Molly Yeh, a Chinese-Jewish American chef, cooks tasty dishes on the Food Network. In a show titled Girl Meets Farm, Molly is equally at home with baking challah as using chopsticks.
“Molly Yeh attended the Juilliard School in New York City to study percussion. There she met and fell in love with a fellow student, a shy [red-haired] trombonist from North Dakota named Nick Hagen,” whose family owned a farm on the Minnesota-North Dakota border. (See more here.)
Sometimes when I want to relax my mind, I watch the Food Network to observe smiling chefs prepare yummy food seemingly effortlessly. Unlike time-intensive writing projects that can span days, weeks, or years, dishes these chefs prepare are usually table-ready in 30 minutes flat. Never mind that onions come magically minced pre-show or celery chopped to tiny bits.
I discovered Molly one day as I ate a tuna salad lunch, basic and nutritious, but not fancy. In a swift segment, she prepared “Bonfire Eggs with Green Peppers and Cheese.” It looked easy and fun, so I copied the recipe, which I have replicated here in pictures.
Ingredients
4 medium Russet potatoes (Or any other good baking potato)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large eggs
About 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Hot sauce, optional
1/4 red onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
2 ounces shredded cheese
Molly’s recipe begins with “Make a bonfire.” I began by assembling my ingredients and then pre-heating my kitchen oven.
I pricked the potato skins all over with a fork. Then I microwaved the potatoes for about 12 minutes. To scoop out the softened potatoes, I used a melon-baller. Taking this step makes space for other ingredients.
Hot Tip: Scooping out potatoes into another pan instantly creates a menu item for another day: the beginnings of a potato-based soup. (The liquid is chicken broth.)
Next I plopped a raw egg into each hollowed-out semi-cooked potato, the insides of which had been previously salted.
Adding other ingredients (chopped onion, and bell pepper, Tabasco sauce and cream), I stirred the mixture with chopsticks, an homage to Ms. Yeh.
Before popping the potatoes into the oven, I placed “hats” on the potatoes before sealing each one with foil, prepping to bake.
After baking for about 40 minutes, I pulled off brown “hats” and I checked for doneness: egg cooked, vegetables soft.
Every cook must sample her food, and so I did!
This recipe is a good vegetarian dish, eggs and cheese supplying the protein.
If you find my directions a little sketchy, you can find the complete recipe HERE.
Lessons Learned, a Mixed Bag
- Having baking potatoes in my pantry would have averted a trip to the grocery.
- My red pepper, which was beginning to wrinkle, worked as well as a green one.
- A melon-baller is a good way to scoop out the partially cooked potato.
- I hollowed out the lower part of the potato too vigorously, so some of the egg leaked out. :-/
- Except for the final photo, I photographed the whole process. (It’s hard to take a photo with a weak left hand. The camera man wasn’t at home.)
- Having a bonfire, as the recipe instructs, may have attracted grandchildren’s involvement. (I used an oven for baking.)
Life Lessons
- It’s okay to act on a creative impulse. (A TV show inspired a meal.)
- Improve on a plan if you can. (I view recipes as suggestions and improvise, if necessary. For me, the instruction of making a bonfire became heating the oven.)
- Expect serendipity. (The potato balls turned into a soup dish for another meal.)
What about Molly’s story do you find most intriguing?
What TV shows do you watch as a way to relax?
Have you made a chef-inspired recipe?
Congratulations, Liz Gauffreau! The random generator picked you as the lucky winner of the Mennonite Daughter e-book in color. I will send you the link via email.
Disappointed? It’s your lucky day anyway. For a limited time, I’m offering an e-book special for 2.99 US dollars. For the universal link, click HERE!
I love peppers, so this looks like a great dish! I’ll admit, I don’t have the patience to follow a recipe. Derek is the cook in our home and he often prefers to “wing” it too. Although we pay a fortune for cable, I work jigsaw puzzles to relax.
You are a writer extraordinaire, publishing best-sellers every year or two. Maybe the secret sauce of your success is the ability to relax into a jigsaw puzzle–and also have a trusty book named Derek in your kitchen. Thanks for beginning the hat today, Jill.
Good morning, Marian! I do a lot of cooking, but seldom watch food shows. I do like to read cookbooks though. It looks like you had a fun and enjoyable meal.
You seem to thrive on cooking and baking as a complement to your writing. I enjoy seeing your offerings on Facebook, which often end up as Monday Morning Musings. Fun for you!
You’re right, making this recipe was fun for me. I got the idea to share it because I liked the ingredients and (later) thought it may appeal to those who like a vegetarian diet. Thanks, Merril! 😀
You’re very welcome, Marian!
