30 Before 30: Learn to Poach an Egg

My brother’s birthday is two days after Christmas. Every year I’ve lived in Mississippi, I’ve gone home for Christmas, and stayed for my brother’s birthday. This year, for his birthday, my brother wanted to do brunch, and he wanted to have eggs benedict at his brunch.

That morning, when my mom was getting ready to make brunch, she asked if I wanted to learn how to make poached eggs, because it was on my list.

“What list?” I asked. “Are you sure it’s on my 30 before 30 list?” I checked, and it was on my list.

At least someone is paying attention.

Poaching an egg is mostly about keeping all the egg white together while it cooks. You can use a spoon to kind of push it in and fold it together back on itself. It sort of helps to get the water swirling first, then putting the egg in.

It is hard to take a picture of yourself poaching an egg, because there’s a lot of moving parts and I only have two hands. I would say that on a scale of one to five, with five being advanced and one being minimal, my current mastery of poaching an egg is about a three – I’m not great at it, but I could probably do it again and be successful some of the time.

1. Host a real adult dinner party.
2. Hike a portion of the Appalachian trail.
3. Run a sub 2:15 half marathon.
4. Run a marathon.
5. Have a signature dish that I am really good at cooking.
6. Go on a backpack trip – backpacking through the woods, not backpacking through Europe.
7. Create an inviting backyard with outdoor seating.
8. Win a trivia night.
9. Eat alligator.
10. Take a trip to a new city where I don’t know anyone.
11. Learn to poach an egg.
12. Have a meal with a stranger.
13. Try a new sport.
14. Start a supper club.
15. Go spelunking.
16. Take a cooking class.
17. Get season tickets to an arts institution.
18. Consistently journaling for three months.
19. Learn calligraphy.
20. Publish a zine.
21. Meet Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
22. Join a CSA.
23. See Hamilton.
24. Finish my Master’s degree.
25. Get adventurous nails.
26. Custom order temporary tattoos.
27. Save $x
28. Visit five cities within a day’s drive of Jackson.
29. Eat insects.
30. KonMari my home.