Macanese Minchi is one of the most prized dishes of Macau and has as many variations as there are cooks that make it. Minchi derives its name from the English word "minced" indicating that the dish may have been introduced to Macau by the Anglophone community in Hong Kong, though other histories place its origins in Goa, another Portuguese province. Traditionally minchi is made with beef or pork (or a combination of the two) but it can also be made with chicken, fish, shrimp or vegetables like bitter melon or wood ear mushrooms. The best minchi is supposedly made by chopping the meat by hand using two cleavers (or parangs). The common practice of adding an egg on top may have its roots in Roman Catholicism, with the bright yellow yolk and egg white representing the color contrast of the Holy See coat of arms.
Stir-fried chicken with hot basil
This salad tastes like early summer to me -- sweet, herbal and fresh. When you thin slice two kinds of peas and toss them with spring greens and a creamy spring onion dressing, all sorts of gentle contrasts start playing against each other. The unique taste and texture of the 65ºC egg works beautifully here, too.
One of the most classic and popular of all Spanish dishes, the egg and potato tortilla is, simply, iconic. It was, fittingly, the first dish I learned to make when I moved to Spain in 1996, in a lesson given to me by my future brother-in-law, Robert. Preparing a tortilla with potato alone is fine, but using an equal amount of onions produces a sweeter, moister, and, in my mind, superior result. While the key to a good tortilla is keeping it moist in the center, the real trick, he showed me, comes in flipping it. Or rather, flipping the tortilla without the bottom sticking.
What's more perfect than the simplicity of this sandwich? It's comforting, not too difficult to make, and you need only a few key ingredients. These are the essentials to preparing the kind of midnight food we love. The kind of food that will make you close your eyes and exhale a hot cheesy jumble that sounds something like "Oh my gah so freakin' good."
Who would imagine browning deviled eggs to caramelize their edges and crisp their fillings? What a sensual turn with a hard-cooked egg. We owe the idea to Jacques Pépin and his memoir, The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen.
Kukuye sabsi is a Persian-style omelette, similar to a frittata, and is often served on New Year's Day in Iran. The secret of the texture is to chop the parsley coarsely, not finely.
In my own personal food awards, frittatas win medals in these categories: Quick; Easy Supper; Vegetarian Entrées for All Tastes; and Everything That's Good About Eggs. In that last one, frittatas are to be commended for their ability to be both sturdy and tender at the same time, and for their willingness to be delicious at room temperature or even cold.
I'm in love with the combination of kimchi and eggs, and these came to me when I was looking for a flashy appetizer to take to an author event at the Smithsonian. But they became a standby in Maine when I had abundant access to fresh eggs but no one in the house to share them with, since my sister and brother-in-law had decided to go vegan. This recipe depends on the use of good kimchi, so either make the Cabbage Kimchi or buy the best you can find, probably at an Asian market. These can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days, but are best eaten within a few hours of being made.
This egg salad supposedly originated with a chef who cooked for European royalty before a stint at the National Casino in Budapest, Hungary. Odds are you won’t find this delicious dish on any Las Vegas or Atlantic City menu, but it is a sure bet for lunch or at the dinner hour. Butter and sour cream lend a rich foundation, but it’s still lighter than a typical mayonnaise-based egg salad. And the anchovies add a hint of salt and briny depth. This is terrific served with lettuce and fresh vegetables as a salad, or with lettuce and tomato on toast as a sandwich.