Lovely! I watch a lot of Food channel too, and esp. Lidia and the Prairie Cook. Can usually find the recipes by googling if not able to record quickly enough. Thanks, Marian!
Welcome, Jack. I DO like Lidia and her Italian cooking because she gets her family involved and often comments on her heritage. I used to watch My Greek Table with Diane Kochilas on PBS but don’t see her in the time slot before Lidia any more. Thanks for checking in today 😀
Hi Marian, this sounds like a great meal and includes three of my favourite ingredients. I like to watch baking challenges.
My husband and I are fans of baking challenges as well, particularly the Great British Baking Show.
LIZ, you probably have something in common with Robbie Cheadle here, who has written children’s books about Chocolate: https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/sir-chocolate-books/ 😀
Yes, I’m familiar with Sir Chocolate!
😀
ROBBIE, I wonder if you watch the Great British Baking Show. You should be on the show sometime, featuring your fondant (and other) treasures. 😀
I find it intriguing that she fell in love with a guy from North Dakota!! Cross cultural, for sure. She sounds and looks delightful and I will have to masterfully hijack the TV to check out the Food Channel more often. The serendipity of gleaning extra bowl(s) of soup sounds like a good Mennonite cook. 🙂 Or whatever!
And P.S. Julliard is apparently great for more than it’s music! I think my best friend’s daughter met her husband there as well.
Yes, the resourcefulness I learned as a Mennonite has followed me all the days of my life – ha!
A cookbook author yourself, I’m sure you’d enjoy Molly’s menus. Stuart will probably cede the TV remote to you, especially if you find more tasty new dishes. 😀
Thank you Marian. This looks and sounds so yummy. Can’t wait to try it.
I’m glad this recipe tempted you, Carolyn. The nice thing about it is that you can bake several potatoes at a time and have multiple meals. Voila! 😀
Molly has quite a story! What a wonderful heritage.
I love a good baked potato! I need to get some potatoes. As for shows I watch to relax, I love food and interior decorator competition shows. I love Sugar Rush on Netflix and also Interior Design Masters. Just finished watching their seasons.
I’ve not heart of Sugar Rush on Netflix and maybe not Design Masters either. I’m always on the lookout for something creative and relaxing to watch. Thanks for the suggestion, L. Marie! 😀
I love the cooking channel. I’ve watched molly many times. She is a very creative cook. She makes everything look so easy..that potatoe looks so delicious I’m going to try it. I love putting sweet potatoes in the microwave. I cut in half put butter brown sugar and cinnamon. Wrap in Saran Wrap 15 mins perfect potato feels like thanksgiving in the summer.
Gloria, I like the idea of smelling Thanksgiving in the summer, cooking sweet potatoes. They remind me of thix special holiday. Maybe you have heard my Dad say, “Sweet potatoes are SO good for you!” 😀
I’ve saved the recipe. And I won a copy of Mennonite Daughter! Hurray!!
Yay! I just sent you a Mobi file of Mennonite Daughter, which you can open on Kindle.
Again, congratulations, Liz! 😀
Thanks, Marian! I look forward to reading it. I can’t remember the last time I read a book-length memoir.
Great! I’d like to know what you think when you finish. 😀
I’ll let you know!
oh, man. Oh, Man. OH, MAN! Now I’m hungry!
Laurie, I’m not sure what time of day you are reading this, but the recipe would make for a hearty breakfast or a delicious lunch. Maybe it could be a on the menu in your next novel! 😀
I’ll be passing this along to the breakfast cook in our house, Stuart. He loves all those ingredients, although I’m not sure he will have the patience to melon-ball the potatoes. No bonfires allowed in Warwick Woodlands, so the oven will have to be the solution here too. Your picture and your admission of a problem with the potato skin thinness reminds me of Julia Child. She could take any mistake, large or small, and turn it into a success or a lesson. You are much like her.
Tell Stuart that a soup spoon or table spoon would work just fine. . . faster too.
Julia Child has inspired many a cook to be brave. I remember when a whole chicken flopped to the floor in her kitchen, and she picked it up and proceeded with the recipe. I don’t remember whether she washed it off or not, but the cooking or baking would have killed the germs. Thanks for prompting this memory. 😀
Good one! I, also, have never met a recipe that I didn’t alter to some degree or other. I make a new recipe by the book the first time. After that, I feel free to mess with it.
I like how your roll with recipes. Lately, I’ve gotten carried away with using different herbs and spices when I cook. i wonder if you do too. Thanks, Sarah!
Sounds like a winner, Marian. I used to watch the food channel all the time and yes have some favorite recipes tucked away.
