love at first sight......perfect eggs benedict!

It started out innocently enough. A casual trip to the cooking store, checking out the All-Clad sale, when across the room I noticed just a slight hint of green, oh not just any green mind you, but I-can't-wait-for-spring-leaves-to-appear-on the-trees-green. I walked over for a closer look, and just like that, I was smitten! Now these may not look like much at first glance, but let me tell you, they are fabulous! Soft, squishy, adorable little silicone pouches that will gently poach an egg,  or bake something, I'm thinking something chocolatey or maybe flan or frittata. How awesome is that!  I just can not get over the cuteness of them, holding them in my hands and grinning ear to ear! They are poach pods and you can find them at www.poachpod.com . Needless to say, they went home with me.

I never need an excuse to eat cook, but I was excited, and even though it was the middle of the day, without another thought I made eggs Benedict. THE EGGS WERE PERFECT! Simply oil the poachpad lightly. Bring about 1 1/2 inches of water to a boil in a saute pan, reduce to a simmer, crack an egg into the poachpod and float in the water (like a lily pad on a pond). Cover the pan with a lid and cook in the simmering water 4 to 6 minutes until desired firmness. Use a slotted spoon to remove the poachpod from the water. To remove the egg from the poachpad, run a spoon around the edge, then flip the pod inside out and gently push out the egg.

Toast and butter an English muffin. Top it with anything you like from spinach to shaved turkey... I love avocado slices on mine and I like to change up the sauce a bit by adding different herbs and spices, but today I just wanted basic eggs Benedict with crusty, toasted English muffins, slightly smokey Canadian bacon, my perfectly poached eggs and of course, Julia Child's Hollandaise sauce.

This was definitely a lock the door, close the shades, take the phone off the hook and enjoy eggs Benedict!

Hollandaise Sauce & perfect eggs benedict

from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking"
(go here for recipe)