Life is Great

The morning brew to the left, task on hand front and center, a small fan humming to the right. Hands poised on the keyboard, ten pages down, one more to go, the one that matters most. Fingers drum, words dancing around in that caffeine tripping head, fighting for attention, struggling for some structure.



Then, words don't come.

The page remains void of what should be easily shared, that annoying, blinking cursor poking fun as eyes stare at it blankly. The light is not right. The warmth in form of human company is missing. Some music will be good. The writing spirit looks for another place to linger, another hour when the sun cast a different shadow, another corner where mind, body and soul connect. It's an inconvenience really, this recently discovered need to be in a certain environment to write. That extra effort to travel and time to be put aside.


But then again, in some ways writing good is akin to cooking well. There's a time and place for creamy scrambled eggs and others for a classic French omelet. This is not a mere theory, for one morning I did half-heartedly cracked some eggs into a pot and went at them with my spatula, when really, I'd rather be somewhere cool and a plate of takeaway noodles. Soon enough, my scramble overcooked into a watery, split mess.



As an opportunity presented itself at my door, offering the possibility for me to write more, I learned that mindful writing, like other forms of sharing, provides something in return. Rekindling memories otherwise forgotten, reinforcing strengths I have but at times ignored, sparkling curiosity and burning desire to conquer new skills. So I will set aside the hours, bring myself to that cozy little nook and allow those words to tell you my stories.

Gordon Ramsay's Perfect Scrambled Eggs

Adapted barely from Gordon Ramsay’s Sublime Scrambled Eggs
Serves 2

Note: You can watch Ramsay's video here, if you haven't already, it's quite hilarious how he burnt his toast while being busy with his eggs. Personally I love the result of this method although it does take just a little longer to cook the eggs. My only regret is I didn't try this sooner!

• 6 large free-range eggs
• 3 tablespoons ice-cold butter diced
• 1-2 tablespoons crème fraîche (I find this optional)
• Freshly ground sea salt and pepper
• Few chives, snipped (substitute with green onion if necessary)
• 2-3 chunky slices of rustic bread (I used sourdough)

Break the eggs into a cold, heavy-based pan, add half the butter. Place the pan over generous heat. Using a rubber/silicon spatula, stir the eggs frequently to combine the yolks with the whites. As the mixture begins to set, add the remaining butter. The eggs will take about 4-5 minutes to scramble, they should still be soft and quite lumpy. Don’t let them get too hot, keep moving the pan off and back on the heat.

Meanwhile, toast the bread. Add the crème fraîche (optional), then add the snipped chives. Season the eggs just before serving. Place the toast on warm plates, pile the softly scrambled eggs on top and serve immediately. I serve mine with sauteed tomatoes and mushrooms, with more butter.