Sister Erin passed me a passel of possible post topics yesterday. And I almost discarded the one I’m going to expound upon today. But I had an unexpected epiphany. It’s not about food. It’s really about would-be food writers who shouldn’t be…
Dear, sweet, naive, uninformed Henrik Rothen. He’s the author of a recent post about new ‘hacks’ which involve ‘pouring eggs on tortillas’. They’re supposed to produce new, completely different breakfast treats. Or maybe lunch. The ingredients aren’t breakfast specific, except maybe for the eggs.
Anyway…
The Rothen post was prompted by an allegedly viral You Tube video (reposted above) demonstrating three ‘amazing’ egg-and-tortilla recipes.
The first:
“The first recipe begins with dipping a tortilla in water and placing it in a pan,” Rothen exlains. “After mixing eggs with salt, black pepper, and parsley, the mixture is poured into the pan over the tortilla. Toppings like mozzarella cheese, crushed pepper, another water-dipped tortilla, tomato sauce, salami, sliced tomato, spinach, and more cheese are added before cooking for five minutes on each side.”
This is a ‘recipe’ that has been replicated, hacked and ‘reinvented’ to death. It’s really just another take on classic Chilaquiles. I’d be embarrassed to claim this was something new and different.
The second:
“The second recipe involves cutting tortilla circles and placing them in a muffin pan, followed by adding chopped mushrooms, yellow and red peppers, green onions, and a mixture of eggs, salt, and black pepper,” Rothen enthuses. “Topped with shredded cheese, these tortilla cups are baked to perfection.”
Okay… I have to ask: Did Rothen even know that tortilla cups – and bowls – were already a years-old thing’? Need I say more?
The third:
“The third recipe is a tortilla-based dish that rivals pizza,” Here we go… “It involves using two tortillas, five eggs, seasonings, parsley, tomato, mozzarella cheese, spinach, olive oil, and unsalted butter to create a mouth-watering meal.”
Wait… That’s really just a Taco Bell Mexican Pizza (TBMP) (see photo, top of page). by another method! Did Rothen make the connection? Was he even aware of the now-iconic Mexican Pizza? And why would anyone go to the trouble of the video’s method if they wanted to hack the TBMP?
My take
“Whether you’re looking for a quick breakfast option or a creative way to use tortillas, these recipes offer a fresh and tasty solution,” Rothen proclaims. – NOT!
First… The copycat Chilaquiles dish is not only an embarrassment to Rothen. It’s primarily a really red-faced moment for the video producer, Cooking Everyday. She reinvented not one, but three culinary wheels in her video. And hooked the unsuspecting Rothen ‘on the rebound’.
Second… Any trained, conscientious journalist would have Googled ‘taco cups’ before getting all worked up about the video. At least, I hope they would. It’s such an obvious preparation, I’d have assumed someone had probably done it before.
Third… And most egregious! How could anyone who dares to pose as a food writer miss the similarity of the third recipe to the famed, controversial, brought-back-by-popular-demand, Taco Bell Mexican Pizza?
The bottom line?
I am compelled to quote Jedi Master Yoda, here: Henrik, “Do or not do. There is no ‘try’.”
[Exhales mightily] I feel much better, now!
~ Maggie J.