Submitted by D. B. Campbell
It is interesting how in searching for one piece of information you discover another totally unexpectedly missing piece from a small hole in your life. While doing research on D. W. (Mac) Campbell’s BBQ sauce my Aunt Mary happen mentioned that Mac had also been famous for a very rich egg dish. Suddenly, it all made sense. I had been telling the story for years to my children but had never known what that terrible stuff was that Grandfather had tried to feed us that eventful day.
Easter 1962 Long Beach, CA. (l to R: Hillary, Laurie, Allison, Julie, and Bruce)
(Isn't a bow tie child abuse? Also see footnote)
We were known as the Cousins. That dreaded gang that would get together with chaotic results at my Grandparent’s three-story house right across from the beach on Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach, CA. once or twice a year for Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. Ultimatly we would number six, at that time it was a gang of five. This episode took place during some holiday, probably in 1963 when my family had come down from the San Francisco Bay area. All the parents along with my Grandmother Lois had left early; going off to do some parent thing. My Grandfather, Dugald Wiley Campbell (the 21st Dugald) was left to take care of the Cousins for the day.
Outside his job at the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce Manager, my Grandfather was a good amateur chef. This day he decided to bake his famous Eggs a la Swiss breakfast dish for his grandkids. After more than an hour in the kitchen he presented this fine cuisine to us. But the Cousins had their hearts set on Coco Puffs of some such and rebelled in that dumb way children do without even sampling. I’m much older now and realize that we had bruised his ego. Not that I remember my Grandfather being egotistical at all but all that toil in the kitchen was being dismissed for a box of cereal.
So, he pronounced that historical parental statement passed on from the dawn of time, “Well, if you don’t eat it now, you’ll eat it for lunch.”
Off to the beach, Thanksgiving, 1963 (Hey, it was Southern California!) This might have been the holiday of the Great Breakfast Rebellion.
Being the oldest, maybe I didn’t keep the emotional state as long. I remember realizing that I had never won a battle of wits with my father in my 9 long years of life and that this was my father’s father. I started to choke it down. It wasn’t surrender really as much as it was learning to pick the battles you can win.
On the other end of the age spectrum my three-year old sister Hillary started to eat the stuff also. I can not reliably confirm her motives or her thinking process. It could be that she was just hungry.
Granddad quietly took their plates off the table and the middle cousins Julie, Laurie, and Allison all left the table without so much as a glance back at us “weaklings” still working to clean our plates. I remember thinking that the thundering silence was very ominous.
Hours later, lunch was called and we entered the dining room with that huge long table. I remember Grandma’s table seating what seemed like hundreds at family dinners. But there, on the football field table, were three lone plates of cold Eggs a la Swiss laid out for the chagrined holdouts.
The ages old follow-up parental statement was now delivered, “If you don’t eat it now, you’ll get it for dinner.” Game over! The bluff had been called, age and treachery had overcome youth and skill. The defeated three cousins ate the cold breakfast.
I began to understand then, in a very basic way, that parents are the same everywhere. Later in life, when I remember swearing to myself, “I’ll never say that to my children.” But in the heat of battle my father’s words came out of my mouth completely unbidden. Even as one part of my brain is wondering, where the heck did that came from? In some dark corner of my mind, I’m also thinking, “Yup, that makes sense.”
I personally love this dish now and Laura and I will have a slice as dinner also. It is delicious. I know wherever he is; Grandpa has heard my apologies and just chuckled.
My Aunt Mary Vaughan (born 20 May 1938 - third child of D. W. and Lois Campbell) said Grandpa Mac was also highlighted in the Long Beach paper (Independent-Press Telegram) in the mid-50's as "Chef of the Week" using his "Eggs A La Swiss" recipe. I am working with them to get a copy of that article just to have the original recipe as far back as possible. Aunt Mary says Mac didn’t cook the bacon first but just laid the bacon in the pan.
(Eeeeuw! No wonder we didn’t like it back then. Like some bacon flavored gummy bear. But this makes sense because this is how bacon is cooked in Scotland – barely warmed.)
My Aunt Jean Downum (born 25 Sep 1932 - middle child of D. W. and Lois Campbell) where I got this version of the recipe, says that the tradition goes on today in her family with Eggs a la Swiss being the breakfast of choice on Christmas Day for their family gathering.
Footnote: The cousins at that time were; in descending order Bruce Campbell (born 10 October 1954) Julie Downum (born 23 August 1955) Laurie Downum (born 18 March 1957) Allison Campbell (born 21 April 1957) and Hillary Campbell (born 7 April 1960).
Eggs a la Swiss
This is a very rich and delicious dish.
(15 min preparation and 1 hour bake time)
2 eggs per person
2 slices of bacon per person
Salt & pepper if desired
1/4 cup Shredded Swiss cheese (per egg)
1/2 pint half & half cream
Preparation:
Cook bacon in microwave until crisp for crumbling, save bacon juice.
(Old version: fry bacon in pan on stove with all the burning splatters and medical attention needed. Don’t tell me that modern science isn’t wonderful!)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
1. Lightly cover bottom of baking dish with bacon juice (grease).
2. Sprinkle ½ crumbled bacon over juice.
3. Add half & half to cover.
4. Sprinkle shredded Swiss to cover cream (however much you
want).
5. Break eggs into dish covering cheese breaking yokes.
6. Add salt & pepper if desired.
7. Cover eggs with remaining Swiss cheese, bacon pieces,
and half & half.
Bake 325 degrees for about 1 hour, test by inserting a knife. If it comes out clean, eggs are done.
Do not over cook or the dish will be very dry. And for those who can feel their arteries hardening just reading the above, adjust as you wish.
But remember, sometimes life has to be savored!
