23 Delicious Ways to Eat Eggs Anytime of the Day

Consider the egg. Not only is it a universal food, rich in protein arid poor in calories, but

without an egg Columbus might not have discovered America. Without eggs what would we

do for old saws? We would have nothing to venture all of which in one basket; nothing to

break without which we could not make an omelette; nothing with which to urge others on to

questionable actions; nothing to show the impossibility of unscrambling, nothing indeed to

scramble; and finally nothing not to teach your grandmother how to suck.

Culinary the universality of the egg is exemplified by the fact that there is no way in which it

cannot be cooked. A few hints on the actual cooking may not be amiss. To a French chef,

fluent though his English, there is no such thing as a "baked" egg. It is "shirred," as I learned

one day to my embarrassment at a fine restaurant, where I told the waiter I wanted a couple

of baked eggs with chives. Half a martini later the waiter returned.

The chef, he said, does not know how to bake eggs, and could you explain? I could. Halfway

through his face broke into a smile, he nodded vigorously, and said, "Ah, Monsieur desires

shirred eggs." It is a thing to remember.

Eggs may be poached in any liquid from wine to water, but they will not poach properly

unless they are fresh. Old eggs will separate when put into a hot liquid, and a separated

poached egg is even more of an "ultimate disgust" than tepid potatoes. If you are not sure of

the birthday of your eggs, you can, by adding a tablespoon or two of vinegar to your water,

keep them from separating. The liquid should be brought to a boil, the heat turned off, the

eggs broken carefully into the skillet, and the skillet covered. Four minutes is enough if the

eggs are to be very soft, five if runny, and six if hard.

In scrambling, the universality of the egg is matched by the multiplicity of method. There are

as many ways of scrambling an egg as there are cooks, and all the methods are good. Some

add milk, some cream, others water; some scramble in bacon fat, others in butter. There was

once a cook who used no shortening at all, but poured the eggs into a warmed skillet and beat

them constantly and unmercifully with a wire whisk over a low flame lest they stick to the

pan—nor did they. Some cooks season the eggs before putting them in the skillet, others

season when the eggs are half cooked. Many people scramble eggs over boiling water in a

double boiler.

Some stir with forks, some with spoons, and at least one cook uses a truncated cake turner.

Three things only are common to all, if the eggs are to be what scrambled eggs should—light

and fluffy. They should be stirred constantly but not too hard, they should not be overcooked,

and they must be served and eaten the moment they are done. The real "ultimate disgust" is

not tepid potatoes, it is not a separated poached egg; it is scrambled eggs which have been

allowed to stand.

There are two basic types of omelettes: a fluffy or souffle omelette much used in desserts,

and a plain omelette intended to satisfy hunger. The former is made by separating the eggs,

beating the yolks lightly and the whites until stiff; the latter is made by lightly beating the

yolks and whites together. Once you have thus prepared your eggs and irrevocably embarked

on your course to a souffle or a plain omelette there are as many different ways of cooking it

as there are to scramble eggs. I refer you to the nearest basic cookbook where you will find at

least one method and probably several. If you have two basic cookbooks you will find

additional methods. It would be bootless to confuse things more by adding another.

The omelette recipes which follow are intended for the plain omelette. A recipe for the

souffle variety will be found in the section on desserts. However you decide to cook an

omelette, select a skillet large enough to accommodate the eggs comfortably. The thicker the

layer of eggs, the longer they must cook. If the layer is too thick, they will burn on the bottom

before they cook through. Six eggs, for example, require a twelve-inch skillet. In my opinion

no omelette should be made for more than two people. If you have more than two to feed,

make: more omelettes.

As egg dishes will seldom be a main course for a meal when a dessert is expected or required,

I have refrained from suggesting a dessert course in this section. If you have need of a dessert

with one or another of these recipes, you will probably be able to find a suitable suggestion in

the section on Desserts.

A man invented these eggs one Sunday morning after having spent a good part of Saturday

night with Alice—it was their annual reunion. It seemed only appropriate that the eggs

should be named after Alice's progenitor, even though they will not, perhaps fortunately,

make you grow taller or shorter as you eat them. Unless, of course, you can find the right

kind of mushrooms. With ordinary or garden variety mushrooms you will have excellent

fodder for brunch or luncheon and an equally good dish for supper.

Photo owned by Renee Comet

2 MEDIUM ONIONS

4 LARGE MUSHROOMS

¼ POUND CHIPPED BEEF

4 TABLESPOONS BUTTER ½ CUP DRY WHITE WINE ¼

TEASPOON PEPPER

8 EGGS

Chop the onions, the mushrooms, and the chipped beef very fine. Melt the butter in a skillet

and sauté the onions over a gentle flame for about five minutes. Add the mushrooms and

cook until they are golden. Add the chipped beef, the white wine, and pepper, and sauté

another five minutes.

