Adventures in cooking: Improvised egg-and-potato hash

It occurred to me tonight that I've got a number of things in the fridge that are on their last legs, and I should probably do something about that. I've got a potato that really should be eaten soon, some turkey bacon that's probably only got a week left, ditto some eggs, half an onion that I should really eat before it's been cut too long, and so on. I hunted around my favourite cooking site (SuperCook), looking at this and that, until I came upon a recipe for chicken and egg hash, which I decided to use as a rough base for tonight's meal.

I used 4 strips of turkey bacon instead of regular bacon, which meant there wasn't as much grease in the pan after they were done. I took it out of the pan and added some olive oil to brown the half an onion and 2 cloves of garlic. (I like garlic. Sue me.) These cooked very, very quickly, probably in less than a minute. I didn't have any cooked chicken, so I added only my one large potato (cut into small cubes), stirred everything around, and covered the pan. In about ten minutes, the potato was soft, and I added a half-cup each of frozen peas and frozen corn, along with a little salt and pepper. I'd planned to add some parsley (I've got a bunch of frozen parsley in the freezer), but just plain forgot. I mixed it all together, made two "wells" in the hash, and cracked in two eggs. Then on with the cover again for about 10 minutes to ensure that the yolks had completely set. (I don't like the texture of runny yolks at all.) I spooned some into a bowl along with one of the eggs and sprinkled about a third of the turkey bacon on top. It turned out I was only hungry enough to eat half, and I'm not sure how well the other cooked egg will keep, but I'm sure it'll be okay until tomorrow.

If I had to do it again, I would probably just crack the eggs into a bowl, stir them up a bit, and pour them over everything to get a bit of coating and thickness. Having it as a whole egg in my bowl was a bit awkward. I'd also just cook the bacon in the microwave and cook everything else in the pan with olive oil. I might try to add some seasonings as well, beyond just the salt and pepper.

In the end, it tasted okay. It was simple, very potato-y, but filling. I think it's more a winter meal than a summer meal, though. I can see this being very nice on a brisk autumn day when you want something warm and filling in your tummy.

At least the kitchen didn't blow up. Sorry to disappoint anyone who was looking for excitement in this adventures in cooking post. Maybe next time. *grin*

Grab bag of links

1. Fans unleash epic hate for The Last Airbender (2-minute video) -- at least I know I'm not alone in my utter hatred for M. Night Shaymalan's butchery of one of my favourite TV shows.

2. The Muppets: Pöpcørn (3-minute video) -- the latest viral video from Muppet Labs, in which the Swedish Chef makes "popcorn shrimp." My favourite inside joke is that the song the Swedish Chef is playing is actually called "Popcorn." It's a one-hit wonder by a band called "Hot Butter." Love it!

3. 1945-1998 by Isao Hashimoto (14-minute video) -- a video mapping every single nuclear explosion on the planet from 1945 to 1998. The first minute and a half is very slow, but things really start picking up around the 3-minute mark as we enter the height of the Cold War. I wasn't expecting this video to be so fascinating, but it really is.

4. Organic groceries on a budget -- an interesting article about how to go organic in your food shopping without spending too much more money than you might already be paying.

5. Kitchen myths -- a long-ish reference article that debunks a ton of common kitchen myths. Very cool stuff. (Hat tip to Michael Johnson, who pointed me in the direction of this article after reading my adventures in cooking posts.)

6. Firefly intro... the awesome edition (2-minute video) -- if Firefly was an '80s science fiction series, what would the opening credits look like? A lot like this. Hilarious.

7. The Hitchhiker's Guide to Daleks (4-minute video) -- what happens when sci-fi universes collide? Stuff like this. Also hilarious. I'm not a bit Doctor Who fan, so could one of you please tell me how accurate this is in depicting them? The Guide format is spot-on.

Books of 2010: 35. Click, by Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman

I very much enjoyed the Brafmans' first book, Sway, which described the irrational forces that guide our daily behaviors. (My review here.) So I was very much looking forward to their latest book, Click, subtitled "The magic of instant connections," and thankfully it didn't disappoint. We've all had those instant connections: love at first sight, a new friend you can talk to as though you've known each other your whole lives, a business connection who takes your game to the next level. The Brafman brothers argue in Click that these sorts of magical, instantaneous connections are not pure chance, but that we all have the ability to foster and encourage them.

The Brafmans point out five qualities behind "click" moments: 1. Vulnerability (if you allow yourself to be vulnerable and exposed, others will naturally feel closer to you and reciprocate). 2. Physical proximity (we're more likely to form a connection with our roommate than the guy down the hall, or our colleague in the next cubicle compared to one on another floor). 3. Resonance (being "in the zone" and actively engaging with the people around you encourages them to do the same). 4. Similarity (the more similarities you have with someone, even over trivial matters, the more likely you are to connect with them). 5. Safe Place (going through an adverse experience with someone, or being part of a defined "in-group").

In the last few chapters, the Brafmans describe that some people are naturally better at forming "click" connections with others. We've all met the sort of people who just naturally make friends wherever they go, and moreover who maintain those friendships over time. (My stepmom is a good example of this.) The Brafman brothers argue that these people are "high self-monitors," meaning that they modulate their own behaviors to match the people they're with, usually subconsciously. However, they add, we can use the five factors described in the main part of the book to encourage our own "click" experiences, because they bring out the best in us.

All told, this was a great book, and I very much enjoyed it. Highly recommended.