If I had a cooking show...

If I had a cooking show, it would be about how you can take what's in your fridge, regardless of what it is, combine it with a few pantry or fresh items, and come up with something totally new. It might be called something like "What I had last night, and why it's better today," or, "What's in the fridge?" Anyway, I'd leave that to someone more creative with catchy titles.

Which leads me to Saturday morning. We got up a bit late, and were pretty hungry, so as soon as I'd brushed my teeth and washed my face, I wandered down to the fridge and opened it up. And there it was, breakfast cleverly disguised in multiple containers. We had a lamb sausage with roasted peppers, dill, and peas in one container, some hummus, tomato sauce, and feta. I pulled it out with only one thought on my mind: SHAKSHUKA!!

Shakshuka is a dish from the Middle East and North Africa made with tomatoes, roasted peppers,eggs, and spices. Some recipes have meat, some don't. Some are spicy, like chile spicy, some are not. Traditionally it's served with pita or challah bread for breakfast. The first time I had it was for brunch in Chicago at my friend Joncarl's restaurant, Home Bistro. Joncarl is one of the most amazing human beings I've ever met. He is kind, funny, fiercely loyal, and incredibly talented. Walter and I went in for dinner one night, and he was working the front of the house. We didn't know it was a BYOB, but he happened to have an unopened bottle of wine in the back that someone had left the previous night, so he offered it to us. We had a fantastic time with him as our server - we talked and laughed together, and he was a big part of why that meal was so amazing. The next day, he called our home number. Walter happened to be working from home, and answered the phone. Joncarl said that he hoped that we wouldn't mind him calling, but he wanted to tell us how much fun he had with us the night before. Walter promptly gave him my cell phone, because "You have to tell her yourself." So, he called, and we became friends. He has introduced me to many things - Lambrusco, soft-shell crab, artichoke and edam fritters - the list could go on forever. Joncarl is in Philly now and has three restaurants, Noord, The Dutch, and Winkel. It's tough for him right now, like it is for everyone that owns a restaurant. Even through this, his charm and spirit show through. I'm grateful for meeting him, and that he's still part of my life.

Back to Saturday's breakfast - I put some oil in the pan, and added some diced onions. When they had turned translucent,  I added the tomato sauce, the diced up sausage, and the veggies that were with the sauce, and added some Ras al Hanout,which is a Middle Eastern spice blend with pepper,cumin, sumac, and other lovely things. When it had had a chance for the flavors to marry, I added some chopped kale because I had some in the fridge, and I like kale. When that had cooked down, I made  two little wells in the sauce and dropped in a couple of eggs. I turned the heat on low, put the cover on, and let the eggs poach until the white was set but the yolk was still runny. I served it with pita bread, because we had some leftover, a dollop of hummus, and some crumbled feta.

All in all, another successful breakfast. On to the next day, and opportunity to do, make, or eat something new!