who's making me brunch?

i failed to take pictures of any of this because i was too busy cooking, but i suggest you close your eyes, think of eggs benedict, and pretend you have a mimosa on hand.

taken from the saucier's apprentice, which is a stellar book.

poached eggs

room-temperature eggs
salt
vinegar

do i need to describe this? anyhow. fill large skillet with straight sides or large pot - enough to poach three eggs side-by-side - with 1 to 2 quarts water. for every quart of water, add 1 tbsp vinegar and 1/2tsp salt. bring to boil, add eggs, and take heat down so that water is barely simmering. if making eggs in advance, have an ice bath handy to put eggs into when they are done poaching; they will hold for quite a while. reheat eggs by placing them in water that is just hot enough to be uncomfortable to the touch (120F).

hollandaise

1 stick / 8tbsp unsalted butter
2 egg yolks
1/4 c white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper

in a small saucier, bring vinegar, salt, and pepper to a simmer. whisk and reduce to 2 tbsp, then set aside in a bowl to cool to room temperature. meanwhile, melt the butter and let cool; when used for the next step it should be still warm. add vinegar reduction to clean saucier, whisk in egg yolks, and whisk over very low heat until the yolks thicken. remove from heat and start whisking in melted butter drop by drop - do not add too quickly or the sauce will not come together. thin, if necessary, with a few drops of cold water. serve immediately over, oh, i dunno, toasted english muffins that are layered with wilted spinach, fried ham, bacon, smoked salmon, fried tomato, and, of course, a poached egg.