I usually watch the PBS cooking shows on Saturday afternoons, but I was eating lunch and turned on the food channel for companionship and, voila, there was Molly. Thanks, Joan! 😀
Love it! Sounds like a great Saturday evening dish when I can entice extra hands! I tried a hoisin chicken recipe this week and cooked beet greens for the first time! I didn’t know what I was missing. We watch lots of cooking shows now bc they’re clean and inspiring. Good job all round!
Beet greens sound so healthy; I wonder how you liked the dish.
Let me know how the baked potato recipe goes, especially if you get your family involved with a bonfire. Thanks, Jenn!
Well, the first thing that got my attention was the romance, of course. It would be fun to see the couple together – a Chinese Jewish American chef and a red-haired Nebraskan musician. Be still my heart – a delicious love combo. 🙂
Second, I really enjoyed the photos of you making this recipe. You went to more trouble than I admit I would. Our lunches are left overs or…. leftovers. I have not ever watched a cooking show, although many friends tell me how much they enjoy them. I only watch TV at night, and then for just about an hour. But I realize I’m missing out. Third, I don’t think eggs count in a vegetarian meal. ;-0 What a fun, inspiring post, Marian. xo
Yes, the romance.
I get the impression, the Nebraskan is an introvert and enjoys his exuberant wife in the kitchen and perhaps elsewhere.
Thanks for spicing up this post with your comment, Pam! 😀
It looks and sounds delicious, Marian! Did you forget to tell us to sprinkle grated cheese on the potato before putting the “hat” on? The cheese was in the recipe and in the picture. I made Borscht (Ukrainian cabbage or beet soup) today, which is quite a process. I make a big pot full, then I pour the hot soup into canning jars which seal on there own (I listen for the “pop” of the lid). It reminds me of home and mom.
You are absolutely right, Elfrieda. I did forget to mention the cheese even though it’s pictured. That’s why I said near the end of the post “If you find my directions a little sketchy, you can find the complete recipe here.” I hope that gives me a pass – ha!
The Borscht you made sounds like the recipes I’m familiar with in the States. However, when we were served the dish in Ukraine, the consistency was thinner and I didn’t detect much cabbage, which I think is a main ingredient in most Borscht recipes. Thanks, as always! 😀
Looks delicious and easy to do, Marian.. I love watching Masterchef and the Great British Bakeoff… I wish all my ingredients were pre chopped sometimes.. Lol
“Cook” is practically your middle name, Carol. I agree: it would have been so easy to have the onions and peppers pre-chopped. I’m not surprised that you like British Baking shows. Thanks for chiming in today. 😀
The first thing that got my attention about this story was that I grew up in North Dakota, so I know all about Grand Forks. I never get tired of hearing how two people came to meet. It’s one of the mysteries of life how we cross paths with another anonymous soul.
The dish looks terrific, Marian. Sometimes it’s more fun just to try something new. Look what happened because you did.
You don’t have to tune into the show to imagine Grand Forks and the surrounding farm land. I doubt that Molly ever imagined marrying into a farm (!) family in her Juilliard days. Such is life! Thanks for tuning in, which reminds me to check in with Mr. Springer, Author. 😀
Looks yummy, Marian! I’ll have to save this recipe for whenever we make a bonfire again, since we don’t have an oven. But, the most exciting thing about our new camper (kind of) is the fact that it comes with a little freezer inside the fridge and a TV! Two firsts in twenty years. 🙂 Aaah, the small things in life. No cable or shows for us, though. We will see how it all goes.
I hear the excitement in your voice as you are on the cusp of creating new memories on the road again. The interior of your camper sounds spiffy. About TV, mostly it’s a waste of time, but sometimes I like to “vege” out (pun intended) just to clear the mind after a day of squinting at a small screen. Thanks, Liesbet! 😀
Hi Marian – these look fun to make and I like their name – I can see making these for my group when we’re all together. Thanks for sharing Chef Molly’s recipe!
Barbara, if you’re into a bonfire, this recipe suggests an autumnal get-together. You group could even help with the prep, if you (and they) are so inclined. 😀
I love anything to do with food Marian, loved your post here with photos to boot! I don’t know when i last had big potatoes – I usually have baby potatoes, but for this yummy dish I’ll get a few, hollow them out and fill. What was that avo doing in the forefront of photo?
Sharp eyes, Susan. I decided to put the avocado in the photo just for colour. I thought the picture needed GREEN. Of course, I didn’t use it in the recipe. I spied it on a tray on the kitchen island, and I thought, “What the heck!” It became a side dish.
Thank you for checking in here, especially because I know that you are on a break. Good luck on the potato dish whenever you choose to buy baking potatoes. 😀
Good for you, Marian. I have little to offer. I cooked 3 nutritious and often Italian themed meals a day for many years, although I’ve never watched a cooking show. Since Vic’s death, my cooking is simple but healthy–salads, soups, and at the moment a Honey Nut squash (baked in the toaster oven) for lunch with a few rice crackers and hummus. No recipe needed, but a small amount of butter and lots of cinnamon. I loved cooking for Vic and my sons. All were appreciative and my sons are great cooks now.
