14.163 Toasted Bagel Sandwich with Fried Egg & Tomato … plus Cheese!

Cycle 14 – Item 163

17 (Sat) June 2023

Toasted Bagel Sandwich with Fried Egg & Tomato … plus Cheese!

4.0

by me

at home

-Changgok, Sujeong, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea-

with W and IZ

The fried egg & tomato sandwich has long been one of my favorites, dating back to my freshman year of college at Columbia University, when I first discovered the (off-menu) item at Tom’s Restaurant (the same one featured in Seinfeld).  Ideally, it’s served on a toasted bagel (see for example 1.324 Toasted Bagel Sandwich with Fried Egg, Lettuce & Tomato), but sometimes not (see for example 13.051 Baguette Sandwich with Fried Egg & Tomato).

Muenster is my favorite cheese for grilled cheese, as well as cheeseburgers.

30 years later, I suddenly had a revelation to add a slice of cheese to the fried egg while still hot in the pan.

I cook the yolk a bit longer these days to minimize drippage, which I used to think of as a sauce, but now I don’t like the mess.

Now, it’s perfect.  The cheese doesn’t stand out per se but acts as a foundation to bring everything together in better harmony: the hot egg, the raw tomato, the squishy bread, like a jazz group originally comprising piano, trumpet, and drums, finally getting a bass.

(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

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