Butter four individual baking dishes well. In the bottom of each, place one quarter of the

mixture from the skillet. Break into each, over the mixture, two eggs, being careful not to

violate the integrity of the yolks. Place in a pre-heated, moderate oven (350 degrees) for

fifteen minutes, or until the yolks are set and the whites opaque. Garnish each dish with a

sprig of parsley and serve forthwith.

Some kind of hot bread—be it toast, French bread, rolls, biscuits, or popovers—should be

served with the eggs. If you wish to be fancy, give your guests hot artichokes and melted

butter. Myself, I think eggs do very well without vegetables. For a salad, I would recommend

something simple such as Tomato Daishe (qv). The wine should be white, very light, and

very dry, Riesling, perhaps; or, instead of wine, serve coffee.

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EGGS POMODORI SERVES 4

Eggs, tomatoes, and bacon have long been a standard American combination, frequently as a

sandwich. In a somewhat different form the three are also combined in Italy and France. This

is one such combination.

While the dress and manner of cooking them in this style differ from the American mode,

you will find the alien appearance attractive, the excellent, and the method simple, despite the

apparent length of the instructions. Serve them for brunch, luncheon, or supper.

8 RASHERS BACON

8 TEASPOONS MINCED PARSLEY

GARLIC POWDER

8 RIPE BUT FIRM TOMATOES

4 TABLESPOONS GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE

4 TEASPOONS CHERVIL

SALT

PEPPER

8 EGGS

4 PITTED OLIVES

Fry the bacon in a skillet until almost done. Remove from skillet, drain on paper towels, and

chop fine. Combine the bacon, the minced parsley, and a few pinches garlic powder. Cut the

tops from the tomatoes and scoop out the insides. Distribute the bacon and parsley mixture

equally among the tomato shells. Grease a flat pan or baking dish well with butter, place the

tomato shells on it, and cook them in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for about six or seven

minutes. Meanwhile mix the grated cheese, the chervil and a little salt and pepper. Remove

the tomato shells from the oven and break one egg into each. Raise the temperature of the

oven to hot (400 degrees) and return the tomatoes. Bake for five minutes or until the egg

whites are opaque. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and sprinkle the cheese mixture over

them. Place in the broiler and broil for two minutes.

Remove, garnish each with half a pitted olive, and serve, two to a customer. Bread in some

form, be it toast, French bread, or popovers, is definitely required eating with these eggs. The

vegetable, if any, should be bland and green. Creamed spinach or broccoli are suggestions.

Avocado Salad (qv) might well follow it. If the occasion is festive and calls for wine, serve a

pink one, a Tavel, for instance.

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EGGS CAENAISE SERVES 4

The town of Caen in Normandy has what amounts to a qualitative monopoly on the cooking

of tripe—Philadelphia with its pepper pot soup may be a second, but not a close one. Despite

the fact that "Tripe à la Mode de Caen" has a world-wide reputation, not everyone likes tripe.

It seems unfortunate that this delectable dish is not more universally enjoyed. By modifying

the recipe for tripe a little and applying it to eggs, which nearly everyone eats whether he

likes them or not, it may be possible to increase the general appreciation of this mode. Who

knows but what people will so admire it that they will come to like tripe too. The recipe may

not sound inviting when read, but it is extremely good when eaten at any meal whose main

course can consist of eggs.

8 EGGS

2 LARGE ONIONS

2 CUPS MILK

½ FINELY DICED GREEN PEPPER

4 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

4 TABLESPOONS FLOUR

½ TEASPOON CELERY SEED

1 TEASPOON MINCED PARSLEY

½ TEASPOON GRATED NUTMEG

SALT

PEPPER

PAPRIKA

Hard-boil the eggs. While they are cooking, cut the onions in half and then into thin slices.

Scald the milk. Dice the green pepper. Melt the butter in a large skillet, and over a low fire

sauté the onions and the green pepper until soft, but do not let them brown. When soft, add

the flour and blend it well with the butter in the pan. Remove from the fire, and gradually

pour in the hot milk, stirring it into a sauce with the butter and flour. Add the celery seed,

parsley, and nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper. Cook over a low heat for ten minutes,

stirring frequently. Cut the eggs coarsely and stir into the mixture, being careful not to break

them into small pieces.

When thoroughly hot, place in individual dishes or ramekins, or on a large platter, garnish

with paprika, and serve. Again some type of bread is indicated. It may be French bread,

crusty rolls, or buttered toast. Broccoli, baby beets, or baby lima beans would be good

vegetables. Follow with Spinach Salad (qv). Wine seems unnecessary, but, if wine must be, a

Graves would be a welcome choice.

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EGGS CREVETTES SERVES 6

One of the most rewarding of all hard-boiled egg dishes, Eggs Crevettes is ideal for Sunday

brunch, any leisurely luncheon, or for supper. You cannot toss it together in a few minutes,

but the thirty or forty it will require are minutes well spent, and your guests, and you too for

that matter, may utilize the interval adventuring with Black Velvets (qv), martinis, or what

have you. If you, as a chef, have some hesitancy in drinking while you work, I commend to

your attention an entertaining little volume by Elliot Paul, Intoxication Made Easy. It is a

recipe for making Spanish rice, but as its title suggests, it contains some profound

observations on alcoholic consumption in the kitchen.

