Morning Magic

What gets you up in the morning? Sunlight? A persistent alarm clock with a death wish? A suggestive kiss from a significant other? Whatever it is, stick to that motivator because it is valuable. For me, I can honestly say its the smell of good food in the kitchen.

Growing up, almost every weekend and many weekdays, my dad got up early to get started on his to do list. Incidentally I have adopted this organizational habit and it is addicting. But, that description of my life is for a different day. Anyway, my father would do a fair bit of cooking in those early mornings. One of my favorite things he would prepare is his famous meat sauce. The trick to the sauce is that it slow cooks over multiple hours and the flavors are layered. Before we had a slow cooker, he did it old school--letting the sauce simmer at low heat in his enormous Le Creuset pot. I think if my father could have two wives, he would marry his slow cooker in addition to my mother.

But back to the sauce. The smell of ground beef sizzling among carmelizing onions is enough to make my mouth water and wander out of bed drooling. Yes, I know it sounds strange. The smell of sizzling meat rises me out of a warm comfortable bed. You have no idea how good it smells until you hang out in my kitchen. Even all you vegetarians out there would go crazy over that aroma.

Living in New York on my own doesn't exactly grant me the luxury of waking up to prepared food. I'm a very "light receptive" sleeper. I don't wake up without light which proves to be quite a challenge at college during the grey New England winters. I don't like to sleep in, but on this grey morning I found myself look over at my cell phone thinking it must be around 8, but in fact it was 10:49. Christ. I got up guilty and shamed that I had slept so late and wasted the day, but productively made coffee. I thought to myself, what can bring me back to my parent's kitchen and get me out of this morning funk? What do I have in the refrigerator?

Eggs. Tomatoes. Turkey Sausage. Onion. Garlic. Aged White Cheddar Cheese. Rosemary. Whole wheat olive loaf bread...a meal in the making! So, in my exhaustion and with the aid of strong coffee, I threw together one of my favorite breakfasts--Egg Scrambles. With the same strategy as my dad, but a lot less finesse, I layered the flavors. First the onions, then the turkey sausage, then tomatoes and garlic, then eggs and rosemary and cheese. Then I toasted the slices of olive loaf in the hot pan. I know I don't have the energy to eat this luxuriously every day, but maybe the memory of the smell of sweet turkey sausage, rosemary, and garlic will rise me out of bed more easily.

For amazing egg scrambles if you are ever in the nation's capital and my hometown, hit up Open City on Calvert Street in Woodley Park. Weekend brunches are packed so get there early!