The egg and I and early death

Dale and I want to live long and healthy lives, but we’re not obsessed with every study or every trend that purports to buy us more time. At some point, you just have to tune out the noise and go about your business.

However, this week’s headline about eggs got my attention. I remember when eggs were on the naughty list. Now they’re good again, but I was skimming the news and read eating more than three eggs per week increases your risk of heart disease and early death.

I was devastated, because I eat about three eggs a week, not realizing, of course, the clause about early death. I’m no stable genius, but I’m proud of my adult-like response.

Fuck it, I’m eating eggs.

I mentioned the sad egg news to Dale, and he said no! It was three eggs per day. Surely, he was wrong, but it turns out he was right. I misread the headline. I would never eat three eggs a day, unless it was a cheesy three-egg omelet, and I had no free will.

So, yes, eggs are still on the menu. I sometimes eat a fried egg on toast with just a smidgen of butter for breakfast, but I do fry the egg without fat in a non-stick pan. Soft-boiled eggs are a tasty alternative with the potential for cute accessories – special cups, plates, spoons, snippers and even cozies to keep them warm! It’s like a cult.

As for evening, I might make a spinach souffle or omelet. My sister taught me to make fluffy omelets in high school. For years, omelets and tacos were the only two things I knew how to make … limiting for sure, but at least I chose well. Regrettably, those were days when I knew not of what I ate, and I recall putting chopped Vienna Sausages in my omelet.

But onto better times! Behold, Spaghetti Carbonara, where raw eggs mix with Parmesan cheese and Pancetta and cook with the heat of the pasta. Another favorite is Caesar Salad. I make the dressing with a 1-minute egg, olive oil, lemon, garlic and anchovies.

One of our favorite egg dishes is something I made up. I actually have several recipes in the category of Made-Up Mexican. We call this one Huevos Dineros. I know the translation is wrong, dinero means money not dinner, but it just sounds funny to me. It’s a heartier dish than the Huevos Rancheros I make for weekend brunch.

For Huevos Dineros, I fry corn tortillas in vegetable oil until crisp. Two each, slightly overlapping on a sheet pan or other broiler-friendly dish. Top with homemade red chile sauce or canned enchilada sauce that has been warmed and doctored up with cumin, cayenne and whatever else suits your fancy.

Gently slide a lightly fried egg on top of each serving and cover with grated cheddar cheese. Broil until the cheese is bubbly. Use a spatula to transfer each serving onto a plate and add shredded iceberg lettuce, chopped tomato, maybe a few radishes and perfect slices of ripe avocado. Don’t forget a dollop of sour cream. Serve with salsa on the side.

You can always make it with two eggs each if you are all ungry like.

How do you like your eggs?