The Perfect Omelet

Oh, how life gets in the way and effectively prevents one from sitting at her computer and turning out an entry. I'm back, whomever you are, taking time to read this blog!

In recent years there have been a lot of discussions surrounding the omelet...writers behind television shows, magazines, and online media have taken very humble ingredients and elevated it into an overly complicated, however delicious, piece of art. 

I'm not here to wax poetic about the magic behind an egg, some spices, and a lob of butter, but I will tell you how I've achieved omelet greatness without the threat of carpal tunnel. I love omelets and eat them constantly, knowing that they are A) relatively healthy and B) take very little time to cook. After a long day at the office, the comfort of a hot, savory meal drives me to pull out my omelet pan time and time again, and I'm never disappointed. Here are my tried-and-true instructions for an unadulterated cheese omelet.

I start with two eggs and two bowls. I immediately diverge from the gourmet track by fully admitting that I am using run-of-the-mill, non-organic, non-cage-free or just-harvested-from-my-own-coop-this-morning eggs. Let's be honest here...I certainly understand the flavor benefits of a gorgeous fresh egg, but how often do we have immediate access to them? I also put my little non-stick skillet on the burner and turn the heat on low-medium.

I separate the two eggs: the yolks into a little dessert dish or cereal bowl or whatever is handy, and the whites into my Mauviel copper bowl. (Writer's Interjection: Alright, I understand that copper bowls are a somewhat rarity in a typical kitchen, or at best have a place of unused honor on a wall or shelf. But to reference a past blog, I must say that one should never own anything that is too good to use, and that includes the beautiful copper pieces adorning a pot rack or hanging on a wall!)  Honestly, any metal bowl will do. I whisk the egg whites until fluffy and near soft-peak stage, (the benefit of copper is in this step--the copper ions adhere to the egg and the white stiffens much faster than using a metal bowl.) which normally takes 3-4 minutes. I give the yolks a quick stir, and pour them into the whites. 

 Gently fold the yolks with a rubber spatula until fully incorporated, and add any spices you'd like. I personally stick with a pinch of salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and about half a teaspoon of dried thyme.The pan will be nice and hot by now, so drop a healthy tablespoon of butter into the pan and let it sizzle to a fragrant, slightly nutty, and golden brown state. Pour the eggs into the pan, and pull the rubber spatula through the egg several times.

I let the egg cook for about a minute, and then flip it with the rubber spatula. There is an ongoing discussion regarding this step; some say that an omelet has no need to be flipped, while others flip the egg to ensure it is fully cooked. If you're afraid of flipping the omelet and the possibility of breaking it over the edge of your pan, don't do it. Just watch for the omelet to appear slightly dry, with tiny bubbles rippling the surface. 

The omelet will only take about 2 minutes to cook completely, and when finished  turn the burner off and sprinkle cheese over half of the omelet. Almost any cheese will work, based on your personal preferences. I love an extra sharp cheddar, or even soft mozzarella and a sprinkle of shredded parmesan. Use the rubber spatula to fold the other half over the cheese, and allow it to set and melt for a minute. Slide the omelet onto a plate, and voila! just about the best omelet you could ever have on this side of the Atlantic. 

 

The end result is warm, cheesy, and thick yet light. A completely satisfying meal for any time of the day!

My Kitchen....Proof that there is Hope for a Cook Operating in a Tiny Apartment Kitchen

I suppose if I'm going to talk about things like cooking and baking, then I should probably throw my kitchen in as a topic.

My kitchen sits in a 600 sq ft apartment, inside a great 1930s apartment building with all the charming trimmings: brick, a Spanish tile roof, paned windows, and sprawling ivy. I love my apartment--I really do--but if I could change one thing, it would be my kitchen. Standing at a galley-like 10'x7', this kitchen is just about the antithesis of a cook's dream kitchen. It is completely enclosed, has a slightly-sloping linoleum floor, and contains exactly 18 inches of counter space.

Its pluses? A large, South-facing window, a farmer's sink, and open shelving to display my collections. I'll ignore the fact the window always seems to have a layer of grime on the outside, trapped by the storm window, and that the farmer's sink has only one basin and its hot water tap is more likely to kick out freezing cold water than hot.

