Once a year we attend a school fundraiser, called Buy the Book. We’ve gone for the past 11 years and it’s our favorite school event to attend. You bring your favorite book and share why you love it, all the guests exchange books, in the style of a Dirty Santa swap. I brought “My Soul Looks Back” by Jessica B. Harris, a memoir from her time spent in the 60s and 70s in New York.
The food is always delicious. Our friend Helen makes the most sublime bacon. I Love it! And look forward to it all year long.
Bacon, Feta and Cilantro for Eggs Shakshuka
We were inspired to recreate the Eggs Shakshuka, which was served as the main course. It is a North African and Middle Eastern egg dish which we decided to make for lunch.
Eggs Shakshuka
The word Shakshuka means “a mixture” from Maghrebi Arabic, shakka, meaning “stick together, clumped together, adhere or cohere” or possibly from the Punic language or the Berber languages as shakshek is found in Tunisian Arabic, in the Berber languages as well as in Hebrew and means “to mix.”
After looking at a bunch of recipe variations, we put our own together. Of course, taste is a subjective thing, play around with different ingredients and find the ones that appeal to your taste. Share with us your favorite recipe.
Stirring mixture of onions, jalapenos, garlic and spices before adding tomatoes
Onions, Jalapenõs, Garlic sauteed with Paprika and Cumin
Eggs Shakshuka
serves 4-6
Ingredients
Instructions
Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Add chiles and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and paprika, and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes.
Put tomatoes and their liquid into a medium bowl and crush with your hands. Add crushed tomatoes and their liquid to skillet along with 1⁄2 cup water, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 20 minutes. Season sauce with salt.
While sauce is simmering, put on water to boil eggs. We prefer a 6 minute egg. Hard white and soft yolk. When eggs are done run under cold water. You can either peel eggs or serve them with shell and have you guests peel themselves. Ladle sauce into bowls. Add peeled eggs and sprinkle with feta and parsley and serve with bread, for dipping.
Notes
Most Shakshuka recipes poach the eggs in the tomato sauce but we prefer adding boiled eggs to the sauce in the style of ramen. This way the eggs are cooked exactly how you like them.
