Do you remember what life was like back when you first met your sweetheart? Ahhh, lusty bliss and well before the days when one wouldn’t die of embarrassment if a little backside wind escaped. For us it’s been twenty years and honestly, it’s always the dog who does it.
Life was simple, breakfast was eaten in bed and work was that stuff other people did but we were too busy having fun to think about that. I’d never heard of ‘toast soldiers’ until I met John.
During his first visit with me in the states, during our travels we were in one of those apartment hotels and he announced he was making soft boiled eggs for breakfast and did I want any and ‘oh by the way, toast soldiers too’.
I don’t often have soft boiled eggs for breakfast because if I’m not paying attention and undercook them, then I’ve got all the white runny stuff that really turns me off. I also don’t like hard boiled eggs for breakfast – maybe I’m just hard to please.
“He can cook too?” I thought. (Yes, he will cook soft boiled eggs, toast soldiers, seafood pasta and umm… that’s about it. He CAN cook but he hasn’t done much of it since I moved in.)
I said yes to breakfast and not to sound stupid, I didn’t mention that I had no clue what a toast soldier was so I kept a pretty close eye on him. The ‘duh’ moment hit when he buttered ordinary toast and cut it into strips to dunk in the creamy egg yolk. Little. soldiers.
Breakfast was perfectly cooked and I’ve been a fan of soft boiled eggs and toast soldiers ever since. One thing on that trip has caused us a few arguments. I ate like an American. No, seriously, I did. Everyone did.
We pick up the fork in our left hand and our knife in our right hand and we cut the portion to be eaten and then we put the knife down, swap the fork to the right hand and eat the bite. right?
One day he asked if everyone in my family ate that way.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
He went on to tell me that he thought I ate funny and I said, “everyone eats this way.”
“No, they don’t, Maureen, I’ve seen heaps of American movies and they all eat the proper way.”
The PROPER way??
OMG he was insulting me and telling me I had no class and I was really peeved. I told him that was just nuts. I didn’t know anyone but foreigners who ate with the fork always in the left hand.
That night we went to a poncy restaurant and I was determined to point out how Americans ate. He, on the other hand, was just as determined to show me that I didn’t know how to eat. We furtively looked around the room, trying not to stare and it wasn’t long before a sly smile came across my face. EVERYWHERE people were swapping forks back and forth and in the poncy restaurant too.
“But… in the movies they eat properly,” he said.
“You are such a snob thinking your way is the proper way and remind me why I thought I liked you in the first place?” He laughed, apologized and life went on but I never forgot.
If you’re wondering how I eat now — when in Rome…
- 2 large eggs
- 2 slices of bread (any sort)
- Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Place over high heat and bring to the boil, then reduce to medium heat.
- Simmer for 4 minutes for a set white or 3 minutes if you don't mind the white being gooey. (five minutes will give you a perfect set egg but it won't be runny)