Cracking the Egg
“It’s all in the wrist,” explains Audrey Hepburn, the leading character, Sabrina, in the movie Sabrina, as she cracks the egg shell using a single hand. For some reason, those five words have resonated- my having unceremoniously wanted to master the skill with as much aplomb as Ms. Hepburn. So sure enough, last summer, I exited from my habitual comfort zone of using both hands for the task and got serious.
Staying true to Ms. Hepburn’s coaching, I chose my left wrist and hand to crack the egg. As you can imagine, the first few attempts were soberingly clumsy, half of the shell landing in the bowl along with pretty much everything else. Then I discovered an important adjustment-success wasn’t so much in the wrist as in the velocity. Speed and the force with which the egg shell made contact with the receiving surface determined the outcome- a tidy fault line versus a zigzagged state of chaos. You had to use your authority. The other key variable was the quality of the shell, as, sadly, not all shells are of equal caliber.
What can be more satisfying than the good old-fashioned egg? Its versality reigns supreme. In my parents’ generation, you were referred to as “a good egg”, if you were a good sport about things, if you were kind, generous, and went with the flow. And while estimates vary, the egg is believed to have become part of the human diet from at least 1500 BCE when Egypt then later Greece cultivated chickens as a primary source of egg production. The egg also carries symbolic significance in many cultures and spiritual beliefs, not to mention “cracking the egg” as a possible metaphor for mindfully solving the problems of our world.
When not appearing in souffles, the egg has been noted as a holistic beauty remedy, the egg white mask reputed to have anti-aging and rejuvenating ability for the complexion. Because of health and sanitation concerns, however, it seems plausible that beauty lovers prefer commercially prepared masks. I am not sure that I know anyone who goes right to the egg for pore tightening.
So, if you haven’t already, I invite the home chef in you to consider acquiring this skill of cracking the egg using a single hand. At the very least it suggests a polished and professional optic. After that, perhaps venture to flipping the omelet utensil-free, using just the pan. But please, be prepared to acquire these skills with “a work in progress” mindset, and keep me posted!