But to get back to our eggs, they should be boiled hard, at least fifteen minutes, preferably

twenty, in rapidly boiling water, shelled at once, and kept warm until ready for use. If I were

rating these recipes for excellence, I would put this one in the top bracket.

Photo owned by Dev

9 HARD-BOILED EGGS

1 POUND COOKED SHELLED SHRIMP

4 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

4 TABLESPOONS FLOUR

l½ CUPS CREAM

3 TEASPOONS DRY MUSTARD

1 TEASPOON SALT

PINCH CAYENNE

¼ TEASPOON SCOTCH BONNET

¼ CUP DRY SHERRY

3 TABLESPOONS PARSLEY, CHOPPED FINE

Chop the; eggs coarsely, cut each shrimp into two or three pieces, depending on size of

shrimp. In a large saucepan make a light cream sauce with the butter, flour, and cream. While

the sauce is cooking dissolve the mustard in a little milk; add it, the salt, cayenne, Scotch

Bonnet, and sherry to the sauce. When the sauce is finished, taste, and rectify the seasoning.

Add the chopped eggs, shrimp, and parsley. Stir the mixture well together with a wooden

spoon and serve very hot. Normally with this dish I would serve very thinly sliced fresh

tomatoes and cucumbers, garnished with chopped chives or finely minced spring onion tops,

and coffee. For a very festive occasion, why not substitute cold artichokes with Hollandaise

(qv)? You may serve Eggs Crevettes on or with buttered toast, but a far, far better thing,

particularly at brunch, is the great, round, air-filled popover. As for beverage: if you have

been drinking, as I suggested, Black Velvets while the eggs were being cooked, champagne is

the proper choice. Otherwise, a light, white wine, perhaps a Barsac, goes beautifully. Wine is

really not essential with this dish, and its absence would hardly be noted even by winebibbers

of the first water, if I may adopt that expression in this connection, but coffee is a must.

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EGGS POONA SERVES 4

This recipe for currying eggs provides a rapid method of serving a delicious and satisfying

meal. Primarily intended for lunch or supper but quite possible for an informal dinner, Eggs

Poona can be cooked in fifteen minutes, the time required to hard-boil the eggs. Its origin was

the arrival at a man's home of several friends who were stopping off between trains.

The friends, who had had some acquaintance with dining-car food and service, clamored to

be fed. The man's refrigerator bore a marked resemblance to Mrs. Hub-bard's cupboard. He

did, however, have a few eggs, a tin of condensed cream of chicken soup, and a well-stocked

spice shelf.

8 EGGS

6 RASHERS BACON

1 TIN CONDENSED CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP

½ CUP CREAM

2 TEASPOONS CURRY POWDER

1 TEASPOON POWDERED GINGER

3 TABLESPOONS CHOPPED PARSLEY

Hard-boil the eggs. While they are boiling, fry the bacon until it is crisp and chop it into

pieces about half an inch square. In a saucepan, over a slow fire, place the chicken soup, thin

with the cream, and stir with a wire whisk until the mixture is smooth. Add the curry powder,

ginger, chopped parsley, and bacon. Stir these ingredients well into the sauce. When the eggs

are done, shell them, and split each lengthwise. Place them flat side down on a hot platter or

individual plates, pour the sauce over them, and serve.

Few green vegetables go well with curry. Rice does, of course; so do tomatoes, cucumbers,

and onions. If you wish to have Eggs Poona at dinner, I would suggest that you serve boiled

rice on the side. Follow the curry with Tomato Daishe (qv). I do not like wine overmuch with

curry, but if you do, a well-chilled Tavel will probably be the best. Why not beer?

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EGGS ÌN BLACK BUTTER SERVES 4

Eggs in Black Butter are fried eggs sunny side up de luxe. It is one of the simplest and

quickest ways to prepare eggs and, for the time and effort expended, one of the most

rewarding. An interesting point is that while much of the flavor derives from chives—a

poetical expression of little merit—you may substitute finely minced garlic, and if garlic is

not available either, the finely chopped tops of spring onions will do as well.

Garlic powder or onion powder, however, will not serve in this instance. If garlic is your

choice, you will use only about half as much of it as of chives or onion tops. The chives must

be fresh, not dried. This is a good late breakfast or luncheon dish which is useful, too, for

supper or for late parties.

8 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

8 EGGS

SALT

PEPPER

4 TEASPOONS FINELY CHOPPED CHIVES

4 TABLESPOONS VINEGAR

Put on an apron. Using a skillet large enough to fry eight eggs, quickly melt half the butter,

and let it cook until it is brown. Sauté the eggs, basting, if you like the yolks firm, until they

are cooked to your taste. Remove them to a hot platter, season with salt and pepper, and

sprinkle with the chopped chives. In the same skillet quickly brown the remainder of the

butter. When it is dark brown, remove the skillet from the fire, and using a long-handled or

eating-with-the-devil spoon, add the vinegar. Now you will be glad of the apron. Pour the

mixture over the eggs and serve at once. Toast or, better yet, French bread, is the perfect

complement to these eggs, and coffee the proper beverage. If a salad is meet, offer your

guests Beet Daishe (qv).

