CHECKOUT By Laurin Stamm

From The Kitchen of the Cypress House:

We’re big on brunch. It’s easy fare for weekends and holidays, and a great way to entertain. Special occasions call for Eggs Benedict or Eggs Sardou. And Carolyn Ramsey has just given me a recipe for Eggs Commander, which I’m saving for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. For large crowds on Sunday morning I like Creole Eggs, which appeared in our Lenten column, or a mushroom-egg casserole that Marion Rogers shared with me. But these recipes require a little time. This past Sunday time was scarce. In haste we put together a quick brunch concoction that everyone enjoyed, so much so that I thought we’d share it with you.

Quick Cypress House Brunch

6 eggs6 English muffin halves1 can cream of mushroom soup1/2 cup milk1 tablespoon dry sherry1/4 teaspoon white pepper1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheesePaprika

Mix soup, milk, sherry and white pepper until smooth. Spread about one-third of the mixture in the bottom of a buttered glass casserole. Break eggs carefully in the casserole, spacing them evenly side by side over the sauce. Sprinkle lightly with salt, and then cover the eggs with the rest of the sauce. Top with grated cheese and sprinkle with paprika. Bake uncovered at 325* until eggs are set, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve on toasted English muffins.

In early December of 1977, food editor Laurin Stamm began a weekly recipe column titled “From the Kitchen of The Cypress House.” The column ran continuously through November of 2000, featuring one or two recipes each week, and totaling more than 1,150 recipes over the 23 years.

Checkout, a current weekly column that features various food stories, events and recipes, today begins to look back at some of the most popular recipes from The Kitchen of the Cypress House, and perhaps a newly discovered one every now and then.