The Saturday Sip: July 1, 2023
Your etiquette tip, quote and an Emily Post Cookbook recipe to start your weekend off right!
The Tip
Whether you’re celebrating or just gathered with friends and/or family for a casual meal, anyone may raise their glass and offer a toast. While giving the host the first crack at a toast as the meal starts is always a thoughtful consideration, if they haven’t raised a glass after orders have been placed or the first course is served, it’s alright for anyone who is feeling so inspired to offer a toast.
The Recipes
Emily was such a fan of these Shirred Eggs that she provided two recipes for them. Here’s the first!
Emily Post’s Cookbook, 1951, pg. 255
Shirred Eggs
Time: 10-12 minutes
Serves: 1 ramekin per person
Ingredients
1-2 tsp. butter per ramekin (serving)
1-2 eggs per ramekin
Salt and pepper
breadcrumbs
grated cheese
OPTIONAL
1-2 tbs. spinach per ramekin
1-2 tbs. minced ham or chicken per ramekin
small breakfast sausages
breadcrumbs
grated cheese
anything you have available and think would taste good with eggs
Directions
Shirred eggs have three advantages: first, there is only the ramekin in which they are cooked and eaten to be washed; second, the hot ramekin keeps the eggs hot till the last scrap is eaten; and finally, they have a wonderful flavor.
Butter a ramekin with a scant tsp. of butter. Slide 1 or 2 eggs into it, taking care not to break the yolks. Sprinkle the top with pepper and salt, and a small dab of butter, and put in a moderate (325-350℉.) oven for 7 to 8 minutes, or longer if a harder egg is desired. Be sure to remove from the oven before the eggs are as cooked as you wish, because they continue cooking from the heat of the ramekin.
Instead of cooking in an oven, the ramekins may be stood in simmering water in a frying pan and cooked on the top of the stove. Heat empty buttered ramekins in simmering water, then add the eggs. Cook 5 minutes uncovered, cover, and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer.
Instead of butter, a tbs. of cream can be put in the bottom of the ramekin and another scant tbs. put over the top of the eggs.
An endless variety of things can be combined with shirred eggs. In all cases, the method is the same. Butter the ramekin and add 1 or 2 tbs. of cooked spinach, minced ham or chicken, small sausages, or indeed almost anything you have available, cover with 1 to 2 eggs, add a scant tsp. of butter, and bake or cook over simmering water.
The top of the eggs may be sprinkled with bread crumbs and/or grated cheese and dotted with butter.
The Quote
“Don’t be afraid that a gift isn’t ‘perfect.’ If you think the person will like it, they probably will.” - Emily Post
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Thank you for spending a bit of your day with us. We hope you’ve enjoyed the Saturday Sip today! Will Emily’s Shirred Eggs be making a debut at your breakfast table soon? We sure hope so. Let us know your thoughts in the comments! And remember, the Monday thread is open to all!
Up next is Monday’s Awesome Etiquette podcast. Keep an eye out for it, along with our Community Member Bonus Question and the Etiquette Extra!
Until then,
Lizzie and Dan
Did you know there is an Emily Post United States Postal stamp? We love the china pattern that was picked for the stamp. Tell us in the comments what you think about the forks and the order they were set.
Apologies, I was answering on my phone and have no idea where it ended up - so this may come do you in duplicate
Found it! 🙌 - Jeopardy 6/30/23
Category = COMPOUND WORDS
for $200= “Emily Post wrote that when meeting others, this should not feel viselike, nor like a wet rag”
What is a handshake?
Yes, Mrs. Von Fabulous you are correct!
Please select another clue. 🥰
It aired on 6/30/23