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EGGS MARINARA SERVES 4

Under Sauces and Dressings in the back of this book is a recipe for Marinara Sauce. You

should keep some of it in your refrigerator. It appears in several recipes in this book and has

many other uses which you will discover for yourself from time to time in your culinary

experiments.

These eggs are very quick, very simple, and very good at brunch, luncheon, and supper, early

or late. If you have the Marinara Sauce already made, the dish will take about fifteen minutes.

If you have to make the sauce you should allow an additional half hour.

2½ CUPS MARINARA SAUCE

6 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

8 EGGS

SALT

PEPPER

4 SPRIGS PARSLEY

Make the sauce according to the recipe under Sauces and Dressings. If it is already made,

remove from the refrigerator, place in a saucepan or double boiler, and heat through. Melt the

butter in a large skillet. As soon as it is hot but not burned, break in the eggs and let them fry

over a moderate flame. When they are half done, season each with a little salt and pepper, and

then add the Marinara Sauce to let the eggs float, and finish cooking.

Remove the eggs to a hot platter or to individual hot plates, pour the sauce over them, garnish

with the sprigs of parsley, and serve at once. You will want no vegetables except possibly

peas with these eggs. Serve a very simple salad—Mixed Green I (qv)—after them, and with

them a vin ordinaire. Plain buttered toast or well-baked French bread would make a nice

addition to the meal.

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EGGS ANCHOISES SERVES 4

If you do not like anchovies, this is not your dish; if you do, you will find it superior and

useful whenever—breakfast excepted—you enjoy poached eggs. It is neither so simple nor so

quick as some other methods of preparing eggs, but it will provide you with an exceptional

and attractive piece de resistance for luncheon or supper. It is also one of the few methods of

serving fancy poached eggs which requires no sauce.

2 TEASPOONS ANCHOVY PASTE

2 TABLESPOONS SHERRY

2 TEASPOONS OLIVE OIL

2 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

2 EGG YOLKS

4 CUPS MILK

1 BAY LEAF

1 DOZEN PEPPERCORNS

¾ TEASPOON THYME

¾ TEASPOON MARJORAM

8 EGGS

8 TOAST ROUNDS

8 ANCHOVY FILLETS

Place the: anchovy paste in a double boiler; add sherry, olive oil, and butter. When the butter

has melted, over the boiling water, break the two egg yolks with a fork and add them to the

mixture, stirring very rapidly with the fork until you have made a thick paste. Transfer to a

small dish and place in the refrigerator to cool. Pour the milk into a large skillet, add the bay

leaf, peppercorns, thyme, and marjoram.

Simmer covered for fifteen minutes. Remove the bay leaf, turn off the fire, and put the eggs

into the milk. Re-cover and allow the eggs to poach until firm, about five minutes. Take the

anchovy paste from the refrigerator and spread it generously on the rounds of toast. Remove

the poached eggs from the milk. Place one egg on each toast round, and drape an anchovy

fillet over the top of each egg. Serve hot.

If you want a vegetable with these eggs, spinach or fresh asparagus is a good choice. Follow

the eggs with Mixed Green Salad II (qv) and serve with them, if wine is indicated, a Riesling.

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EGGS BENEDICT SERVES 4

The most famous, if indeed not the finest, of all poached egg dishes is Eggs Benedict. It calls,

however, for Hollandaise Sauce (qv) and truffles. Proper Hollandaise is the very devil to

make, and truffles are expensive.

The recipe which follows makes use of an extremely simple and almost foolproof

Hollandaise which only a gourmet could distinguish from the original; and suggests the use,

of all things, of pickled walnuts for garnish instead of truffles. The walnuts come ten or

twelve to a medium-size jar and sell for about seventy-five cents. You will find other uses for

them, notably in making Beef Alhambra (qv).

Photo owned by Balise

8 EGGS

8 THIN SLICES COOKED HAM

8 BUTTERED TOAST ROUNDS OR TOASTED ENGLISH

MUFFINS

1 CUP HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

2 PICKLED WALNUTS

Fill a large skillet with water and poach the eggs in it. While the eggs are poaching, make the

Hollandaise Sauce as described under Sauces and Dressings. Cut the pickled walnuts into thin

slices, and cut each slice in half. When the eggs have finished cooking, place a piece of ham

on each buttered toast round, and top each with a poached egg. Pour the Hollandaise Sauce

over the eggs and garnish each egg with one half a slice of pickled walnut.

Grilled tomato halves make a good, hot vegetable to go with Eggs Benedict. Personally I

prefer cold sliced tomatoes sprinkled with chopped chives, salt, and pepper. If you serve

these eggs at supper instead of brunch or luncheon and desire a wine, be sure it is light, white,

and dry. A Liebfraumilch would be perfect.

