A Cozy Autumn Breakfast: Cheesy Egg “Crepes”, One Form Among Many

Have you ever felt like you have the ability to take on many different forms? I've always felt a bit like that. Since I was quite young, I've noticed that I had an ability to change my “color” and “shape” according to my surroundings, or what's being elicited in me, or even what my creative mood is like. And for the longest time, I even kind of struggled with that, because frankly, I didn't know what to call it. I wondered if I was really made up of all of those various tastes, various ways of being, various ways of seeing things. Sometimes, I felt a little all-over-the-place. When I was young, I often didn't know what to call something and sort of struggled to make sense of who I was; but now, with some more time under my belt (as well a few little wrinkles and some crows feet), I've come to realize that an ability to shape-shift and morph isn't such a bad thing. Actually, it can be quite helpful in many circumstances. It isn't “inauthentic” to be pliable, moldable and colorful, and change ever-so-slightly as needed; rather, it's simply an ability to adapt to what surrounds and to express it in a unique way. It's a pretty neat thing to consider the many attributes and aspects that we all have within us to potentially share if we so choose.

Since I knew I was planning on sharing this Cheesy Egg “Crepes” recipe, I got to thinking about the glorious egg and the myriad of ways that it can be presented, and that how in the world of food, it's quite the little shape-shifter, itself. Consider it: an egg can take the form of fried, poached, hard-cooked, sunny-side-up, scrambled — even the form of an omelette or a thinner “crepe” filled with little tasty bits of goodies. Depending on what it's being used for, it can easily change into any of the above forms, yet still be an egg — still be that singular thing. And sure, it may be a little silly describing the many manifestations of an egg and how that relates to us as people and our ability to adapt and shift, but food so inspires, doesn't it? So when I gave some thought to the qualities of a humble egg, it impressed me that it was that very ability to take on various forms yet still maintain its integrity — its core value — that was what made it so special. And that resonated with me. In other words, it's really something special for us to become what another needs in a given moment, to display certain “shapes” and colors in a particular situation, because those, too, are parts of who we are. We have many aspects that spring out of our being-ness and make our relationships and the world around us a more interesting place, and that's a pretty amazing thing.

I've come to realize that all of those forms that we contain within us and display at various times, are actually what make up the totality of who we are. They're just the smaller parts of us that add color to our whole. And it's quite alright for us to reach into our bag of shapes and shades and pull out what's appropriate in any given moment, and to morph a little and display one aspect of who we are over another depending on what's required of us. Because you see, we've all got the ability to be fried, poached, hard-cooked, prepared sunny-side-up or scrambled; we can become an omelette, or even a cheesy egg “crepe”, so to speak. What we are is beautifully complicated and ever-changing; wonderfully moldable and shapeable in order to be as useful and connected to the others around us as we can be. What we are is the whole egg, with the potential to shape-shift into another form; and what a gift it is that we're able to become whatever form is needed, as needed.

Taste what's good and pass it on.

Ingrid

Cheesy Egg “Crepes” filled with Crispy Pancetta, Sausage, Gruyere Cheese, Diced Tomato and Chives
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(Makes 2 Egg “Crepes”, serving 2 people)

Ingredients:

2 links spicy or sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
4 ounces finely diced pancetta
4 eggs
2 tablespoons half & half
• Salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper
¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives, divided use
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of shredded gruyere cheese, divided use
• Butter, for pan
2 small, ripe tomatoes (campari or Roma), finely diced

Preparation:

-Place a medium-sized non-stick pan over medium-high heat, and once hot, crumble in the spicy or sweet Italian sausage; cook the sausage for a few moments until it's nicely brown and slightly crisped; remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

-Into the same pan, add in the diced pancetta, and crisp that for a few moments until browned; remove from pan with slotted spoon, and allow it to drain on paper towel; wipe out the pan.

-In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, the half & half, a couple of pinches of salt and freshly cracked black pepper, the Italian seasoning and pinch of cayenne pepper, plus 1 tablespoon of the chopped chives and 2 tablespoons of the gruyere cheese.

-Place the non-stick pan over medium-high heat, and rub some butter on the bottom of the pan; once hot, add in half of the egg mixture, and allow it to cover the entire pan to create a thin, crepe-like “spread”; cook for about 1 minute, or until the top is set, then very carefully and gently take one of the edges and flip the “crepe” over and cook for just another 10 seconds or so; remove the “crepe” from pan and place it onto a plate; repeat process with the remaining egg, and place that “crepe” onto another plate.

-Immediately, while still hot, fill two quarters of each “crepe” with half of the crumbled sausage and pancetta, ¼ cup of cheese, and half of the diced tomato and chives; then, gently fold the empty half of the “crepe” over the two filled quarters, and then carefully fold over again; serve the egg “crepes” while hot.