HausBar Farm Eggs, Photo © Mike Sutter, FedManWalking.com

Cool Hand Luke, starring Paul Newman, is one of those iconic films imbued with symbolism–and eggs.

In the movie Newman’s character, Luke Jackson–a prisoner on a Southern chain gang with a penchant for escaping–proclaimed to his confined cohorts that he could eat fifty eggs, and do so in an hour’s time. How many people after seeing that movie have attempted that very move?

I can think of one.

In fact, it was that 1967 tale which inspired our guest, food writer Mike Sutter, to seek out fifty egg dishes from fifty different eateries in the Austin Metro area and then share his experiences over fifty days on his website, FedManWalking.com.

During his quest, Mike said the universal nature of the egg became clear; in one day he experienced egg dishes from the cuisines of Ethiopia, Columbia, Brazil and France. Each dish different, but each with egg taking center stage.

Even when eggs don’t have a starring roll, Mike mused, “Eggs are the element from which so many other dishes spring.”

My sentiments eggs-actly (you didn’t really think you were going to get out of this without at least ONE egg pun, did you?).