Cookbook of the week - An Omelette and a Glass of Wine

 

    It says much for Elizabeth David's An Omelette and a Glass of Wine that we shelve it in the food section of our general book collection rather than with the recipe books which live in the kitchen. It's a book to read, not just refer to, and it's one I recommend thoroughly, its short articles (it's a collection of her writings) being elegant, witty, informative pieces which entertain the reader as much as they inspire a desire to cook.

    'Cookbook of the week' is of course a practical project so I have to do more than just enjoy the prose and must use the book to cook from, too, and so we chose an omelette, "a confection which demands the most straightforward approach", as our point of entry.

    Elizabeth David talks of the famous omelette of Madame Poulard on Mont St. Michel, but she gives a recipe for Omelette Molière, something altogether more substantial and delicious,  and as I've now eaten both I can tell you that 'Molière' knocks Mme P.'s into a cocked hat. From a small restaurant in Avignon where it was the house speciality comes this simple recipe which involves adding finely grated Parmesan to the beaten eggs, then when the mixture is in the pan you scatter on some diced Gruyère and add a tablespoon of thick fresh cream, and the instant the eggs are set and the cheese melted, you serve it. Rich, certainly, but with some good bread and salad, you need nothing more.