Kimchee grits, gizzards and other 'dumb' dishes to make at home

When I phone chefs to inquire about the details of a particular menu item, every so often in the conversation, they will toss in the word “dumb.” What? Talented culinarians with years of kitchen training and experience — the same folks who create dishes that become so signature that we beg and plead for them not to ever be taken off the menu — calling their dish “dumb”?

What they mean, I think, is that the dish is simple, uncomplicated or perhaps requiring few ingredients. For all of us pressed to get food on the table, none of that is dumb in the least.

I solved my Easter brunch conundrum in the eleventh hour with the easy crowd-pleaser of ham and egg baskets. Grab a muffin tin. Drape a thin ham slice over each cup, crack an egg on top and let it fall into the cup. Season with a crank of pepper and a pinch of salt. Bake it in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes, or until the yolk is barely set. It's so simple it borders on stupid. But people love it. And it's fast. So, let's call it smart.