Gadget Grub

An Airfryer and a Crock Pot are two indispensable cooking gadgets that you can do without, but the culinary world is a whole lot richer with them in it.  Once, the same could be said about a microwave, but the microwave oven became elevated way beyond gadget status in the '80s to where there are few households today without one, and aisles upon aisles of products at your neighborhood grocer are dedicated to foodstuffs cooked in virtually no other fashion.  Does anyone make Jiffy-Pop popcorn anymore?  Only around a campfire.

There are three other gadgets that I wanted to post some recipes for, two of which came about in my kitchen only recently.  And while each of these three recipes could be made by other means, the gadgets I have for them make food preparation simpler and a little more fun.

Brie/Camembert Ceramic Baker

This one came with a little seasoning and dried fruit packet that sat in a storeroom for well over a decade.  It seems My Number One Fan gave it to me for Christmas one year.  I put it up in the kitchen and then totally forgot about it.  We didn't find it until we moved two states over to another house.  Needless to say, the dried fruit and seasoning packet had long since succumbed to the ravages of time.  But the burnt-orange ceramic brie baker lives on and now graces our hors d'oeurves repertoire with any variety of fresher toppings.

There are many brie bakers on the market and not all of them are ceramic or even earthenware.  Some, like those made by Le Creuset are of ceramic coated cast iron.  Others, like those made my Lodge, are just pure cast iron.  For years, I had a 5" cast iron skillet that I used to make and serve baked brie, but a ceramic set like I have now can go into the dishwasher, something you cannot do with cast iron.

Incidentally, what's the difference between Brie and Camembert?  They both are soft cow's mike cheeses from France that look similar and are served in much the same way.  While there are no official records, it is thought Brie is the older of the two. Brie comes from the Provence around Paris, while Camembert is made in Normandy.  The flavor profiles of both cheeses are similar, described as earthy, nutty, grassy and mushroomy, but Brie is the milder of the two with a creamier, buttery taste because of a higher milk fat content.  Camembert has a deeper, more earthy and intense flavor.

To Make Baked Brie or Camembert

Remove the brie wheel from its wrapping.  Using a serrated knife, carefully slice away the top rind (about 1/8”) of the wheel.  True brie aficionados will scoff at this, claiming the rind is edible and considered a delicacy.  While it is edible, it is also something of an acquired taste and most Americans don't care for it.

Allow the brie to come to room temperature for an hour.  In the meantime, pre-heat the oven to 350ºF.

Place brie in the Brie Baker, cover with the lid and bake on a rack in the top 1/3 of the oven for 20 minutes.  Add desired toppings and bake for an additional five minutes. Alternatively, you can bake the brie plain for 25 minutes, and add an assortment of toppings upon serving alongside petites toasts or water crackers.

Topper ideas:

•    Honey and shaved almonds
•    Hot red pepper jelly
•    Orange marmalade and chiffonade of fresh sage
•    Black cherry jam and cracked black pepper
•    Butter, brown sugar and chopped pecans

Egg Bites Maker

It seems Starbucks gets some credit for making this on-the-run breakfast delectable so popular, called an egg bite.  And while you can make these in a small muffin pan in your oven, they won't be as light or as fluffy as what this little appliance will yield.  That's because the egg bites via this gadget technically are not baked, but steamed. 

The recipe is deceptively simple and to be truthful, I was dubious the dish was going to come out right.  One bite and I was cured of all doubt.  This is a copycat recipe I found on the web and the secret ingredient is the cottage cheese.

The Egg Bite Maker unit comes with one large silicon egg bite cup, about the circumference of an English muffin.  To make Starbucks' style of egg bites, you'll use the four smaller silicon cups that also come with the unit.

To Make Egg Bites

•    2 eggs
•    ¼ cup shredded Gruyere cheese (like, Alpine Blend)
•    2 tbsp cottage cheese
•    1 tbsp bacon bits (like, Hormel Real Bacon Bits)
•    1/8 tsp onion powder
•    salt & pepper to taste

Place all ingredients into a small food processor.  Blend all ingredients on high for one minute.

Pour one small Egg Bite Maker cup of cold water into the Egg Bite Maker. Lightly spray the four small egg cups with Buttered Flavored Pam and place in the Egg Bite Maker.

Fill the four cups with the egg batter ¾ full.

Firmly latch the lid, plug in the Egg Bite Maker and cook for 12 minutes.

Remove each cup with tongs and turn out the egg bites onto a plate. This recipe will make eight small egg bites, or two large.

Breakfast Sandwich Maker

There might be other brands out there, but it seems Hamilton Beach owns the market for these nifty little breakfast sandwich makers. 

This is the way to make what in essence is a McDonald's Egg McMuffin, only a lot cheaper and much more delicious; probably more nutritious, too.

I've had two of these over the years having actually worn out the first one.  It's an ingenious little machine and totally goof-proof if you follow my method, perfected over several failed experiments.  My recollection is that the instruction manual left a lot to the imagination.

To Make a Breakfast Sandwich

•    2 eggs
•    4 cracker-cut size cheddar or white cheddar cheese (like, Cracker Barrel)
•    2 whole wheat English Muffins (like, Thomas' English Muffins)
•    2-4 slices Canadian Bacon (like, Boar's Head or Hormel)
•    salt & pepper to taste

Plug in the Sandwich Maker and allow it to fully pre-heat.  The green light will come on when the unit is ready.

Push the prongs of a fork all around the edge of each English Muffin to separate the top from the bottom.

Place the bottoms of the English Muffins in the lower levels of the sandwich maker.  Put two cracker cuts of cheese on top of each muffin, then either one or two slices of Canadian Bacon, as you prefer.

Close the lower level of each side of the sandwich maker.  Spray a bit of Butter Flavored Pam on the surface of each upper level, then crack in an egg into each side.

Using a fork, pierce the yolk of each egg three times, then season with salt and pepper.

Place the tops of the English Muffins on top of each egg, then close the lid of the unit.

Press the timing button ten times to read 4.5 minutes.

When the timer goes off, the sandwiches are hot and ready, and the eggs will be fully cooked.

Open the top of the sandwich maker, and pull out the "wings" of the upper level that separates the upper and lower levels.  This will drop the egg and the top of the English Muffin onto the bottom of the sandwich.

Remove each sandwich with a non-stick spatula to a serving plate.  They will be very hot, so wait a couple of minutes before biting into one to avoid the unpleasant effects of molten cheese.