Saveur Cooks Authentic American - Editors Of Cook's Illustrated Magazine [19]
3. Working in 4 batches, heat 1 tbsp. oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tortillas to the skillet and cook, flipping once, until warmed, about 20 seconds. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
4. Divide the tortillas between 4 plates. Working in 2 batches, heat the remaining oil in the same skillet over medium heat and fry the eggs to desired doneness. Top each tortilla with a fried egg and tomato sauce. Garnish with pickled jalapeño slices and serve.
Best Breakfast
I first stumbled on La Abeja, a little Mexican café on Figueroa Street in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Highland Park, in 1986, when I was 23 (that’s me, pictured, on the left, right around that time). My best friend, Joyce, lived in nearby Mount Washington, and we started making an almost religious ritual out of meeting there Saturday mornings to go over in penitential detail all the silly, alcohol-fueled things we’d done the night before. Boy, did those breakfasts hit the spot: huevos rancheros served with fluffy Mexican rice and some of the best refried beans in the world; big, hot bowls of menudo studded with tender tripe and hominy; and endless cups of soul-satisfying, diner-variety coffee. La Abeja (or The Bee) serves Mexican home-style cooking of the highest order; not surprising considering that the place started its life as a corner store in 1969 with a kitchen in the back where the owners, Jose and Gloria Fonseca, would prepare meals for their family. Eventually, customers started asking whether they could get take-out versions of some of those foods, many of them made from recipes the family had brought from their native Mexico City. Before long the Fonsecas cleared out the aisles and shelves and set up tables and chairs (they kept the candy counter up front). When I visited La Abeja recently, I hadn’t been back in over a decade. I was sad to learn that the Fonsecas had passed away, but relieved to find their son Roy at the helm. After all those years, very little had changed. Neighborhood kids were stopping in for a pack of Bubble Yum; sleepy-eyed art students and guys from the auto body shop down the street filled the tables; and the platillo de huevos rancheros that I ordered was still the most fortifying breakfast around.
—James Oseland
Matzo Brei with Mushrooms and Asparagus
Simple and soulful, this scramble of eggs and matzo is a breakfast staple in many Jewish households, particularly during the Passover holiday, when leavened breads are off limits. We’ve added sautéed mushrooms and asparagus, but you could just as well leave them out and serve the matzo brei as you might pancakes or French toast, with a topping of jam or maple syrup.
8 asparagus tips
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
8 cremini mushrooms, stemmed and cut into sixths Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 6-inch square pieces matzo
5 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp. minced flat-leaf parsley, for garnish (optional)
Serves 2
1. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a 4-qt. pot. Add the asparagus and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the asparagus to a bowl of ice water, reserving the boiling water. Let the asparagus chill for about 5 minutes, then drain and set aside.
2. Heat 2 tbsp. butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 6 minutes. Add the asparagus, season with salt and pepper, and remove the pan from heat; set aside.
3. Break the matzo into 1-inch pieces and transfer to a strainer set over the sink. Slowly pour the reserved boiling water over the matzo to soften it; let the matzo sit for 4 minutes.
4. Transfer the softened matzo to a bowl, add the eggs, and combine. Heat the remaining butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the matzo mixture, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, turning the mixture