In the middle of it all, once again, was White House Chef Olivia Paras, who appropriately gets in more hot water than a tea bag. (This reporter made several attempts to reach Ms. Paras for comments, only to be rebuffed.) This time, however, she is credited with alerting paramedics and is to be thanked for her presence of mind as well as her heretofore unknown ability to triage.
“I can’t believe this.”
Nana chuckled. “You shouldn’t. Most of it isn’t true. Except for the part where you should be thanked.”
My family and neighbors knew part of the truth, though not all of it. They didn’t know about Minkus’s treason. They knew Ruth killed her husband, but they didn’t know why. They didn’t know Kap was an undercover spy-although I believed my mother suspected as much. All they knew, and cared about, was that we were all safe, here, and in one piece. And I still had my job at the White House.
I turned my attention back to Liss’s article.
It is too bad that Mrs. Minkus died before the medical examiner released his findings. She would have discovered that husband died of natural causes after all. Unfortunately, she went to her grave believing someone had murdered him. I am sad for her, but even more so for Joel Minkus-this week has been the worst of nightmares.
And today I announce my vacation. An extended vacation. Effective immediately, I am suspending this column. Indefinitely. This week has been too much. Even for a crusty old newsman like me. As they say, Liss Is More, but sometimes less Liss is better. At least for the moment.
Carry on.
“Wow.” That was about the only thing I could say.
“Yeah,” Mom said, folding the paper neatly. “I’m keeping this.”
“What for?”
Nana slapped my hand playfully. “Souvenir, what else?”
The phone rang while Mrs. Wentworth and Stan were still at my kitchen table. It was Suzie and Steve calling, this time with happy news. Apparently the FBI had cleared them, just as the Bureau had cleared Bucky. They were grateful to me for the reprieve, despite the fact I insisted I had nothing to do with it.
Later that afternoon, I offered to take Mom and Nana anywhere they wanted to go, but they insisted I relax. “Too much excitement,” they said. “You need a break.”
I had just dozed off on the couch with my family reading and watching TV next to me, when the apartment phone rang. I rose to answer it and sucked in a breath when I saw the Caller ID-“ 202.”
This was exactly how this whole ordeal had started a week ago.
My heart pounded, but I answered.
It was Marguerite Schumacher.
Mom and Nana stopped what they were doing to watch me. I listened to Marguerite, answered in the affirmative several times, and with a great sigh, hung up.
“What was that about?” Nana asked.
Mom had gotten to her feet. “Is everything okay?”
For the first time in days, my heart was light. “Remember that White House tour I promised you?” I asked.
They nodded.
“We’re on tomorrow at noon.”
I watched relief flood their faces.
“Oh, and wear something nice,” I added.
They both looked at me in puzzlement. “Why?”
“The president and his wife,” I said, “have invited us to lunch.”
EGGCELLENT EGGS
EGGS ARE ONE OF THE MOST BASIC INGREDIENTS in the kitchen. They’re great on their own, whether coddled; scrambled; fried; boiled; or simply accented in omelets, quiches, and custards. They serve to bind savory ingredients together, as in meat loaf, meatballs, croquettes, and so on. They make baking possible, forming a protein base for everything from cookies to cakes to pancakes to crepes to soufflés and beyond. Eggs are probably the single most versatile ingredient a cook works with. They’re also fast-cooking, full of nutrients and easily digested protein, and delicious. What more can any chef ask for?
I work long hours, so I frequently fix myself breakfast for dinner after a long day in the kitchen. There’s just nothing better than a fried egg sandwich for a late-night meal when I don’t feel like rustling up something complicated to eat. I refuse to apologize for it these days. Whenever I mention my little secret of eating breakfast food at night, my friends all confess to loving breakfast for dinner, too. It’s even become something I deal with in my job, because the First Family actually asks for breakfast for dinner about once a month, so I’ve added it to the official White House First Family Meal Rotation. I never thought my secret fetish for breakfast at night would become a job requirement. But eggs are comfort food, so I can see why they remain perennial favorites, especially in the White House.
Here are a number of good egg recipes to try for yourself, ranging from the simple to the refined. Eggs don’t have to be confined to breakfast or brunch. Try them for dinner. I bet you’ll find, as I have, that the people you’re feeding will love them. Happy noshing!
Ollie
EGGS BENEDICT
8 eggs
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons cream
Juice of ½ lemon (around 1 tablespoon)
½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
Pinch cayenne pepper or paprika (optional)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted and still hot
4 English muffins, fork split, buttered and toasted
8 slices warm Virginia ham (or Canadian bacon, if
you prefer) cut to fit the muffins
Chopped parsley to garnish (optional)
Serves four.
Bring a medium saucepan full of salted water to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Crack 1 egg into a small bowl, taking care not to break the yolk. Gently slip the egg into the saucepan filled with hot water, and repeat with 3 more eggs. (You can usually fit 4 eggs at a time in the hot water. Too many, and the eggs won’t poach correctly.) Gently coddle to doneness, about 3 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks remain runny. Remove the eggs from the hot water with a slotted spoon. Set on warmed plate to hold. Repeat with remaining 4 eggs.
Make Hollandaise Sauce: This blender recipe takes a lot of the angst out of the process of making the sauce the traditional way, which is over a double boiler with a wire whisk. I find it’s a lot easier for home cooks to get perfect hollandaise sauce this way. Place egg yolks in a blender container. Add cream, lemon juice, salt, and a pinch of cayenne or paprika (optional, but it adds a nice bite). Cover and pulse on low until blended. Remove the middle insert from the lid, and while continuing to blend on low, slowly and gently add the hot butter to the egg mixture, in a gradual stream. The sauce should thicken and smooth about the time the last of the butter goes in. (The hot butter cooks the egg yolks and the blender emulsifies the lemon juice and melted butter with the yolks.)
On warmed serving dish, top each toasted English muffins half with a warm slice of Virginia ham. Place a poached egg gently on top of the ham. Pour hollandaise sauce over eggs. Sprinkle with paprika and chopped parsley to garnish. Serve warm.
This recipe sounds a lot more complicated than it is, and it’s a restaurant favorite because it used to be a lot harder to make at home. In fact, eggs Benedict used to be a bear to make-especially getting the sauce right. Doing it on the stove, the sauce had a tendency to curdle in inexperienced hands. Thanks to the wonder of modern blenders and a good stove, you should be able to have this on the table in less than 20 minutes.
HERBED SCRAMBLED EGGS
Six eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons chopped chives
1 clove garlic, smashed, peeled, and minced (see