Eggs. For many people they’re a go-to staple to create an easy meal. For others, they’re almost impossible to perfect. This 4th Foodbuzz Project Food Blog Challenge calls for us to create a step-by-step recipe post. Well, that’s what We are not Martha is all about. Every time we cook something, we take numerous photos to document each phase of the process. From the beginning of our blog, we decided since this is a learning process for not only ourselves but our readers as well, what better way to document exactly how a recipe evolves then with step-by-step photos? We’ve all followed a recipe at one time or another and thought to ourselves half way through, “Now, I know this isn’t supposed to look like this!” We’ve always believed that showcasing the development of a recipe is a great way to get acquainted with how something “should” look and to have a bit of a comparison, especially when you’re still learning. Since we’ve been doing step-by-step photos for a while, we knew we had to do something a bit different for this challenge.
So, we decided to tackle a few egg techniques that are notorious for being a little bit tough, along with some brunch staples; and then incorporate them into a full meal. And, of course, we made sure to wear our comfy clothes while we cooked since we were preparing a multi-course brunch! 
MAYONNAISE
Our friend Lilly, who is a culinary professor, recently told us a story about how she taught her students how to make mayonnaise. From scratch. Not only did she speak passionately about how good fresh mayonnaise tastes but she went on to say how moved her students were by the process. We were immediately intrigued. After-all, most of us are used to going to the grocery store and grabbing a bottle or jar of mayonnaise off the shelf and not really thinking twice about it. But then we read the ingredient list Lilly gave us and compared it to the ingredient list on the back of a store-bought bottle. Did you know that to make your own mayonnaise, all you need is egg yolks, vegetable oil, vinegar, lemon, sugar, and salt? So simple! There is a bit of technique involved in actually making it, but that’s what we’re here for… to show you how to make it, step-by-step.
Mayonnaise:
• 3 Egg yolks
• 1.5 t fine salt
• 1 t sugar
• 2 T lemon juice
• 3 T white vinegar
• 3 C vegetable oil
First you need to separate the 3 egg yolks from the whites.
We learned that the best way to do this is with your hands, rather than transferring the yolk from one side of the cracked shell to the other. Yes, you’ll get egg whites all over your hands but it’s worth it. You’ll be amazed at how proficient separating egg yolks with your bare hands really is. It might just become our new hobby.
Add the 1.5 t salt.
And the 1 t sugar.
Mix the 3 T vinegar and 2 T lemon juice together.
Add half of the vinegar/lemon juice mixture to the yolk mixture.
Begin to whisk until light and fluffy.
(Whisk like you’ve never mixed before….)
Add oil one drop at a time and continue to whisk, until emulsified. This takes some time and a little arm strength, so be patient…
Or have someone add the drops of oil while someone else whisks… Teamwork at it’s best!
Once half of the oil is mixed in add the other half of the vinegar/lemon juice mixture and whisk a bit more.
And add the rest of the vegetable oil, too!
Now that it’s fully emulsified you can stop whisking.
And you can put a dollop on your finger to taste!
Season with salt.
Never going back to the bottled stuff again. Ever.
HOLLANDAISE:
Hollandaise sauce is another one of those brunch staples that you hear scary things about. It’s easier just to buy that little packet at the grocery store, right? No! It’s actually not difficult to make hollandaise at all. You just can’t be afraid of a little (OK, a lot) butter. But when have we ever been afraid of a little (a lot) butter? We used Julia Child’s recipe and thought it was pretty perfect.
Hollandaise Sauce:
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 T water
• 1 T freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 6-8 ounces very soft, unsalted butter (1.5-2 sticks)
• Salt
• Freshly ground white pepper (just use black if you don’t have white!)
Just like with the mayonnaise, separate the egg yolks from the whites using your hands. Make sure you put the yolks in a heat-proof bowl.
Add 1 T lemon juice to the egg yolks.
Also add in 1 T water.
Whisk until thick and pale.
Now, set up a double broiler using a pot and your heat-proof bowl, filling the pot about half way with water and bringing to a boil.
