Back when I lived alone, before I was married, I ate eggs for dinner several nights a week — usually scrambled, sometimes poached, always salted to the nines. It was among my happiest habits for one.
That time is long gone, but the eggs remain: I eat them nearly every day in one form or another, for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They are cuisine-crossing, genre-hopping staples, as reliably delicious a food as exists on this earth.
And so I’m enamored of our newest special section devoted to eggs, in print in The New York Times this weekend and online now, with 24 recipes and an essay by our own Eric Kim. In honor of that delicious project, I’ve got five eggs-for-dinner ideas for you below. (It could’ve been 50; I really love eggs.)
There’s also still time to sign up for the virtual event I’m doing on Tuesday, May 17, with Tejal Rao, our California restaurant critic (and the author of The Veggie newsletter), and Samin Nosrat, the chef and writer. It’s devoted to vegetarian cooking in all its delicious forms, and it’s going to be really fun. Join us! And reach out to me anytime at dearemily@nytimes.com with your egg recollections and requests.
1. Huevos Rancheros
Kay Chun’s version of this classic Mexican breakfast is zesty (from a simple homemade salsa), smoky (from the refried beans) and rich (from the yolky egg on top). It’s a combination for the ages and a very satisfying dinner.
2. Skillet-Baked Eggs and Asparagus
Eggs partner well with most green vegetables, but asparagus is their best match. (It’s the tidy brightness of the spears combined with the sloppy richness of the yolk. Opposites attract.) This frittata by Melissa Clark brings them together in a pan for an easy meal.
