Perfect Poached Eggs & a Spice Rub

by Ann Landi — August 21, 2006

Monday August 21st
Perfect Poached Eggs

Next time you’re making eggs Benedict or any other dish that calls for poached eggs, try this method adapted from the French Culinary Institute:

•	For two eggs, bring a quart of water to boil in a medium-sized saucepan. Add ¼ cup vinegar (this will help set the whites). Do not add salt, which breaks up egg whites.
•	Lower the temperature to a gentle simmer.
•	Break eggs, one at a time, into a ramekin and check to make sure the yolks are intact.
•	Carefully slide the eggs into the water, and cook for about three minutes until the whites are firm and the yolks covered with a thin film.
•	Remove eggs to a basin of cold water to stop the cooking and remove the vinegar taste.
•	Place eggs on a paper towel and trim the ragged edges with scissors.
•	To serve: reheat quickly in hot salted water.

Tuesday August 22nd
Worth Its Salt

Salt has a bazillion uses aside from flavoring foods or melting snow in the driveway. These are just two, designed to enhance—of all things—your morning coffee:

•	Add a pinch of salt to the coffee in the basket of your coffeemaker. It improves the flavor by removing acidity.
•	To remove stains from the inside of a glass pot, add three or four teaspoons of salt, a cup of crushed ice, and a tablespoon of water (be sure the pot is at room temperature before you do this). Gently swirl until the stains are gone, then rinse thoroughly.

Wednesday August 23rd
It’s in the Bag

Next time you want to bag produce at the market—especially wet bunches of lettuce or heads of broccoli and cauliflower—try this trick: insert your hand into the plastic bag as you would in putting on a glove. Grasp the item through the bag, and then slip the top of the bag over and around the vegetables. (Dog walkers know this is the best way to pick up poop, too…but we thought we’d mention that last.)

Thursday August 24th
Cleaner Clams

Freshly shucked clams and oysters are one of the treats of summer, but they often contain a lot of interior grit and sand. To get them to yield up the bad stuff, add a few tablespoons of corn meal to a bucket of cold water. Soak the shellfish for a few minutes, and they’ll expel their gunk while trying to get rid of the cornmeal.

Friday August 25th
Spice Girl

Sure, you can buy jars and bags of fancy spice rubs to jazz up the flavors of barbecued meat and chicken, but why not make your own? Stored in an airtight container, away from the light, here’s one that’s good year ‘round—and it makes a great gift.

1/3 cup coarse or Kosher salt
¼ cup packed, light-brown sugar
¼ cup paprika
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, using your hands to break up the sugar. Store in a jar or a tin with a tight-fitting lid. Makes 1-1/4 cups (enough to season 5 to 10 pounds of meat, poultry, or seafood). For a more Southwestern flavor, replace some of the paprika with cumin, coriander, and chili powder. (Adapted from Everyday Food.)

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