Sunday, August 23, 2015

Breaking Eggs....


My mother has a cousin sister who is  a nun, some school holidays, I used to spent whole month  with her .She was in Bandarawela, the good shepherd convent. Later  as an architecture student I came to know the chapel was designed by Arch.Ulrik Plesner, but as a ten years old I did not spent much time there.
( When I was at good Sheppard chapel  last time ,it was 2009 It is a nice place....I dont know who is sitting there...but I love this photo....)
As a kid I was kind of a  tomboy, so my mother hoped staying at  this convent environment will make some different,that was the idea of sending me there,  not to enjoy the vacation .There were certain improvements,of course I learn to work on time table, I learn to house cleaning, feeding hens etc…

The sister  Carmelia was the most kind lady out of all nuns, even she thought me  play piano, and she did not try to change  me.Other nuns were ok specially my aunt, but  I prefer sister Carmelia, Within the convent itself we also had a bakery.
We did make local breads, fish buns,Kibula buns, all that. If I had first time BBQ chicken it was at this place, I learnt it from Sister Carmelia, She thought me how to season the chicken properly. Actually I had a very good vacation time. Not only the bakery there was a farm shop as well,where they sold  eggs,chicken etc..

It was Sister Carmelia who explained how to candle the eggs, candling eggs mean, before we sell eggs in the farm shop we look for imperfections. We hold the eggs against to a light bulb or a fairly large candle and searching cracked  or flawed ones among eggs. Then we send to the bakery, they use it for cakes or making breads, the first time when I did candling eggs I found a flaw or crack in every single one of them the thin hair line ones. 
So that the  bucket which goes to the farm shop was pretty much empty.
It was the  sister Carmelia who told me that day if we look very carefully everything has a crack, if you identify it  you can break it from that crack, well as a ten years old one I did not understand what she meant that day. Actually I took over another ten years to understand what she  told.
If we look closely enough we will find very weak spot in everything, so we can beak it from that point. If we are smart enough we also find our weak spot as well, so we can take precaution before someone break our lives. That was the lesson I learnt from Sister Carmelia.

Every time when I do break an egg this coming to my mind…Now Sister Carmelia in her early seventies, of course I don’t get much time to spend with her. But still if I spend an hour with her I am learning something new....
Eggs are very versatile food.to day it was a Sunday and I got some nieces and nephews visiting our home. So I thought now it is time to teach something I know about eggs. Of course today there were about eight of my nieces and nephews so I did some eggs buffet for lunch. I made different egg dishes, kids enjoyed it.
Well I started with my favorite poached eggs. Of course it is fun to make it and the taste of creamy softness

 It’s very simple, but make sure you have fresh eggs very simple first add a small dash of vinegar to a pan of steadily simmering water. Crack eggs individually into a ramekin or cup. Look for the weak point just kidding. Then creates a gentle whirlpool in the water to help the egg white wrap around the yolk. Next step is slowly tip the egg into the water, white first. Then leave to cook for three minutes. Then it is done. Drain onto kitchen paper or straight away to a plate. Sprinkle some salt and chopped parsley if you looking for some dressing.

I don t think it is necessary to explain making egg omelet, even you can do Bulls’ eye…just break the egg into heated pan with little oil.
The other thing is boiling eggs, we may all think boiling eggs is very and anybody can do…of course it’s easy…but there are essential tips to follow. We can do hard boiling, half boiling or medium. I prefer medium boiled eggs. For medium boiled eggs it only takes seven minutes sharp. Don’t keep over seven minutes and immediately drain to cold water. Otherwise there will be ash color membrane between white yolk and yellow yolk. I don’t like being ash at all………

Then what I did was egg BBQ, well it’s also simple, just keep the eggs above the heat…But it takes time….well minimum 45 minutes.
 But if you want to make fast you can place it with burning charcoal. Also I did not do but we can bake eggs in the oven, but t you have to use heat resistance   Vessel and covered with sand. Leave about ten minutes in 245 centigrade.Or else you van use BBQ stick and place it ever the flame...But this is very messy job...I had really unsuccessful story today...Final product was very unattractive...Even I could not eat....
thing is it's a mixed of both white and yellow parts...Not nice...


Well actually I did not make today but my mother helped with this.
This is Sri Lankan special with eggs, actually only in Sri Lanka you can find this. It’s the egg hoppers…We have very popular food called Hoppers. It’s kind of pancake but with very crispy edge.

Everybody can’t make this including me…so when you add and eggs on the hopper it’s an egg hopper. Making hopper I’ll explain some other time.time.
 Mhhh egg hoppers….I just love it…