Plates and eggs (recipe)

For the record, all I did today was a small load of laundry, clean the rest of the cornmeal off the bread stone and the counter, eat lunch and take a nap.

The Plates and Mugs are after the eggs. Skip straight down if you like.

Here's the Eggs in Purgatory recipe. I cut it in half and put half of that in the fridge for tonight.

Eggs in Purgatory

From Chef Joanne Weir, star of Plates & Places on PBS

With a can of tomatoes and a few eggs, this hearty meal is less than 30 minutes away. Some know the dish as Shakshuka but Italians call it Uova in Purgatorio, or Eggs in Purgatory, and Weir's many travels to the Boot to film her award-winning PBS series inspired her version. “We are kind of in a purgatory now,” Weir says. “This dish is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner, served along with some focaccia or other rustic bread.” The following recipe serves two.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 ounces of bacon, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 small red onion, minced
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 1/2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 4 large eggs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano cheese
• Toasted bread or focaccia

1. Preheat an oven to 400°F.

2. Warm the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat and add the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until very light golden, about 3 minutes.

3. Add the minced onion and crushed red pepper and cook until the onion pieces are soft, about 7 minutes.

4. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.

5. Add the white wine and reduce by half.

6. Add the tomatoes and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes.

7. Transfer sauce to an ovenproof baking dish, or cast-iron pan. Make 4 indentations in the sauce. Break the eggs, one at a time into a small bowl, and with the spoon, add 1 egg into each indentation.

8. Place on the top shelf of the oven and cook until the whites of the eggs are firm but the yolks are still runny, about 7 to 10 minutes, or until desired doneness.

9. Season the eggs with salt and pepper.

10. Sprinkle the cheese atop the eggs and serve immediately.

While I was folding laundry, I exchanged several texts with Laura. Apparently her plate package was delivered to Kent today (overnight!). She said "I love love love the gift you sent me! It's so thoughtful and perfect. The bubble wrap was spot on, too!"

(The little bubble popper!)

I explained to Deb I'd like a stroke that indicated a paint mark. Deb said "Absolutely not; she's an artist and needs the brush." There's a dragonfly there, too, waiting to metamorphose.

It was a hit! I asked Laura to text Deb, too, who will be happy to know.

For Blake's plate, I told Deb she's a programmer, so a lot of I's and O's all over will be good. Deb said "I can do better than that!" The clue is on the back. Let's see.

And so you can thumb through all three sets, here are Francis, the young man who has biked many mountains, including the Vietnam Trail, for his 18th birthday. By himself. The reason I told Deb, the more mud the better.

And now I will weave. The turquoise is three bobbins from off.