Two Stinky But Delicious Food Items

Steamed Broccoli is one, and hard boiled eggs is the other.

Let's start with the broccoli.  I have had a couple of microwave steamers in the past.  The first was from Tupperware and the second was from Pampered Chef.  Both were terrific.  I had the Tupperware one for more than 10 years, and it finally just fizzled out.  The Pamper Chef one must have been lost in the move to The Rocky Coast.  So on a trip to Bed Bath and Beyond, I found another one.  This one was a lot cheaper and I figured I would give it a whirl. 

It has actually worked very well.  I really like it.  So let's steam some broccoli.  The two ingredients you need are broccoli and Molly McButter.  I was introduced to this years ago, and the steamed veggies are the only thing I think I have used it on.  I remember a party given by Darling once, and she very nicely made some plain pasta with Molly McButter on it.  It was actually delicious.  I will have to try it sometime soon.

Cut up the broccoli into bite size, or a little larger, florets.

With whatever you are using to steam, make sure there is a little ventilation.

This microwave is 1000 watts, and it takes 7 minutes to get the broccoli to tender crisp.  So adjust your time to whatever your wattage is.  It took a few trys for me to figure out that 7 minutes worked really well with this microwave.

Have a dish with a cover ready to transfer the broccoli into.

Sprinkle liberally with the Molly McButter.  Cover it and let it sit for a minute to absorb the M Mc.  Then shake it a little to get each piece covered.  UD and I leave this in the fridge and snack on it through the day.  But it is perfect as a side dish also.

Now on to hard boiled eggs.

It seems like a lot of people have a tough time making the perfect hard boiled egg.  I was one of them, but I was determined to master it, with the help of some great tips from the crew at the Food Network.

I have a new gadget to help with the hard boiled eggs.  Recently I went with two friends, L and P, to a kitchen store I had never been to.  It is called The Well Tempered Kitchen.  It was really nice and I will be back.  P pointed out the little gadget below.  It is to poke a teeny hole in the raw egg, so that when you are boiling it, the egg doesn't crack.  I used it this time, and it appeared to work great!  None of the 4 eggs were cracked and I believe it may have been a little easier to peel them also.  You hold the gadget against the top or bottom of the egg and press it.  A little pin comes out and pokes the teeny hole.  Now I am not saying you HAVE to have this adorable little gadget, but it sure is fun.

Start with cold water, and make sure there is enough room for all the eggs you are cooking.  These are for potato salad, so I am doing four.  Three for the salad and one for Frankie, Stella and me.  They split the yolk and I get the egg white.

When the water has come to a complete boil, remove the pot from the heat and cover it.  Let it sit for 13 minutes.

After 13 minutes, empty the hot water and fill the pot with cold water.  Let the eggs sit in the cold water for a couple of minutes, and then peel.

You will have beautiful yellow yolks without any green ring around it. 

They really come out perfect every time.  Now I have to get these into the potato salad!

A bientot!  See you soon.