Recently, I read an article which answered an ancient and relatively “childish” question…to the question the answer was: the egg came first. Those modern paleontologists solved the puzzle which even ancient philosopher Greek Aristotle did not seem to be able to unravel. They officially stated: the egg came first, with egg-laying animals such as, fish, dinosaurs, snakes and turtles, and later birds. Thus, first the egg and later, the chicken. Egg-laying animals, researchers believe, appeared on earth 540.000.000 years ago, long before birds were set in place on earth, and also, before the chickens laid their eggs. An egg embryo provided the “big bang” to all kind of animals. Yes, before hens laid eggs… but, with or without the rooster’s intervention? In this case, who appeared first I asked myself? The hen or the rooster? Or did they appear both at the same time? Ancient stories about humans tell us of Adam and Eve, possibly after the snake…Who knows? Instead of pondering on these “world creation” egg-chicken related questions, a couple of days ago, I went to a movie.
I went to see: HEN, the story of a courageous adventurous hen. A movie, produced by the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation and directed by Hungarian Gyorgy Palfi, with some amazing photographs of a black hen which definitively seemed behaving like a human. The plot of the movie focused on what happened to one hen in particular, to what roosters do in general to hens, and what WE do to hens, roosters, and eggs. Eggs, which we gather, we pile up, we buy, we sell, we distribute, and we use for food; eggs, kept warm by hens, or by machines, until chicks are hatched and turn into either hens or roosters. Hens, which sometimes are nasty to other hens when caged; roosters, which are there to make it possible for hens to lay eggs; hens, which experience rude or cruel behavior by roosters and by humans.
HEN, the history of a hen, the movie I saw, was clearly no funny Walt Disney cartoon movie for little kids; however, it was worth watching. It made me think. The history of the hen showed illegal immigrants arriving to Greece and truck drivers trying to catch the hen to catch it for food. The history included also a rooster-hen romance with many little yellow chicks, and one black one being hatched, from a special egg… and eggs growing into roosters and egg laying hens. And eggs, eggs, many eggs. In the story of the HEN, one person, among many people coming and going, seemed genuinely caring about the egg laying bird, and her eggs, which became food for all kind of people involved in the story. Do WE care enough about the eggs we use as a food and about the hens which lay those eggs? Do WE care enough about people who come from far away?
SOMETHING TO KNOW ABOUT EGGS
It was man who persuaded chickens to live and lay eggs near his place. The keeping of chicken was probably contemporary with the keeping of sheep of early men. Chicken were known at the time of ancient Egypt at the time of the Pharaos because artificial incubation was already practiced at that time. Chickens were food throughout ancient Europe including Italy before Vikings first and than Christopher Columbus discovered America. Chickens were brought to America by the early settlers in Jamestown around 1607. Since World War I and II egg production changed to what it is sometimes now: an industrial endever. The result became more eggs produced on a larger scale. With a large scale production also a grading of eggs came to be. The grading of eggs is based on quality, size, weight and whether the eggs come from hens which are free or caged in. Eggs are also sorted by colors: white, brown, blue or green or slightly flecked. Some people seem to believe that eggs from hens mated to roosters are more nutritious than non fertile eggs. There is no evidence of this. Eggs are a good souirce of iron, phosphorus, minerals, vitamine A and E, most vitamines B including B12. Every country has its own egg grading system; Biologically raised hens produce eggs which are graded differently than those produced by industrially raised in cages. Usually eggs have a small stamp which signals from which flock of hens the egg came from. Possibilities of codes include codes for eggs which come from hens which are raised biologically, or from free range or farm raised.
SOMETHING TO PREPARE WITH EGGS IN HONOR OF SHIRLEY CHERKASKY
Recently, I lost a very dear friend of mine. Shirley was a wonderful Culinary Historian who lived in Alexandria, Virginia. I was not there when she passed away. I wish I could have held her hand, one last time. I will miss her. Her daughters Claire, Mara and Lisa were there at her side. In her honnor, and to remember her in love, I updated the content of my blog, and while in Italy, I prepared Shirley’s Stuffed Eggs.
HOW TO MAKE STUFFED EGGS – ALMOST LIKE SHIRLEY’S
When boiling the eggs, make sure that the pan is large enough to hold them in a single layer. Place enough water in the pan and, before bringing the water to a boil, drop a teaspoon of kitchen salt in it. This will facilitate the peeling of the eggs once they are boiled hard. Over high heat, bring the water to a rolling boil, and with a slotted spoon, gently deposit 10 eggs in the very hot boiling water. Boil the eggs, 12 [for small-medium sized] or 15 minutes [for large sized eggs]. Peel the eggs and cut them lenghtwise in half after having them left to cool. Carefully, remove the yolks and leave the white halves intact. Place the egg yolks in a suitable bowl and, with a masher, mash them; add: 5 Tbsps. mayonaise or sour cream [panna acida in Italian], 2 Tbsp. finely minced chives, or stemless parsley leaves, 2-3 Tbsps. Djon mustard [or to taste], 2 tsp white wine vinegar, 1/4 tsp. fresly ground pepper, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce.
Place the egg white halves on a suitable serving plate. Spoon the mashed-mixed filling into each of the egg halves; mound them slightly, or pipe the filling into them. Sprinkle the stuffed egg halves with either sweet powdered paprika or curry powder. Keep the egg halves refrigerated until its serving time.
ADAPTED FROM AN OLD VERY AMERICAN COOKBOOK, WITH MANY EGG RECIPES: THE ALL NEW ALL PURPOSE JOY OF COOKING by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker, SCRIBNER, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020; copyrighted in 1931, 1936, 1941, 1943, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1975 by Simon & Schuster Inc. Renewed 1959, 1964, 1969, 1971, 1974, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1990, 1991 by Simon & Schuster Inc. Copyright 1997 by Simon & Schuster, The Joy of Cooking Trust and the MRB Revocable Trust.