Bring the heat down to low and continue to whisk, making sure you get the bottom and insides of the bowl, where the egg could overcook. You can move them off the heat for a little bit if you think they’re turning too much into cooked eggs. Then move them back on.
The eggs should become frothy, increase in volume, and thicken.
When you can see the bottom of the heat-proof bowl through the streaks of the whisk, remove from the heat.
Eggs should be thick and smooth.
By spoonfuls, add the soft butter, whisking constantly to incorporate the butter into the egg mixture.
As the emulsion forms, you can add more butter in at a time.
Remember to keep whisking.
And keep incorporating the butter in until it’s at the consistency you want.
You might end up only using 6 oz. of butter, or you might use all 8.
Add in the salt, pepper, and some cayenne.
And whisk to combine.
Add more lemon if needed.
Make sure you serve the hollandaise lukewarm. If you let it sit out, it might start to thicken up too much and you’ll need to whisk in more warm butter.
POACHED EGG:
We both love poached eggs. But for some crazy reason, neither of us had ever poached our own. Perhaps we were just a bit intimidated by the process. After all, cracking an egg and dropping it into a pot of water just seems messy. But once you try this, you might want to poach eggs all the time. It’s extremely easy and actually quite fun to watch!
Poached Eggs:
• Eggs
• Water
Fill a pot of water to a depth of about 2 inches. Bring to a boil.
Crack egg into a ramekin or bowl.
Once water is boiling, lower to a simmer. Then carefully slide the egg from the bowl into the water.
Carefully!
It’s kind of a pretty sight. You can do more then 1 egg at a time depending on the size of your pot, but for your first time, we recommend sticking with one!
Let it sit in the water for about 3 minutes.
And then remove with a slotted spoon. To test it, press the thickest part of the white with your finger… If it’s firm to the touch, you’re good to go.
FRIED EGG:
Frying eggs is also key to enjoying a good brunch. It’s pretty simple and a good place to start if you’re just getting into eggs.
Fried Eggs:
• Eggs
• Olive oil
Set heat to medium heat. Add a teaspoon or two of oil to a skillet.
Crack egg directly into pan.
Once the egg has been cracked allow it sit in the skillet and do it’s thing. You’ll know when it’s cooked when the edges have just started to curl and the whites have begun to set.
And because you can’t just have eggs at brunch!
As delicious as eggs are, your brunch guests might be expecting a little something more when they arrive for brunch. And let’s be honest, even you are going to be craving some carbs and, of course, an adult beverage.
BISCUITS:
While we both love traditional eggs benedict, we really love it when it involves biscuits instead of English muffins. Biscuits can, so perfectly, add an additional layer of texture and, well, butter. So, of course, we decided to bake some homemade biscuits instead of simply purchasing English muffins. They’re quick, easy, and allow you to get your hands in some dough.
Biscuits:
• 1.5 C all-purpose flour
• 1.5 T sugar
• 1.5 t baking powder
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t baking soda
• 1/2 stick cold, unsalted butter
• 3/4 C well-shaken buttermilk
• 1 egg for brushing biscuits
First, put the 1.5 C of flour into a large mixing bowl.
Then add in the 1.5 T of sugar.
And the 1.5 t of baking powder.
And the 1/4 t of salt.
Also add 1/4 t of baking soda.
And whisk it all together.
Set that aside while you cut your cold butter into 1/2-inch cubes.
Then add the butter to the flour mixture.
And blend it with your hands.
Blend the butter until it resembles coarse meal.
You could also use a pastry blender, but working dough with your hands is fun. To us at least 
Pour in your 3/4 C buttermilk.
And stir it with a fork until dough just forms.
Dough will be moist, but not wet.
Take the dough out of the bowl.
And flatten it a bit on a well-floured surface. We were going to use a rolling pin, but then decided we wanted out biscuits to be thick (so we could cut them in half for the benedict), so we simply flattened the dough a bit.
And use a biscuit cutter to cut the dough. If you don’t have a biscuit cutter, a drinking glass will work fine.
Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees.
And put biscuits on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Brush the tops of the biscuits with an egg (that you crack and whisk a bit).
And pop them in the oven.
Bake until pale golden, about 12-15 minutes. These biscuits were near perfection. Ridiculously flaky, golden, and beautiful.
