Eggs Benedict Obsession!

I have collected these pictures of eggs benedict variations for a while. In the past few months I have developed a passionate love for eggs benedict! Crispy English muffins, poached eggs, various meats, maybe some veg and hollandaise sauce!  Good creamy buttery lemony greatness.  Let's not think about the calorie content, just writing this post makes me feel guilty and want to go jump on the treadmill.  They say your taste-buds mature when you get older and I know that is certainly true with stronger flavors such as coffee and asparagus; however, that doesn't explain my taste for eggs lately.  I have always liked omelets and scrambled eggs but the world of runny eggs in form of poached, fried, and sunny side up were foreign to me.  It seemed too icky and gross I guess.  It could have also been a texture thing.  Now I love them!!!!!   This reminds me of the scene in Julie and Julia where she refers to a poached egg center as tasting like cheese sauce............... I totally see that!! The first three pictures I took myself and the fourth ..........I shamelessly stole from someone else's website   "gasp!".  I am not gonna poach instructions for how to poach eggs or how to make hollandaise sauce because most good cookbooks give great explanations.  Just remember that neither are as hard to make as they are made out to be.  Slow, low temperature for both, and patience. Powdered hollandaise sauce mix is good in a pinch but doesn't hold a candle to the real thing in my opinion.

I thought I would throw out some great eggs benedict flavor combos that I love.  Also if you have the motivation to make them (real hollandaise or mix), it makes a killer impression on the house guests.

Eggs Benedict with Conecuh Sausage and Fresh Spinach (made lovingly by my fiance's family)

Eggs Benedict with Lobster Cakes (Walmart kind... not homemade) and Asparagus (my experiment... it was great!)

This is from Cantina Loredo, a latin america restaurant in Huntsville. It is a Sunday Brunch Special with Bloody Maria (tequila not vodka) or Mimosa  Crab Cakes with a spicy take on hollandaise sauce.  I can't wait to go back here.  Also served with pan fried potatoes, fresh fruit with a sweet glaze (agave syrup?) and a sweet honey roll.

My favorite eggs benedict of all time! I'm so sorry to hollyeats.com..... I promise when I get enough money to go back to Brennan's in New Orleans I will take my own picture to replace! :)  Eggs Hussarde from Brennan's in New Orleans, LA.  I really wish I could replicate the Marchand de vin sauce they use in addition to hollandaise.... it is amazing!

Basically this is my plea to you, if you think runny eggs and/or hollandaise sauce icks you out.... be brave and give it a go just once.... you might fall in love!!