Elaine, your lunch menu sounds like a hearty and healthy supper dish. When Cliff was on the road during the school year, I had the luxury of cooking for one, simple meals as you describe.
When it was the four of us, I cooked 3 squares, as you did, often PA Dutch-type fare. I believe Virginia would have been proud of your Italian-themed meals, although she may not have said so. 😀
Thanks for this delish looking recipe Marian. It surely had my mouth watering, and now I’m heading to the fridge for a snack lol. 🙂 Hugs
I see food on the screen and head to the fridge, just like you do. A reflex, I suppose – lol We have to keep nourished though, you know!
True dat! 🙂
That is a fun recipe, and it can be adapted to lots of different tastes. I, for one, would leave out peppers entirely. I have been watching lots of food shows lately because my son’s girlfriend is going to be on of the bakers on the upcoming season of THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW. I am super excited to watch her and see how she fares. I don’t think you’ll be able to see her in the US, unfortunately.
Oh, my GOODNESS! You must be so stoked to have someone you know (and can root for!) on the Great Canadian Cooking Show. Maybe you could blog about it sometime, with a photo or two. I for one would be very interested because I don’t think the show could be accessed here in the States. Thanks for the news, Arlene!
I’ll keep people up to date!
😀
Love it, Marian! Thanks so much for sharing… 🙂 I love getting inspired by cooking shows too.
Bette, thanks for sharing here. I see me have another interest in common. Yay! 😀
You have truly hit on one here Marian . T.V cookery programs, I completely love them .I equally find that they rest my mind too . Many years ago when going though an anxious time in my life T.V. was out of the question , it was our very own Jamie Oliver that got me back in to it ,plus you get a whole bunch of mouth watering recipes to try . I have seen Molly Yeh but didn’t know anything about her , I’ll look her up .
Happy cooking ❤️
Cherryx
Cherry, I’m glad this was a “Bingo” moment for you! Cooking shows are restful I think because there’s always nourishing food at the end + it’s all done neatly in 30 minutes, not like the struggle in real life – ha ha!
I’ve not heard of Jamie Oliver, so I looked him up: https://www.jamieoliver.com/
Sweet. . . thank you, Cherry. And happy cooking to you too! oxo
Well, I have to admit that I’m not much of a chef, but I enjoyed reading this with your great tips and life lessons stirred in. 🙂 I do enjoy making soup, so that tip about making a potato-based soup with the extra potato sounds so good! Your enthusiasm and joy in the process was inspiring to read (and see) with your last photo. Bon Appetit!
I’m certainly not a chef, but I do cook and enjoy the break from the reading & writing routine. Thanks for enjoying the process with me, Melanie! 😀
What a great recipe. Someting i would love to make. Guests would be impressed if presented with these on a plate. XO
Darlene, nice to see you here. I wonder if you are still in Canada. A bonfire may be appropriate in a climate cooler than Spain. Thanks for popping in! 😀
I´m back in Spain now. I was fortunate to have very nice weather while in Alberta. So great to see my family!!
Hi, Marian, this is Jerry Anne from the food truck party.
I enjoyed reading your blog in my down time this afternoon. I don’t watch much tv, and definitely never a cooking program. My husband prefers fairly bland food and only a limited range of it. HOWEVER, a friend who also is of Italian heritage, recommended that I watch Stan Tucci as he tours the world from place to place cooking and eating the local foods. Well, I scanned the episodes and selected his tour of Sicily from which my grandparents emigrated from in the early 1900’s.
Surprise, Surprise!! I loved it! (Actually I wasn’t crazy about Stanley Tucci, but, I hung on every word.) I just HAD to watch the prep and see the food placed on the plate. On top of that I got to see picturesque scenes of where my ancestors had lived. Best of all, I could hear the conversation in their native Italian language. This took me back in time to remember hearing my grandparents’ melodic conversations in Italian. (That’s when they didn’t want us to hear what they were saying to one another!)
So I have placed these shows on the ‘do not erase’ list.
What an absolute pleasure to “see” you here on my blog. Of course I remember our sharing a lovely barbeque supper together at Goldtree..
You may also enjoy another Italian cooking show on PBS. It usually airs Saturdays at 5:00 pm. (We have Comcast.) The chef is named Lidia, and her aged mother appears in some segments and they speak a bit of Italian as they eat tasty dishes. Here is the link: https://www.pbs.org/show/lidias-kitchen/
Again, thanks for tuning in here. You are always welcome! 😀