BACON (oh, delicious bacon)
If you’re new to We are not Martha you should know this one thing. We’re all about the bacon (and cupcakes, but that’s another story for a different time). We’ve always loved bacon but Sues’ dad makes the best bacon in… we’re just gonna say it… the entire world. The fact that we’re sharing this recipe with you is a pretty big deal
Three simple ingredients is all you need.
Bacon:
• bacon (obviously)
• fenugreek seed
• black pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place bacon in a single row. Sprinkle with fenugreek and black pepper.
Bake for about 15 minutes, until bacon is crispy.
The best part about baking bacon? No splatter, easy cleanup, and…
… the bacon doesn’t shrink!
Chomp!
BLOODY MARY:
Because every good brunch needs a tasty drink. And Bloody Marys are the perfect addition to brunch. But while many of us love Bloody Marys, do we really even know what goes into one? Could we make them on our own? Well, we should be able to because this info would come in handy for waking up thirsty on a Sunday morning. Here’s the recipe for our perfect Bloody Mary.
Bloody Mary (Makes 1 drink):
• 2/3 C top-quality tomato juice (V-8 is fabulous, especially the lower sodium variety)
• 2-3 oz. top-shelf vodka (depending on how strong of a drink you want!)
• 1 t prepared horseradish
• 6 shakes Tabasco sauce
• 1 t Worcestershire sauce
• Juice of 1/2 large lime
• 1/4 t cayenne
• 1/8 t sea salt
• 1/8 t freshly-ground black pepper
• Celery stalk
Whoops, we forgot to photograph the lime!
Pour 2/3 C tomato juice into a glass measuring cup.
Then add 2-3 oz. vodka.
Spoon in 1 t horseradish. Well, you can add more if you like it hot, hot, hot!
Then get your 6 shakes of Tabasco in.
Add the 1 t of worcestershire sauce, too.
And squeeze half a lemon into the mix.
Then sprinkle the cayenne in.
And some sea salt.
And black pepper, of course.
Pour into a glass over ice and add a stalk of celery.
CONSTRUCTION: AKA: How we turned our eggcelent (har har!) creations into a full-on brunch…
The homemade mayonnaise, the fried egg, and the baked feungreek dusted bacon were used to build a BLT and fried egg open faced sandwich.
Because of bacon’s popularity (and deliciousness), you’ve probably noticed BLTs popping up on more and more brunch menus lately. And the fried egg on top truly gives it the breakfast appeal.
We always love the kick from arugula instead of plain old lettuce.
And the bacon was cooked to crispy perfection with the perfect amount of extra flavor from the spices we used. We added on a tomato, of course.
And the fried egg went right on top.
But the homemade mayonnaise is what really took this to a whole new level. It tasted just like mayonnaise but noticably much fresher. Could this sandwich be heaven?
The poached egg, hollandaise, and biscuits were used to create none other than Eggs Benedict.
We also added on a slice of Canadian bacon.
And some chives sprinkled around.
Yup, it was a “close your eyes with each bite while smiling” kind of dish. The homemade biscuits helped transform this dish into a much more wholesome benedict. You’ll never want your benedict on an English muffin again. This we can promise.
Watching the yolk pour out of a poached egg makes the process completely worth it
Give this dish to someone who’s skeptical about eggs benedict and we guarantee you’ll change their mind.
And we also bet you’ll want to make hollandaise every day for the rest of your life. Your arteries might not love you, but your taste buds will certainly be thanking you!
The Bloody Mary was just plain enjoyed. It had the most wonderful spicy kick to it, without being too overwhelming on the senses. Definitely great for a morning pick-me-up. Or afternoon refresher. Or evening relaxer. You know, or all of the above.
Another reason we love brunch? We don’t actually have to put “real” clothes on and can remain in our comfy slippers. And did we mention Bloody Marys are totally acceptable at any time of day? Because they are.
We hope that we helped make eggs a bit more approachable with our step-by-step tutorials. Brunch is one of our very favorite meals and a fear of eggs will never scare us off again. And eggs shouldn’t frighten you either- As you can see from our step-by-step tutorial, they’re easy to work with. And if you buy a dozen, you’ll always have a few back-up eggs in case things don’t go your way on your first few attempts!