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EGGS BORDEAUX SERVES 4

The name of this dish comes from the wine in which the eggs are cooked and not from the

district which produces the wine. The recipe is fairly complex and requires more time than

any of the other egg dishes described here, but you will find it markedly different from all the

others and something to talk about at luncheon or at a late informal supper. Just what trend

the conversation will take, however, you cannot be sure, as it will depend on whether your

guests have a slightly sweet tooth. Whether they like it or not, and some will, they will find it

interesting. Inappropriate for brunch.

2 CUPS CLARET

2 TINS CONDENSED BEEF BOUILLON

1 BOUQUET GARNI

¼ TEASPOON ALLSPICE

1 MEDIUM ONION, SLICED

1 LARGE CLOVE GARLIC, CUT IN HALF

SALT

PEPPER

8 EGGS

2 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

2 TABLESPOONS FLOUR

8 TOAST ROUNDS, BUTTERED

8 THIN SLICES RAW CARROT

Put the wine and the bouillon in a large skillet. Add the bouquet garni (tie in a small piece of

cheesecloth: ½ teaspoon each marjoram, thyme¡, and tarragon, a few peppercorns, and a sprig

of parsley), allspice, sliced onion, garlic halves, and a little salt and pepper. Simmer covered

for about ten minutes. Remove the bouquet, the onion, and the garlic. Put in the eggs and

poach covered until firm. If the liquid does not quite cover the eggs, baste them once or twice

with it. When the eggs are done, remove them to a warm place, such as a pre-heated oven

(250 degrees) with the fire extinguished. Strain the liquid into a saucepan and reduce by

boiling to about two cups. Meanwhile melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the flour, and

cook over a low heat, stirring all the while, until the two are smoothly blended and the flour

cooked, about ten minutes. When the liquid has been reduced, add the butter and flour

mixture and blend into a smooth sauce. Allow it to thicken a little over a low fire. Trim the

eggs; place them on the buttered toast rounds. Pour the sauce over the eggs. Cut little

triangles out of the thin carrot slices, and garnish each egg with a triangle. Serve hot.

No vegetables need accompany these eggs, but a simple salad, perhaps the Greenbrier Salad

(qv), with a French dressing should follow them. The wine, of course, should be Claret and

not too dry, a St. Julien, for example.

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EGGS NIPPONESE SERVES 4

One of my friends, who has traveled widely and whose girth indicates he has eaten the same

way, described this dish to me over Rasputinis (qv) one afternoon. Oddly enough we were

eating smoked oysters at the time. He said he did not remember where he got the recipe. I

have long suspected that he was inspired by Peter-kin Pepit's alcoholic invention, and made

this dish up on the spur of the moment. The combination is piquant, and its construction is

quick and easy. Try it for luncheon or supper. You will want the small Japanese smoked

oysters packed in oil.

8 EGGS

½ TEASPOON SALT

½ TEASPOON PEPPER

1 TIN SMOKED OYSTERS

1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED PARSLEY

Beat the eggs lightly; add salt and pepper. Drain the oysters, and put the oil into a medium-

size skillet. Heat over a low flame until the oil is hot, and grease the skillet thoroughly with it.

Discard the excess oil. Scramble the eggs in the skillet, cooking until half done. Add the

oysters, and continue stirring until the eggs are scrambled the way you like them. Garnish

with parsley, and serve with buttered toast. You must have a vegetable, try baby lima beans

or braised celery. A relish made of chopped tomatoes, chopped spring onions, including the

green tops, and chopped cucumber seasoned with a little olive oil, vinegar, and salt and

pepper goes beautifully with the eggs. Coffee, hot and black, makes the best beverage, unless

you like egg in your beer. If so, serve beer with it.

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EGGS FLORENTINE SERVES 4

For brunch, luncheon, or supper Eggs Florentine yield first place among poached egg dishes,

and then reluctantly, only to the classic Eggs Benedict. Their only drawback to the cook who

has to count his minutes is that they require Mornay Sauce, which is complex and time

consuming to make. By using condensed cream of chicken soup as a base, it is possible to

make an excellent substitute for Mornay Sauce in about five minutes.

1 PACKAGE FROZEN CHOPPED SPINACH

1 MEDIUM ONION, MINCED

2 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

½ TEASPOON NUTMEG

SALT

PEPPER

8 EGGS

1 TIN CONDENSED CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP

2 OUNCES TABLE CREAM

6 TABLESPOONS GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE

8 ROUNDS TOAST

8 SPRIGS PARSLEY

Place a little water in a saucepan, add the frozen spinach, and cook over a low flame. While

the spinach is cooking, mince the onion. Melt the butter in a small skillet over a low flame

and sauté the onion in the butter until soft. Drain the spinach when it is done, add the contents

of the skillet, the nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper. Stir well over a low heat and keep

warm. Poach the eggs until firm, about six minutes, in a large skillet full of water. While the

eggs are poaching make the sauce. Place the condensed cream of chicken soup in a small

saucepan, add the cream and three tablespoons of the grated cheese. Stir well and heat slowly

until the sauce is hot through. Place an equal amount of the spinach on each toast round. Put

an egg on each. Cover each egg with a generous quantity of the sauce, and sprinkle with the

remainder of the cheese. Place the eggs under a high broiler flame (500 degrees) for three

minutes. Remove from the broiler, garnish with parsley, and serve at once.

