fusing my cuisine

It is morning in Mexico, and it is time to cook something I have not eaten before.

About two years ago, I decided that life was too short to get stuck in the routine of eating the same food day after day. The number of potential dishes are almost limitless. Why imprison our tongues in the handful of recipes that constitutes most cooking at home.*

My goal is to never again eat a dish that I have eaten before. That is not as difficult as it sounds. Simply altering an ingredient or two will completely change the dish's taste.

The most difficult meal should be breakfast. The first meal of the day tends to be a rut-setter. But it is not a problem for me. I dislike most traditional breakfast fare, and end up eating leftovers in the morning. (Yes. There is a Leftover Exception to my variety rule.)

This morning, the leftover spot in the refrigerator was bare. So, I needed to improvise something new.

I was craving a combination of beans and eggs. I do not know if I have had a similar dish in the past, but I could envision exactly what I wanted. Flourless egg pancakes topped with beans and meat. The concept is so simple, it must be part of some nation's cuisine.

The filling for my eggs was a rather basic combination of meats, beans, and vegetables. I cooked up some bacon and used the grease to sauté onion, serrano and habanero chilies, tomatoes, ginger and garlic as aromatics, combined with black beans, chopped bacon, some leftover ham, and pepperoni. Touched up with fresh lime juice and sriracha.

While the bean mixture was simmering, I made two flourless egg pancakes. They are simple to make. I whisked two eggs in separate containers with seasonings. Today I used cinnamon, star anise, cloves, garlic, Szechuan pepper, ginger, and fennel seed.

I melted some bacon grease in a large skillet and poured the egg mixture in the center. A large skillet is necessary to let the egg flow out as thin as possible. I baste the egg to ensure speedy, thorough cooking. It takes mere seconds for the pancake to cook.

While the second pancake cooked, I put the first pancake on a plate and seasoned the egg with white pepper, and then topped it with the bean mixture. I slipped the second pancake on top with a little more white pepper, and finished it off with a salsa of golden plum sauce and Thai fish sauce (for that elusive umami) and a generous dose of Tabasco with a dash of Worcestershire sauce.

Here is my question for you. Does that dish sound vaguely familiar? Or a variety of it? If it does, please let me know. I am still racking my brain -- and, even under torture, it is not confessing.

Wherever the idea came from it, the result was a very pleasant (and delightfully spicy) way to start my day.



* -- Studies have shown that dinner in the average American home is limited to twelve recipes; in Britain, it is nine.