Oh, and we hope you make your own mayonnaise sometime soon. We promise you will not regret it!
And we’d be totally eggstatic (we just can’t stop) if you decided you want to vote for us to advance to Challenge #5 in Project Food Blog. We’re having a blast with these challenges and would absolutely love to continue. Thank you so, so much for all your support. You’re eggstraordinary! (told you!)
And we’re done with the cheesy egg jokes. Promise.
[Sues and Chels]
 |
Hands down the longest blog in the history of my Google reader!
WOW!!!!!!! This is some post. First off- I’m obsessed with brunch, so I was very excited to read this. I’ve never made homemade hollandaise. I really want to try now. Great job ladies. I will be voting for you (as always)
BRAVO for BRUNCH ! I love this – I’ve made my own mayo before, it was really fun… I love benedict and STILL have not attempted hollandaise… *sigh*
This all looks fabulous… I’m still in my pajama & slippers, what time should I be over?
I am a brunch fiend and this post is sooooo thorough. It would be hard to follow those pics and not come out with something great. GREG
I chicken out of eating uncooked yolks every time, but they always look like they would be delicious!
Love this brunch and I am definitely going to try this biscuit recipe
How do you get over the stickyness of the dough when you are trying to roll it out though?
Also, man that was a long post. But every word was delicious! Good luck with pfb2010! I am rooting for you!
this is an amazing post! i will definitely be coming back for the poached egg tutorial
just a tip for poaching eggs, if you add a splash of vinegar to the water it helps the egg whites hold its shape. I love poached eggs just on a piece off toast, soo good!
awesome tutorial! everything looks delish! and i totally approve of the pjs
HAHA oh you are girls after my heart! A bloody mary with incredible edible eggs? AMEN sisters!
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm – mouth watering
Gotta love a meal where you are encouraged to wear pj’s and drink an adult beverage! This is an awesome entry for this round’s challenge…you guys should be proud!
Seeing someone separate eggs with their hands always reminds me of Meryl Streep in The Hours…
Can’t wait to vote for this tomorrow!
great brunch tutorial! you ladies are amazing. i’ll definitely be voting for you.
You just made me want eggs benedict like I’ve never wanted it before!! This was a great tutorial!! Now where can I find Brunch on Columbus day
??
You ladies have outdone yourself!! This post is amazing.. and Chels you should make your whisking picture your new avatar
wow, talk about thorough. the fact that you focused on my favorite meal of the day gives you big points in my book. and the bloody mary is something i’ve spent years perfecting – yours looks more than comparable. congrats on advancing!
Oh my, what an involved post! Congratulations on making it into the next round and good luck. I’m loving each entry!
You two are the cutest. Also? Can I come for brunch at your place???
These posts for Project Food Blog have been so great! I keep intending on voting (for you guys, of course!), but keep forgetting. This week I really will do it, though. I just thought that I would alert you to a little error in your hollandaise recipe. In the list of ingredients you put 6-8 ounces of butter, but further down, under a picture, you say that you might use 6 tbsps. of butter or all 8. Just a little ounces/tbsps mistake there.
@ Andrea- Thank you- you’re right! It should have all been in ounces… I switched the T… And also specified how many sticks of butter you need to 6-8 ounces. We’re so used to going with tablespoons when talking about butter, but wanted to stick to the Julia Child way
Thanks again and thank you SO much for voting for us!! 
That’s so good to encourage people to make their own mayo – the stuff they put in ready-made is just so creepy!
My local supermarket sells a French brand called Delouis Fils and OMG it’s amazing – the ingredients are sunflower oil, egg yolk, mustard, white wine vinegar, salt, lemon and that’s it. I’d eat it with a spoon, but that’d be wrong. I think that just a hint of mustard really deepens the flavour.
I definitely have to have a go at that hollandaise sauce!
You guys…are seriously freaking AMAZING!!! The dynamic duo, that’s what I think of you. Gosh. Way to make a simple brunch sandwich something super duper impressive.
