Upon the Eastern Sunrise of Smoked Salmon & Absurdities

“I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.”
― Henry David Thoreau

January 17th, 2012

Speechless as of yesterday and today.  I guess I should mention Martin Luther King Day and all of the wonderful contributions he made to the once great United States of America (I say once because it would be foolish to claim global superiority – there is no #1 when assessing happiness as a peoples inhabiting a land chiseled out by imaginary borders).  Drifting a wee bit to the left, straggling to the right . . . wobbling onward in search of something better.   Nothingness stills my ambitions.  

Tomorrow I do my part in civil duty as I testify on behalf of an employee who having been in a reckless car accident; injured his back severely and was able to work only a limited basis.   Of course, having heard his pleads for any work whatsoever, I hired him knowing his condition would prohibit him from working a normal work shift.  Do I always try to do the right thing?  When it comes to others I’d like to believe so and yet when it comes to my own needs, wants, desires . . . I seemingly have this dilemma of taking out any misfortunes and “do gooder” discrepancies upon myself.  I am my own worst enemy in that respect.  Does it make it even more unfortunate that I fully comprehend my self-inflicting actions?  

No, I haven’t been chanting, nor attending to my muscular definition . . . chipping away at work but forever receding into this God-forsaken realm of “What next”  Have I really forfeited my will to the hand that would beat me?  Where is the Water Dragon fierceness that I so desperately yearn for?  Will I put aside my petty childish beliefs and grasp manhood with all of it’s accountability & responsibility.  Like a hot air-balloon not yet inflated, I sit on the ground with all the potential in the world to rise above skyscrapers, ascend upwards into the heavens above, caress the outskirts of divinity.   Maybe it would help my cause if I were to empty the small quarry of stones weighting down my thatch basket? 

New day, I’m on the Amtrak train returning from San Diego, it’s another beautiful Wednesday and my ‘tude has improved.  I had to go to court on behalf of an employee, do the right thing ya’ know?   He was in tears, so I guess I said the right things . . good practice anyways, testifying that is.  It won’t be long before I have my own drawn out trial, but that’s for another day and worries that can wait a few months.  For now, I have work on my mind and I’ll rest assured that karma will take care of the rest.

With Culinary Blessings,

                   Chef Scotty

Smoked Salmon-n-Cream Cheese Omelette

Copious amounts of bacon have been in my diet for the past few days & this morning I used the leftover 4 pieces of bacon in my hash-browns accompanied by this omelet.  Everything was bumped up an AM notch when Mr. Wilson splurged on good beans (we've been out of coffee for eons!). 

 Ingredients

• 6 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons half-and-half or water
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 ounces cream cheese, cut into small bits
• 2 ounces thinly sliced smoked nova salmon or lox, cut into 1-inch long thin strips
• 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
• 2 teaspoons drained small capers
• 4 lemon slices
• Snippets of fresh dill, for garnish
• Equipment: 8-inch seasoned omelet skillet (like black steel or cast iron)

Directions

Preheat the broiler and arrange the oven rack in the highest position.

Put the eggs, half-and-half, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk until frothy.

Melt the butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in the egg mixture and let sit until the bottom starts to cook. Using a rubber spatula, slowly push the cooked egg from 1 side of the skillet to the other, allowing the raw egg to reach the bottom and cook--this creates fluffiness and keeps the bottom from burning.

When the omelet is cooked on the bottom and the top is still runny, place the skillet just under the broiler with the oven door open and the handle sticking out, and broil until the omelet rises and browns lightly, about 1 minute. (Alternatively, flip the omelet in the skillet and cook briefly, to finish.)

Scatter the cream cheese and smoked salmon over the omelet; then sprinkle with the onion and capers. Broil again to warm the topping, about 30 seconds

Transfer the omelet to a cutting board, and cut into 4 triangles. Divide the omelets among plates and garnish with the lemon slices and dill