Chicken and Egg - Janice Cole [84]
I rigged up a more stable food and water dispenser that benefited all of us. As I sat down at the desk, the girls decided they were bored. When they got bored, they got loud. They began clucking at the tops of their voices, each outdoing the next. I considered heaving them outside. But I had one more idea.
I hooked up our portable speakers and turned on the radio. A startled look came over their faces; they were mesmerized. They looked around furtively, wondering where the orchestra was hidden. They soon understood the sound was coming from the little black boxes as I fiddled with the volume. They loved it. My three hyper chicks almost swayed in unison as they listened to a Mozart concerto. The afternoon was actually peaceful, and I reminded myself to give an extra donation to Minnesota Public Radio.
One day stretched into four before the cold spell broke. In place of the bathroom, I put them in the garage while I cleaned their indoor coop twice a day. But that meant I also had to clean the freezing garage floor. By the last couple days of the freeze, I was tired of scraping up frozen poop from the garage, so I put them outside while I cleaned the coop. They hovered on the doorstep, jumping up and down on one foot until I carried them back in. I figured at least they’d be reminded just how good they had it. Next year I’d have to investigate better options. How much would it cost to heat the garage?
CHICKEN MAGIC
Amaze your friends by predicting the color of a chicken’s egg just by looking at her ears. First step? Find the ears. Flat and unobtrusive, a chicken’s ears lie slightly behind and below the eyes, and are sometimes hidden by a tuft of feathers. Around the ear is a soft tissue of skin, the ear lobe, so to speak. The color of this delicate skin indicates the color of the eggs.
Chickens with white or pale skin produce white eggs, while chickens with red or pink skin produce brown eggs. My Easter Egg chick Cleo has iridescent green ears, and her eggs are a lovely, olive-toned green, while Crazy Lulu’s blue eggs are reflected in the blue tone of her ears.
Nutmeg-Coated Creamy French Toast
Golden crisp on the outside yet tender on the inside, here is the ultimate in French toast. The additional egg yolks give extra richness, body, and color to this twist on the classic. This recipe is perfect for entertaining because it’s made the day before. Simply fry and serve in the morning.
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Cut the bread into thick slices a little shy of 1 inch (see Note). Arrange the bread in a single layer in a 13-by-9-inch pan, using an additional 8-inch square pan if necessary.
Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, and salt together in a medium bowl for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they are light, frothy, and completely smooth. (There should be no bits of egg or stringiness remaining, or you will have pieces of cooked egg on the toast.) Whisk in the half-and-half, yogurt, granulated sugar, and 2 teaspoons nutmeg until well blended. Pour the egg mixture over the bread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, carefully turning the bread once or twice if possible.
When ready to cook, preheat an electric nonstick griddle to 350°F or heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Lightly brush the griddle or skillet with some butter and cook the bread in batches for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown on the outside but still soft in the center, turning once. Adjust the heat as necessary.
While the bread is frying, stir together the powdered sugar and 1⁄8 teaspoon nutmeg and put in a fine-mesh strainer. Sprinkle the hot French toast with the powdered sugar mixture and serve topped with maple syrup or preserves.
NOTE
The bread is thickly sliced so the center of each slice will stay creamy, but if the slices are too thick, the center will not cook in the time it takes to cook the outside.
SERVES 4
One 1-pound loaf unsliced bread, preferably challah, brioche, or another rich egg bread, or a firm, fine-textured white bread
5 eggs plus 3 egg yolks
¼ teaspoon