I tried to make mayonnaise once. I failed dismally. It turns out I drizzled in the oil too fast. Grr.
Wow this post is above and beyond!! Love the photos and recipes! I’ve tried hollandaise before but it wasn’t perfect. I’ll try your recipe for my next attempt! And I love your lilac nail polish too
Wow. Do you have any leftovers?
What a truly grand tutorial – I adore burnch, eggs benedict – the wholse shebang. Stunning and made to look easy. Some of these recipes are better than lifting weights. You have my vote.
Great posting! I too love brunch. The big thing in Chicago for brunch is looking for a place with a Bloody Mary bar….a do it yourself, build your own Bloody Mary! It is great with an assortment of olives, salami, cheese cubes, pickle spears, seasoned shrimp, and so much more. Do you have anything like that in Boston??
I’m so glad to see that there are other people out there who just use their hands to separate eggs. Your hands get messy with eggs anyways… Great post. Lots of pictures.
Great post! I love all the recipes!!
i have never had the guts to make my own mayo! i saw an alton brown about it, and he scared the bejesus outta me. but you made it look so easy!
It is 11:40 on a Monday, and I now want brunch!!
Wow! I can only imagine how long it took to compile this blog post! Excellent job! This looks fabulous!
I am skeptical about mayonnaise (don’t like it) and eggs benedict (never really been inspired to try it). You guys have convinced me to give the homemade version a try, it looks so much better! This brunch looks fabulous, and you definitely earned my vote!
The first think I ever cooked was mayo. can you believe it? I was 3. It was my first day of preschool and we made mayo in class.
this post brought back memories. I think you two rock! I voted.
Wow. Great post! You guys are able to cover SO much, and make it all look so easy. Nicely done. And the food looks amazing! I voted for you guys again!
Good luck! hope to see us both in round 5!!! =)
Wow, what an amazing post! Thanks for taking us through the basics of eggs. Very informative and fun, and breakfast happens to be my favourite meal of the day
Oh I love bloody mary’s and those biscuits, eggs, bacon oh my! Absolutely delicious.
Holy cow, your arms must be falling off from all that whisking. You girls need an electric beater, at least. !!
I never thought of putting fenugreek on bacon. Genius.
Wow – this was an ambitious post, done to perfection
wow, you two are amazing! I’m now feeling inspired to make my first poached egg – thanks!
I’ll agree with commenter #1, i think it took me a good 15 minutes to get through that, so I can only imagine the amount of time and effort put fourth, job well done is an understatement once again ladies and you have my vote.
It’s clear that you two put your hearts and souls into this and had fun too! You have my vote for sure!
I want brunch now. Especially the bacon. YUM
Great job ladies! You know you have my vote!
I just finished French culinary school in June and we learned all about making mayonaise, hollondaise and eggs benedicts from scratch. I love this post – reminds me of the good old days!
I love brunch its my Sunday luxury. So glad that you tackled mayo, its true once you make it once you can never go back to the store bought ‘stuff’. Good Luck
what a breakfast! need to make mayo
and next time can i get invited to brunch? 
I’ve always avoided making my own hollandaise but your post has inspired me to give it a try! Good luck in the competition – hope to join you in the next round!
Wow, what an amazing post – I don’t even know where to start! I’m so impressed you made everything completely from scratch – maybe I’ll try making my own mayo
Off to vote!
Very well done girls! This was an awesome post, you’ve definitely have my vote!
congratulations! beautiful presentation. you two have been busy…
you got my vote!
What an incredible gourmet breakfast. Seriously, making your own homemade mayo is impressive. Not to mention, your biscuits are the most beautiful ones I’ve ever seen. Your tutorial makes it all look so easy. Awesome job. I’ve voted for you.
what a great post! i’m so in the mood for a delicious brunch now, everything you made looks so amazing! i definitely would love to make my own homemade mayo!
So many great brunch staples! Just voted for you girls
Wow. Every single thing is from scratch… with a photo tutorial! You have my vote!
Holy COW! You guys went ALL out. Thanks for the breakfast
See you in round five ladies!