In lieu of vegetables or a salad, fresh fruit and a bland cheese with hot crackers might well

round out the meal. If a vegetable is required, broiled tomatoes or whole baby beets make a

nice contrast both in color and taste. A light white wine, not too dry, such as a Barsac, would

be a pleasant beverage.

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EGGS LANVALE SERVES 4

Eggs Lanvale were conceived and born on a summer Sunday morning when a couple of

hungry friends—one of whom knows her way around a kitchen—dropped in on the off-

chance that there might be food. All the refrigerator could offer were some eggs and half a

ham: Eggs Benedict, obviously. But we had no truffles and no one wanted to make

Hollandaise. None of us then had heard of pickled walnuts or of the quick Hollandaise

(described under Sauces and Dressings). A man, peering into the pantry, suggested a sauce

made with mushroom soup, cream, some sherry, and a little parsley. The other cook, who had

been nibbling on the ham and sipping the sherry, advocated slices of ham on buttered toast

rounds as a base, voilà, Eggs Lanvale.

8 EGGS

1 TIN CONDENSED CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP

½ CUP CREAM

3 TABLESPOONS CHOPPED PARSLEY

½ TABLESPOON WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE

8 ROUNDS TOAST OR TOASTED ENGLISH MUFFINS

1 TABLESPOON BUTTER

8 SLICES COOKED HAM

3 TABLESPOONS SHERRY

SALT

PEPPER

8 SPRIGS WATER CRESS

While the eggs are poaching, place the mushroom soup in a small saucepan over a low flame.

Thin slowly with cream until it is just a mite thicker than it should be to pour easily over the

eggs. Add the chopped parsley and the Worcestershire sauce. Stir thoroughly and keep hot,

but do not allow to simmer, until the eggs are done. Butter the toast, place a slice of ham on

each round, add an egg to each. Stir the sherry into the sauce, season to taste with salt and

pepper. Pour the sauce over the eggs, garnish each egg with a sprig of water cress, and serve.

Cold, thinly sliced tomatoes, sprinkled with chopped chives or with finely minced spring

onion tops, go well with these eggs, as does Beet Daishe (qv). Coffee is your beverage with

these eggs.

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EGGS ALFRED SERVES 6

Cocktail parties and similar alcoholic gatherings have a tendency to last and last, at least so it

eventually seems to the host. The better the party the longer it goes. Eventually a few people,

all of them hungry, remain, and it is up to the host, if he is still on his feet, or to one of the

guests, if he is not, to go to the kitchen and make coffee and to solve the problem of what to

feed those damn people who refuse to leave. The ideal solution is Eggs Alfred. Alfred

invented the recipe precisely for this situation, in which he finds himself many times, or so I

am told. We all owe him a debt, because the dish requires few ingredients and those usually

kept on hand; it is as simple as scrambled eggs, but more filling, and seems to absorb alcohol

from the blood stream.

3 LARGE ONIONS

6 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

12 EGGS

2 TEASPOONS SALT

1 TEASPOON PEPPER

PAPRIKA

Cut the onions in half, then into thin slices. Melt the butter in a large skillet, and sauté the

onion slices over a moderate flame until they are golden. Beat the eggs well, add salt and

pepper. Pour the eggs over the onion slices, and scramble the eggs in the usual way. Place the

eggs on a hot platter, sprinkle with paprika, and serve.

All you need add is buttered toast and coffee, hot and black. In addition to its outstanding role

as a "pick-me-up," Eggs Alfred is a good luncheon dish. Serve it with a simple vegetable

such as peas, baby beets, or chopped asparagus tips. A plate of fresh, thinly sliced tomatoes

will do no harm as a hint of salad. Neither will Tomato Daishe (qv). Coffee is still the best

beverage.

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LA PIPERADE SERVES 4

The Basques were famous for the swords of Mondragon, they are famous for their berets, and

they should be famous for La Piperade, a delicious combination of eggs and vegetables. It is

fine for brunch, it is even better at luncheon, and it reaches its apogee at a late supper or after-

the-theater party. Like all good late supper dishes it may be made in a chafing dish.

There are several methods of preparing it and a variety of ingredients which may be included.

It may, for example, be served on a thin slice of fried ham; or diced, cooked ham may be

incorporated while it is being cooked. The simplest, and, I think, the best, method follows.

You may substitute fresh for tinned tomatoes; if you do, peel and chop them not too coarsely.

2 CHOPPED GREEN PEPPERS

1 TIN TOMATOES

6 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL

2 LARGE CLOVES GARLIC

8 EGGS

SALT

PEPPER

Chop the green peppers coarsely, drain the tomatoes well, and cut them into quarters. Heat

the olive oil in a large skillet, and cook in it for a few minutes the garlic, minced or put

through a press. Add the chopped peppers, and sauté them slowly over a low fire until they

are quite soft.

