LIKE THE GOOD EGG PROJECT SAYS: I DID GOOD AND I ATE GOOD IN PHOENIX
It was a whirlwind trip to Phoenix for the Hickman Ranch’s Third Annual Omelet Dinner. The event was held in the St. Vincent’s Dining Hall for people who work but can’t earn quite enough to keep their families well fed. Each year, employees from Hickman’s Egg Ranch – Arizona’s largest egg provider –team up with volunteers to make omelets, bacon, sausage and potatoes, and serve more than 500 people breakfast! This year was the largest yet! Since the meal is served around Christmas time the Dining Hall is decked with boughs of holly plus lots of other decorations. There are even prizes and gifts for all the children who show up. Even the Hickman giant chicken mascot was there! It was just wonderful!
The Hickman family rounded-up more than 30 volunteers. My job at the event was to orchestrate the preparation of hundreds of cheese omelets. The omelets were made by 16 farm workers, truck drivers and egg packers – almost none of whom had made an omelet before. I started with a quick omelet-making demonstration and then turned them loose with their frying pans. I’ll admit the first omelets were a little shaky, but by the time they were on their fiftieth omelet, they were flipping them in the air and catching them in the pan behind their back! What a sight!
The “eating good” part of my Phoenix trip was thanks to my host, Sharman Hickman Silva. She took me to a place called Scrambles that only serves breakfast, all day long. What a creative bunch of breakfast makers they are! I had a Brizza (a breakfast pizza) where the dough is made fresh, baked with a layer of egg on top and with the toppings of your choice! I topped my Brizza with chorizo sausage, peppers, onions and finished with a swirl of jalapeno cream cheese. The heat from all the peppers was searing, which is a good thing to me! The Brizza is Scramble’s signature dish with all kinds of toppings like Gouda cheese, bacon, country ham, garlic spinach with thyme and, of course, mushrooms. Mmmm. Sharman ordered Santa Fe Eggs Benedict, poached eggs on jalapeno corn bread with blackened ham and chipotle hollandaise sauce. Talk about searing heat! All of it was so delicious.
Check out the pictures of me “doing good and eating good” in Phoenix. Enjoy!