Beyond these obstacles, I still have a pretty productive kitchen. A small kitchen is not going to stop me from doing what I love! I've successfully kicked out dinner parties for 8 in this space-challenged room. Here are some of my tried-and-true tips for keeping a tiny kitchen organized and functional:

1) Own only what you love....and need. This is my biggest piece of advice. Many of my friends have gotten married in the last couple of years, and most of them registered for gadgets and gizmos that they've never taken out of the drawer. They own melon ballers, multiple sizes of rasp graters, huge knife blocks that takes up precious counter space, heavy meat mallets, and gravy separators, among other things. These items can certainly play an important role in your cooking repertoire, but if you use these things only once a year, do you really need them?

So, if your space is at a premium (or if you just want to de-clutter your sagging kitchen drawers), clean it out. Box up the items you never use and donate them, put them out at the yard sale, or put them into storage for a later time. If you've got items that are essential at certain times of the year, i.e. holiday cookie cutters, pastry bags, and bamboo skewers, get them out of the kitchen. Counterintuitive, I know, but hear me out. I have a linen closet with an awkward space at the bottom of it. Well, lo and behold, it was the perfect height, depth, and width for one of those plastic 3-drawer storage units. I was able to stow all the things that I needed to keep on-hand, but for which I didn't want to use precious kitchen storage space. Bonus: the drawers are semi-transparent, so it's easy to see what's in each drawer at a glance. Double Bonus: it clears stuff out of my kitchen drawers so I can get at what I use on a regular basis with ease.

2) Now that you've prioritized your kitchen gear, find clever ways to organize it. I'm a big fan of the utensil jar, plastic drawer organizers, and cheap shelving (wire or plastic) that can be put in your kitchen cabinets to add another tier of shelf space. Other great space-saving items: paper towel racks that can be mounted to the inside of a cabinet, metal strips that can be installed on a wall and provide magnetic "storage", and last, but definitely not least, the almighty 3M Command adhesive hook. And don't be afraid to look outside traditional kitchen storage for solutions for your kitchen. Some of my best space-savers have come from unlikely places (see below).
3) Expand your counterspace. Opposite the sink I had 7 glorious feet of bare wall. I bought a cute rolling cart from Ikea, made it my own, and now I have 3 .5 more feet of kitchen counter space. Bonus: the top is butcher block, so I can chop things right on it, set hot pans on it, and generally abuse it as much as I please. It also has two storage drawers and two open shelves, giving me a LOT more storage space. There are a lot of great kitchen carts to be had out there, in many different sizes, features, and storage options. Even if your kitchen is so small that it can't hold a kitchen cart, that's the benefit of a rolling kitchen cart....it rolls. You can put it in a corner, or stow it somewhere else in your place and pull it out as needed!

4) Now that you have more counterspace, keep it clear. Counter-clearing tip 1: if you have a knife block on your counter, get rid of it! It really does not protect your knives much better than storing them in knife protectors in a plastic drawer organizer. Counter-clearing tip 2: put away the appliances. If you use your coffee maker or toaster every day, then by all means, keep it on the counter. But the blender, the stand mixer, the electric can opener, the food processor, etc. can all be put away. Open shelving/storage is a great way to get these items out of the way. Bonus: if you're as messy a cook as I am, getting your rarely-used appliances off the counter saves you clean up time post-cooking, when you realize everything on your countertop has a fine layer of flour/confectioner's sugar/cocoa powder dust.

5) On the other hand, do make counter space for the things that count most. If coffee is your Elixir of Life, keep your coffee maker on the counter. Keep a jar (or crock, or cute (clean) flower pot) of your favorite cooking utensils within reach of the stove. If you have pretty storage jars of essential ingredients, show them off.