Shortly before they reach that state, put in the tomatoes and stir the mixture well. Continue to

cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are mushy. (A total cooking time, so

far, of twenty minutes to half an hour.) Beat the eggs lightly and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the eggs over the vegetables and increase the flame. Stir constantly until the eggs are

cooked. Properly made, this dish should in no wise resemble scrambled eggs with vegetables,

as the ingredients should be so thoroughly mixed as to have almost the appearance of a very

thick purée.

Freshly baked French bread, buttered, and a light wine, possibly a Tavel,are just about perfect

with La Piperade. Follow it with a Double Cressed Salad (qv), and you will arise from the

table refreshed and probably a little sleepy.

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EGGS ZAFARAN SERVES 4

Saffron as a condiment is too little used in the United States. It has a very subtle and

distinctive flavor much appreciated on the shores of the Mediterranean, and one which would

be as widely appreciated here if it were as widely known. It has a particular affinity for

seafood but can also give a special piquancy to eggs, as this recipe will demonstrate. Its

flavor is extremely delicate, however, and it should seldom be combined with other

seasoning, salt and pepper excepted. If you have difficulty finding powdered saffron at your

grocer's, try your druggist. It has medicinal qualities and is also used as a dye—as you will

discover when you get it on your hands—as well as a flavoring. This scrambled egg dish is

suitable for any light meal.

8 EGGS

2 TABLESPOONS MILK

4 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

3 TABLESPOONS CONCENTRATED BEEF BOUILLON

½ TEASPOON POWDERED SAFFRON

SALT

PEPPER

1 LARGE TOMATO

8 BUTTERED TOAST ROUNDS

PAPRIKA

Beat the eggs lightly with the milk. Melt two tablespoons butter in a small saucepan, add the

concentrated beef bouillon and the saffron, and let cook over a very low flame for about three

minutes. Add the eggs and beat lightly with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the

tomato in eight very thin slices. Melt the remaining butter in a skillet, and sauté the tomato

slices very gently over a low flame. They should be little more than hot through. Place a slice

on each toast round and keep them warm while you cook the eggs. Grease well a large skillet,

sides and bottom, with butter. When the skillet is hot, pour in the eggs and stir constantly

over a low fire until the eggs are scrambled. Place an equal portion of the eggs on each

tomato slice. Garnish with paprika, and serve immediately.

Squash or cauliflower and julienne potatoes would be good vegetables with this egg dish. A

very simple salad, such as Salade Belgique (qv) should follow. For wine, I would serve a

Graves.

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EGGS GRUYÈRE SERVES 4

A rich but fluffy and luscious variety of scrambled eggs—and a good subject for chafing dish

cookery—is made by combining eggs with cheese. Gruyère is preferred, but sharp American

cheese may be substituted in a pinch. The dish is fine for brunch, luncheon, or supper. You

should take care not to let the eggs become too hard from overcooking. They should be firm

but soft. The bacon should be cut about a quarter inch thick for best results.

4 WEDGES GRUYÈRE CHEESE (ABOUT SIX OUNCES)

8 SLICES CANADIAN BACON

4 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

½ CUP WHIPPING CREAM

6 EGGS

Eggs Fast And Fancy Cookery

50

½ TEASPOON SALT

4 TABLESPOONS DRY SHERRY

TABASCO

8 TOAST ROUNDS, BUTTERED

PAPRIKA

Grate the cheese or cut it into thin slices or small dice. Fry the bacon over a low flame. While

the bacon is cooking, melt two tablespoons butter in the top pan of a chafing dish. Pour in the

cream. Half fill the bottom pan with hot water, and bring to a boil. Place the top pan on the

bottom one, and add the grated cheese to the cream and butter. Beat the eggs lightly with a

fork, adding the salt. When the cheese has melted, put in the eggs, and cook, stirring

constantly with a fork, until almost done. Add the remaining butter, the sherry, and two

dashes of Tabasco. Stir well. Place a slice of the bacon on each toast round, and cover with

the scrambled eggs. Garnish with paprika and serve immediately. Almost any green vegetable

will go well with these eggs, but none is really necessary. If only to add color to the meal, I

should suggest Mixed Green Salad II (qv). Coffee is the best beverage, but a good Riesling

never detracted from a light meal.

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EGGS ALPINE SERVES 4

This combination of scrambled eggs and mushrooms, properly assembled, might remind you

of cedar-crested mountain peaks made golden yellow by the fading light of the setting sun. It

will, provided you have a little imagination. But whether you can see the resemblance or not,

you will enjoy eating the dish at brunch, luncheon, or supper. It is important that the

mushrooms be quite large and that the eggs be stirred constantly to keep them creamy and

light.

