kids while he hands you your pastrami wrap.
That wasn’t the only comfort-food trend I noticed while I was there. A fluffy egg sandwich popped up in several places I visited. I started looking out for it and made it my regular breakfast order. It wasn’t an omelet or a souffle or a quiche, but something in between.
At one cafe, a teeny spot in the East Village, I popped my head into the kitchen to find out how they were achieving that fluffed-up egg, cut into a square. I got my answer: “It’s baked.” I immediately started hunting down recipes to test at home.
Now this fluffy egg is part of my repertoire. This is not a food to enjoy only when you’re eating out. It’s the easiest home-cooked breakfast.
You could dress it up with some thin-sliced onion and brown-butter ricotta toast, but you could also relax into a simple, everyday egg-and-cheese sandwich.
Leftovers keep well, so you’ve got your breakfast to go, all week long.
BAKED FLUFFY EGG
- 10 eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheese (I used colby jack)
Place oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a 9-inch-square pan (I prefer metal type with straight sides) with parchment paper, and grease with nonstick spray or butter.
In large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Beat for about 1 minute. Stir in cheese.
Pour eggs into pan and bake until puffed and just about dry on the top, about 18-20 minutes.
Cool about 5 minutes, then cut into squares for sandwiches. Makes 9 squares.
Approximate nutritional information, per square: 150 calories, 11 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 220 mg cholesterol, 350 mg sodium, 2 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 2 g sugar, 11 g protein.
Mariko Jackson blogs about family and food at thelittlefoodie.com. Her column runs on the last Wednesday of the month. Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.
