Cooking memories started early for me.. I can remember being 6 or 7 years old spending the Christmas holidays with my grandmother. I would awake to the smell of her bacon frying in her iron skillet…at that moment nothing else mattered.
I remember spending the night with childhood friends and noting the variety of eggs being served at their breakfast table…compared to my grandmother’s, theirs were usually rubbery, overcooked, almost plastic in texture, green or gray, burnt and raw at the same time. Now that takes talent.
My grandmothers eggs were a works of art; the care and love she put into them every time she cooked – and how she added just the right amount of bacon grease – made hers worthy of a 5-star restaurant. It was at her house that I learned to make my very first dish: scrambled eggs. She moved slowly through the steps, cracking the fresh eggs into a large bowl, sometimes allowing me to whip them. She preferred the fork method to whip up the volume….adding just the right amount of milk to make the eggs creamy and fluffy. She stressed the importance of salting them before cooking – just enough so they brought out the richness of the fresh eggs. A careful and constant stirring over medium heat in her cast iron skillet (she didn’t believe in Teflon), and the result? The best, fluffiest, most savory eggs you ever tasted!
Those moments alone with my grandmother before the rest of the family awoke (eager for her breakfast) were some of my fondest cooking memories.. She would sip her coffee and watch while I cut out the biscuits.
Thank you Mamaw for showing me your love of cooking.
I have four children today and they all love to cook. Scrambled eggs is still a family favorite for breakfast, lunch or dinner or just a quick snack…we always use her recipe! 
Food is Love,
Dale
Mamaw’s Scrambled Eggs
Ingredients:
5 eggs
5 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons bacon grease
salt
Ground pepper
Directions:
In a small mixing bowl, combine eggs and milk, whisk with a fork. In an iron skillet, reserve two tablespoons bacon grease after you’ve cooked your bacon. Stir a pinch of kosher salt into egg mixture then pour into skillet, stirring slowly with a heat resistant rubber spatula. As soon as curds begin to form, increase heat to high and instead of stirring, use the spatula to fold the eggs over themselves while gently shaking the pan with your other hand. As soon as no more liquid is running around the bottom of the pan, remove from the heat and serve. Season with fresh black pepper. Remember: if they look done in the pan, they’ll be over-done on the plate.