6) Brighten things up. Let's face it: apartment kitchens have about the worst lighting imaginable. Fluorescence, cheap ceiling fixtures, and general lack of under-cabinet lighting lead to gloomy spaces and do not make the cooking experience enjoyable. It also doesn't help us renters don't have the luxury of being able to hard-wire new fixtures. I had the disadvantage of one dim ceiling fixture, but I completely changed the lighting in my kitchen for less than $20 and a trip to Ikea. I installed under-cabinet halogen lights and 3 adjustable halogen light fixtures on the wall above my kitchen cart. With a handful of screws and a Phillips screwdriver, my kitchen became a bright and well-lit space. The halogen lights give bright, warm light, use little energy, last forever, and are unobtrusive. Now I can actually see what is bubbling away on my stove....

7) Other tips and tricks for working in a small kitchen...

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  Use uncoventional storage solutions. I had a very narrow space between my stove and wall, and a desperate need for more storage. After looking at kitchen storage options and not finding anything, my solution actually came in the form of closet organizers. Closet organizers come in a myriad of sizes and colors, and I found a particleboard 5-shelf tower. I primed and painted it to match my kitchen, and ended up with enough new storage to stow all of my small appliances that once perched precariously on my kitchen cart.
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  Use the space under the sink. I have a large cabinet under my sink with two shelves. The top shelf holds all of my food storage bags/wrap/foil and cleaning supplies; the bottom shelf is lined in contact paper and is the perfect depth to store even my largest cookie sheets and cake pedestals.
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  When cooking, practice the French technique mise en place. In a small kitchen, organization is key, and preparing all ingredients and laying out utensils/ingredients before the start of cooking will keep you moving along efficiently. It also prevents any of those "I'm a stick of butter short!" moments.
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  However small, make your kitchen your own. Bright towels and potholders, cheery kitchen lighting, and a chic kitchen rug all enhance the cooking experience and make you feel better about your space.  

The Book

I figured the best way to start this blog and give a little insight to my point of view is to tell you about my Book. "The Book", actually 3 binders and counting, is the source of the method behind my Madness. It's a compilation of hand-scribbled notes, magazine tears, website printouts, and dutifully copied items. Working on The Book has become a hobby, as I'm always looking for that next piece that inspires me and drives me to try something new. Here's how I've organized my binders:

1) Entertaining and Holidays. This book is probably my most incomplete, but has exponentially grown with the recent holiday season and the abundance of magazine fodder it inspires. It contains everything from laying out a proper table setting, to selecting the proper wines for a brunch, to instructions for handmade Christmas gifts. I love entertaining throughout the year, and when I want to generate a little creative energy, I turn to this book first. This book serves as the first stop for all of my seasonal and holiday planning.

2) Homekeeping. This book is a catch-all of decorating ideas, gardening tips, cleaning methods, and other important "how do I's?" for around the house. A lot of the decorating ideas that are in this book are aspirational, even wishful thinking, but I don't think there's anything wrong with knowing what you want! This book also contains the inspiration behind the never-ending project list also stored in the book. My list ranges from the small and achievable changes around my apartment to the large and "this-isn't-going-to-happen-until-I-get-a-house" dreams.

3) Recipes. Double the size of my other books, Recipes is far and away the most referenced. It holds recipes from magazines, printouts from some of my favorite web recipe sources, and typed recipes copied from the best of my Mom's recipe box. I like that the plastic page protectors do just that; protect pages that would have otherwise been destroyed by my flamboyant (read: messy) cooking techniques. Since all of the recipes are picked by me, I know that everything in that book is something I (and anyone who is joining me for a meal) will love. Most of the recipes are also mounted on colored typing paper, leaving me space to make notes as I try them (i.e. "Favorite!", "Easter 2008", "frosting is thin--thicken with more confectioner's sugar"). I realize that there are several electronic recipe devices on the market that could serve all these functions, but I really think there's something to a hand-written and hand-collected volume.

Most of the information comes from my favorite resources for homekeeping: Martha Stewart Living, Better Homes and Gardens, and House Beautiful magazines. I supplement this information with my own notes (what worked, what didn't), thoughts on how to recreate an idea I like at a better price, and the wisdom of generations that have gone before me. I love that this project never truly ends; it's constantly changing and adapting to my stages in life. I love tucking away an aspirational magazine tear sheet and later thinking of a way to complete the project for less money with a little ingenuity and elbow grease. I love the idea of setting out to try something new and only needing to review a collection of options that have already been pre-approved by me.