~ Mary
Wow! You guys totally went all out. I kept scrolling and scrolling and thinking, “wow, I can’t believe they made SO MUCH FOOD!” Great tutorial on all things egg.
Great post, ladies! Your photography is totally drool-worthy, and I’m really jealous I’m at work and can’t have eggs benedict rightthissecond!!
Learning how to make homemade mayonnaise was a life changing experience for me too! So easy and so delicious, great idea to post the how-to.
Holy Moley! What a meal! I love the biscuit benedict! Got my vote! -chris
This post is beyond spectacular! You two girls made these intimidating techniques look like a breeze and loads of fun in the process. Congratulations on yet another magnificent entry and one step closer to the grand prize!!
Eggcellent post! (love the cheesy egg jokes too). Your brunch looks so declicious and I love the creativity of the menu. Keep the great posts coming!
Yay eggs! I think I would eat them for every meal of the day if I could. I love that you girls chose to showcase some basic but tricky techniques (e.g. egg-poaching, mayo-making) for this challenge and of course, I can never turn down a Bloody Mary!
Good luck this round!
I’m now starving after reading this! I LOVE eggs benedict!
You guys are too, too cute! Absolutely enjoyed this post, and I think I have the same slippers
OMG! What an amazing brunch!! I think I must have missed my invite in the post
Oh, and can I come over so I can steal your Red Kitchen Aid Mixer! Tres Jealous! One Vote from Me!!
The Young Foodie
http://www.foodbuzz.com/project_food_blog/challenges/4/view/1353
Wow this is thorough – well done. Just voted for you- good luck! Now I really want bacon….
Yay for homemade mayonnaise and hollandaise and yay for poached eggs – one of my weekend favourites! Lookin’ good for brunch, ladies
YAAAAAAAAY Team…………..well done! I’m a visual learner….no more excuses for a perfect poached egg. Thank you!!!
This was like going to extra-yummy cooking class- for my favorite meals! Nice job, ladies, I am casting a vote for you.
Lisa.
I’ve always been under the impression that mayo and hollandaise and poached eggs are so hard to make but you lovely ladies make them look so easy! And that’s no joke. You’ve got my vote!
Wow that are some sexy yolks! Love that you guys made it all from scratch , you have my vote:-)
good one,..good luck for the next challenge
Can I come eat breakfast with you two? I LOVE all of this! You’ve got my vote!
PS. I just tried making homemade mayo in the food processor but it didn’t really turn out…guess I’ll just have to try with a whisk!
LOVE this great post! You guys did tons of work and everything looks amazing! You have a vote from me!
Excellent post – you got my vote for this! Good luck
Feel free to hop over to leave a comment 
Have a wonderful day!
jen @ http://www.passion4food.ca
A wonderful brunch with everything homemade from scratch! And excellent step by step pictures! Good luck in this round!!!
Love your post!
It,s like a brunch cookbook!
Good luck. Hope you guys advance!
Ooh, Sunday cannot come soon enough. YAY for brunch. I am with you on the mayo!
Good luck!
LL
Joy is such an important element in the kitchen, and there appears to be no shortage of it here! What can I say? I love home-made mayonnaise, eggs and bacon. Nice work!
My invitation to brunch must have got lost in the mail! This is an awesome post, an awesome tutorial! And I totally agree, bloody marys are acceptable at any time of day, but so are delicious eggy dishes!
I MUST try that bacon technique! Good thing I just bought enough bacon to feed an army from Costco!
I already know how to cook these items, but WOW!! what a fantastic post! It’s the simple things that are the best, but people fear the most sometimes.
Posts like this would make anyone feel like they really can do anything in the kitchen. Nice ideas and awesome execution!
You have my vote!!
There’s nothing quite like the sight of an oozing egg yolk. You guys are piquing my appetite. Perhaps a breakfast for dinner is in order sometime soon. Good luck this week, voting for you!
Lick My Spoon
i seriously just want to have breakfast right this second!
Mmmmmm…….I want this now even though it’s 10pm! Great post and you’ve got my vote!
Excellent tutorials! The sandwich looks insanely delicious! And I love your kitchen. Best of luck for this round!
Wow, you made all the components from scratch! Amazing post!