The Saturday Sip: January 21st, 2023
Your inspirational etiquette tip, Emily Post quote and an Emily Post Cookbook recipe to start your weekend off right!
The Tip
It’s important when replying to a text message or voicemail to reply promptly. While certain relationships or certain messages may warrant a lengthy reply time (or maybe even no reply at all,) more often than not, when communicating via phone and text it’s appropriate to respond within 24 hours, 48 at the latest. Obviously, if the message is time sensitive there is that to consider too. A message sent around lunchtime asking if the recipient is available to join you for dinner would be a moot point if replied to even 8 hours later when the dinner is likely either in full swing or possibly over. We are all capable of forgetting, but etiquette tells us that when it comes to communications we should try to respond as promptly as possible.
The Recipe
Eggs might be on their way to being quite the luxury these days but let’s look at the recipe Emily chose to put her name on, Eggs Emily.
Pg 271 Emily Post’s Cookbook, 1951 Please note, we retype the recipe as it is in Emily’s book and add notes in brackets when needed for clarity.
Eggs Emily
These are a variation of Eggs Benedict especially suited to a late Sunday breakfast. [If you are not familiar with poaching eggs, we suggest looking that up before starting this recipe and finding a method you feel confident in executing.]
Time 25 Minutes
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 English muffin
3/4 cup leftover ham [deli ham will do]
3 tbsp butter [used as 1 tbsp, then 2 tbsp)
1 tbsp cream
2 eggs (duck eggs are especially good for this dish) [we agree!]
1 tbsp flour
3/4 cup light cream (or rich milk) [half & half, or whole milk]
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
1 beaten egg yolk
Directions
Pull muffin in two and toast both halves.
Put ham through meat chopper [or mince with a knife]. Then heat it in the butter [1 tbsp] and cream [1 tbsp] but do not let it cook. Turn muffin halves crust side down and cover with the minced ham.
Poach the eggs, being careful to drain off all the water, and place them on the ham-covered muffin halves.
Make Cream Sauce in double boiler. If ham is salty, use no salt in sauce. [Taste your ham to see how salty it is and use this to gauge how salty the cream sauce you’re about to make is. In a saucepan, heat 2 tbsp butter, then add 1 tbsp flour to form a roux. Once the flour is absorbed and add 3/4 cup half & half or whole milk. (Add 1/4 tsp salt if needed.)]
Pour a little of the hot Cream Sauce into the beaten egg yolk, mix well, and then return the mixture to the rest of the Cream Sauce in the double boiler.
Remove from the fire [heat], stir well, add lemon juice, and continue stirring for a minute. Pour over eggs, minced ham, and muffin halves.
Note: Minced bacon can be used in place of ham.
SIGNED COPIES
Signed copies of Emily Post’s Etiquette - The Centennial Edition are available through Bridgeside Books and make a fabulous gift for engagements, weddings, birthdays, housewarmings, graduations, first jobs, and more!
The Quote
That’s it for the Saturday Sip, we hope your weekend is off to a great start! Let us know if you end up trying Eggs Emily. We’ll be in touch Monday with the weekly podcast, bonus question, and etiquette extra for the week.
Until then, take care!
Lizzie & Dan