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Eggs In Tomato Sauce

My mum would make it when the mercury took a swan dive or when I was ill. It was something her Italian friend's grandmother made when my mum visited one summer, a long time ago. But it's most likely a dish that is made just about everywhere around the Mediterranean basin: the Turks call it Menemen, or vegetable and egg ragout (with lots of Aleppo pepper). We call it tomato tamago, but whatever its name, it's delicious. The only 'rule' to this dish would be to keep the tomato sauce chunky and flavourful: at the height of summer, you can let the tomatoes and whichever other vegetable inspires you to shine in their natural state, enhancing them with a few torn leaves of basil or oregano, but in the midst of winter, add as many spices as you dare. In fact, I often like to purge my spice cabinet when I make eggs in tomato sauce. Most spices have healthful benefits, so if you feel the sniffles creeping up on you, let yourself go with the spice jars! You really can't go wrong. For those of you who are a little wary about mixing too many spices together, here is a -by no means exhaustive- list of aromatics that pair well with eggs and tomatoes, and cannot help but agree with each other: bay leaf; Berbere spice mix; chile (fresh or dried); Chinese five spice; cinnamon; citrus peel; coriander seed; cumin; curry powder; fennel seeds; paprika (mild, hot or smoked); garam masala; ginger (fresh or ground); oregano; pepper (any and all types -try long pepper, it's divine!); Ras el Hanout; rosemary; thyme; turmeric...