Simple Is Best

I'm getting to know my appliances.  Unfortunately, I'm not very good about reading the manuals. Luckily, they are pretty simple, which makes it easy.  Sometimes simple is best, especially with appliances and food.

I have a General Electric Induction Range.  The stove top cooks by induction heat.  I wanted a gas cook top, but running a gas line was going to be very difficult and costly, so this was the best alternative.  Like gas, it does heat up very fast and I have been pleased with the results. It has a glass, touch-control panel across the front and the cooking surface is also glass, which is easy to clean.  You do have to have the correct cookware.  If a magnet will stick to the bottom of the pan the cookware will work. For a better explanation read this.

Many years ago my late husband and I were in the South of France on vacation.  One evening we dined at a lovely restaurant that over-looked the Mediterranean Sea.  It was very beautiful and the multi-coarse meal was delicious, but I only remember two other things about it.  Although each course was very small, I was too full to eat more than a bite of dessert, which was a real shame, and the cherry tomatoes.  The first coarse was a few sautéed cherry tomatoes that were sublime. They were perfectly ripe and barely warm, with a slight balsamic vinegar glaze.  I would never have thought to sauté a cherry tomato, but what a perfect, simple idea. We had a lot of delicious food on that trip, but it is the cherry tomatoes that I remember best.

When I am in need of simple, pure food I sauté some cherry tomatoes, fry some eggs and make toast. It is the perfect comfort food for this busy time of year.  The tomatoes are also delicious on their own or scattered around a piece of fresh mozzarella cheese.

Toast some good bread.  Wash tomatoes and chop some basil.  Or use whatever herbs you have on hand or leave them out all together - chives are good, too.

Fry some eggs while the toast is in the toaster.  Slide the eggs on a warm plate when they are cooked.  Put a little olive oil in the pan the eggs were fried in and add the cherry tomatoes. Sauté for 30 seconds, add chopped basil, coarse salt, and fresh ground pepper, sauté another 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with good balsamic vinegar.  Swirl the pan to coat the tomatoes and put on the plate with the eggs.

You can make the whole meal in less time than it takes to listen to 'Hang On Little Tomato" by Pink Martini.  I love this song.  It is so happy.  And the best part is there is only one pan to clean up.  Simple is best.