Traditional Eggs Benedict

Eggs Benedict is easy to make; the hard part is actually the timing.

Go ahead and poach your eggs first since you can heat them back up easily (see directions above). Now, set your oven to broil and arrange your English muffins on a cookie sheet or two, and do the same for the bacon. Spread butter or some other substitute on the muffins. Stick the bacon and muffins into the oven about three or four minutes before serving time.

The hollandaise can be made a number of ways; many folks prefer to make it with a double boiler, however, I prefer the quick and easy blender method. Put the egg yolks into your blender and blend. Melt your butter in a saucepan until it's nice and bubbly and scalding hot, but not burning. Transfer the butter to something that can pour easily without a mess, and then, with your blender on the lowest setting, slowly pour the butter into the blender. At my house this makes an absolute mess because my blender doesn't go low enough, but pouring the butter through the hole-in-the-lid helps to reduce splatter.

Then, squeeze your lemon for the juice and add the juice to the sauce and blend. If the lemon is HUGE, you'll have too much juice, so be careful not to add more than a tablespoon of juice. Now, season with black pepper and cayenne (I like it hot, but your mom may not).

To finally assemble the dish, brown your muffins and bacon in the oven and reheat your poached eggs.

Now, on each plate put two halves of a muffin, top each with the bacon, and then top them with poached eggs. Finally, pour the hollandaise sauce over each egg-topped muffin. Top with the capers, chives, or parsley on the sauce-drenched muffins and wallah! A breakfast your mama will love. And heck, why not use that cheap champagne for some mimosas while you're at it?