Eggs

Eggs aint eggs.

Eggs should have firm, high whites that don't spread all over the pan when you crack them.

Eggs should have bright, orangey-yellow yolks that sit round and high when you crack them open and not be pale, insipid yellow and barely half a cm high.

Eggs shouldn't be weeks old when you eat them.

Eggs from caged battery hens should be banned! Keeping birds in cages to mass produce inferior quality eggs in the name of convenience and making extra bucks should be a crime.

Be very wary of supermarket eggs. They are weeks old and not fresh. Try this: Crack an egg produced from a caged hen and bought from a supermarket. Now crack an egg produced from a barn raised or free range bird less than a week old. You will be amazed at what you have been accepting as an "egg".

My local fruit & veg store sells fresh, free range eggs from a local producer for the SAME PRICE as the old, stale free range eggs at the supermarket. My baking tastes better. It rises higher. Quiches take on a whole new range of deliciousness and colour. Even plain old boiled eggs take on a new dimension.

BUT it gets better. A few weeks back I caught up with a friend who will always be very dear to me for the loving, gentle, generous soul he is. He helped me out many years ago when I was going through a particularly rough patch. I discovered not only does now live literally 5 mins down the road but.... wait for it.... he has chickens in his backyard!! My oh my. The eggs. Straight from the chicken. Need to be experienced to be believed. So for the price of a bag of feed I have the freshest, most beautiful eggs to create with.

Oh.. and I forgot to mention. Pete is one of the best cooks I have ever had the pleasure to know. Short of a dollar? Can't go out for dinner. Come over and I'll cook lobster for you!! With some champagne to wash it down! Some things you just never forget. Bless you!!