38.0 The 10 O'Clock Piece

Starring Erin & Mike & their Wonderful Hongerich Friends

Filmed on Location nowhere near Beautiful Downtown Sellwood

Dialect: The Pennsylvania Dutch

“Don’t eat yourself so full already – there’s cake back yet!”

Erin and I bought an $8 bag of books at the Sandy Mountain Festival Book Sale couple Saturdays back. We hauled in, like, 50 lbs of books, not my least favorite of which was a thin, colorful collection of Pennsylvania Dutch expressions. This has nothing to do with the brunch we ate the next day – except here they both are in this month’s ITSK.

Sometime in the distant yet visible vicinity of 11:00 of a Sunday morning, Matt & Felicia (who are such schmutzers) met at our place, from where we carpooled to Jessica’s on the west side of the Willamette, “way out where the road gets all”. Felicia carefully coddled the Blueberry Buckle on her lap (pronounced “blue-BURRY” as if one’s mouth were full of them). The cake smelled wonderful good.

Since I don’t involve myself in any of the cooking, my one job is to record the mealtime proceedings. Although I did bring my pocket-sized notebook to jot down observations (indeed, Matt asked me as I wrote notes in there, “Do you write thoughts in there?”), I failed miserably this time around. So, I’ll improvise, and rely on the gimmick of “ferhoodled English” for a fair piece.

Regardless, there was a brunch, a grand brunch, which would’ve made for a grand breakfast if, collectively, weren’t the types that “doppled” around so much in the mornings. Jessica and Erin served us Fancy Egg Sandwiches! That’s not what we’re calling them (I haven’t found out what we’re calling them yet), but that’s what they were! And they served us the makings – it was a put-it-together yourself affair. Delicious fresh breads, tenderly scrambled eggs (yes, you can), a flavored cream cheese, tomatoes, sprouts! And coffee! Hot or iced!

But Felicia had a piece of her Blueberry Buckle cake first. “I’m gonna have to loosen up my blueberry buckle,” said she. Or maybe it was Matt. Or me. The notes aren’t clear.

Michael (not me, I’m Mike) was on his, I don’t know, eighth sandwich as I was fressin’ my first. “Why do you make so sei-ish (piggish) when you eat – you can’t be that hongerich (hungry)!” But he was. Thank god! Because I do recall there being an awful lot of food.

I don’t remember much talking during the eating, but there was plenty afterwards.

“Come now, Matthew,” I said, “We make the dishes away and then we set ourselves down and talk awhile.” There was much chatter about the General Mills monster cereals (you know, Frankenberry and Count Chocula – not to mention the rarer werewolf variety, the name of which the three fellas in the room (Matt, Michael and I) rushed to our smart phones for confirmation. The womenfolk were discussing the topic of “larpers”.

Although I could google the definition of larpers on my phone, I’d rather not. What’s important is my reference to a gathering of these individuals as a “Larper’s Bazaar”… Well, Jessica and I thought it funny. And if George Will was there, he too might have squeezed out a tight chuckle from his bowtied throat.

What does this have to do with egg sandwiches and the Pennsylvania Dutch? Nothing. You hongerich? Then get on to the recipe! As fer me, I’ve et myself done already.

Erin’s Intro:  It was me! I’m the one who said I had to loosen by blueberry buckle (or rather, loosen up my pants via my buttons, since buttons are either done, or not). Mike is right, sometimes his notes are unclear, especially when in reference to something witnessed on a trip to Disneyland - This argument has been going on for almost two years, that’s how stubborn I am, no matter WHAT the notes say!

Anyway, I’d been dreaming of a breakfast sandwich ever since I used leftover sprouts on a bagel with some avocado, and thought “YES, More of this!” So, since brunch was coming up and we planned to equally contribute menu items, the “build your own sam-danwich” was born. Much like our “make your own stinkin’ pizza”, or whatever it was called, this was a fun, laid back take on brunch. Us, laid back? That’s an understatement.

Build Your Own Sam-Danwich

The Fixin’s:

Choices of fresh bakery breads (Sourdough, Wheat, etc.)

Cream Cheese

Basil Cream Cheese

Tomato Slices

Red Onion

Sliced Avocado

Crispy Bacon

Sprouts

Scrambled Eggs cut into bread sized servings

Build it:

This one is up to you depending on your personal taste. Mine consisted of the following: Sourdough bread, toasted with basil cream cheese, egg, sprouts, avocado, tomato, red onion, bacon, topped with second slice of cheese slathered sourdough.  Follow up with a nice iced coffee and a slice of blueBURRY buckle!

(Samples of Pennsylvania Dutch from Ferhoodled English © 1964 Conestoga Crafts, Gettysburg, Pa.)

The “In the Sellwood Kitchen” cast and crew can be contacted at: erinandmike@sellwoodkitchen.com