12 LARGE MUSHROOMS

4 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

8 EGGS

2 TABLESPOONS CREAM

1 TABLESPOON GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE

SALT

PEPPER

1 TABLESPOON MINCED PARSLEY

Remove the stems from the mushroom caps and mince the stems fine. Melt the butter in a

skillet and sauté the caps over a moderate flame for three minutes on each side. Keep them

warm. In the same skillet sauté the minced stems until done. Place them on a paper towel to

drain. Put the eggs in a bowl, add the cream, the cheese, and season with salt and pepper.

Beat well. Butter a small saucepan; when hot, put in the eggs and scramble them over a low

flame, stirring constantly with a fork. When the eggs are almost done, add the minced

mushroom stems, and continue to stir and cook the eggs until firm but creamy. Place the

mushroom caps on hot plates, pile the scrambled eggs in them, and garnish with minced

parsley. Serve at once.

Buttered toast and green beans, or buttered toast alone, should be served with the eggs. Any

type of mixed green salad will follow them well. For beverage serve a dry white wine,

Liebfraumilch perhaps, or beer. Coffee will do well, too.

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OMELETTE AUX FINES HERBES SERVES 2

The only difficulty, and it is a minor one, about an Omelette aux Fines Herbes is maintaining

the balance among the herbs. This is, after all, a matter of taste, and you will have to do your

own blending to achieve exactly the effect you want. Remember only that thyme and

marjoram, thyme particularly, are very strong herbs and unless used with discretion will

throw your seasoning out of balance. The proportions in the recipe, therefore, should be used

as a guide and not as the final word.

4 EGGS

1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED PARSLEY

2 TEASPOONS CHOPPED CHIVES

¼ TEASPOON MARJORAM

¼ TEASPOON THYME

SALT

PEPPER

1 TABLESPOON BUTTER

Photo owned by Niroopreddy

Beat the eggs lightly, add the herbs, salt, and pepper. Melt the butter in a large skillet, tilt to

cover the sides, and as soon as it is hot, pour in the egg mixture, and make an omelette in

your usual way. Fold and serve. The greenery scattered through the eggs will provide all the

garnish necessary. Simple sliced tomatoes, with or without oil and vinegar, are excellent with

this dish. Buttered toast and coffee will complete your luncheon or supper. This is not a good

omelette for breakfast. Wine-bibbers will enjoy a Riesling with this omelette.

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HAM OMELETTE SERVES 2

Those versatile and charming twins, ham and eggs, achieve their greatest distinction and most

useful combination in this simple and easy omelette. Except for dinner there is no meal at

which it is inappropriate, nor any when it is not good. What more need be said?

4 EGGS

½ TEASPOON FRESH PEPPER

1 TABLESPOON BUTTER

¾ CUP FINELY DICED COOKED HAM

1 TEASPOON CHOPPED PARSLEY

Beat the eggs lightly, grind the fresh pepper into them. Melt the butter in a skillet, grease the

skillet well, and make an omelette. When it is nearly done, sprinkle most of the ham in the

center. Continue cooking until the omelette is finished, fold and place on a hot platter. Put the

remaining ham around it, sprinkle the top with the chopped parsley, and serve.

Add! hot coffee, and you have breakfast; add a glass of Tavel or Bouquet de Provence, a roll

or French bread, and a Covent Garden Salad (qv) and you have brunch, lunch, or supper.

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OYSTER OMELETTE SERVES 2

The Eastern Shore of Maryland is justifiably proud of many products, from its luscious

tomatoes to its beautiful women, or vice versa. High on the list is its seafood. A quiet and

charming small hostelry, The Tidewater Inn at Easton, carries this excellent omelette on its

menu during the oyster season, and I am indebted to the inn's chef, T. M. Gibbs, for the

recipe. It makes a lovely luncheon or supper.

3 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

2 TABLESPOONS FLOUR

½ CUP CREAM

½ CUP OYSTER LIQUOR

¼ TEASPOON BEAU MONDE SEASONING SALT

12 OYSTERS

4 EGGS

2 SPRIGS PARSLEY

Combine in a saucepan half the butter, the flour, the cream, and the oyster liquor into a light

cream sauce. Melt the remaining butter in a skillet, add the seasoning salt, and sauté the

oysters until they are plump. Add them to the sauce and keep it hot. Wipe the skillet, grease it

well with butter, and make a plain omelette with the eggs. When the omelette is done, fold in

half of the oyster mixture, and arrange the remainder around the omelette. Garnish with

parsley, and, to quote Chef Gibbs, "Serve right away Hot on a Hot Platter."

The variety of oyster cracker known as "Trenton," toasted, and braised celery are excellent

with an Oyster Omelette. Add Mixed Green Salad III (qv) and a half bottle of Chablis, and

your meal is made.

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PEASANT OMELETTE SERVES 2

Although not so famous a combination as ham and eggs—bacon, onions, and eggs have

almost as natural an affinity. Along with a little seasoning, they can be put together to make

another pleasing luncheon or supper dish which can be prepared and cooked in that well-

known but rather vague period of time known as a trice. If you have no celery seed handy,

mince the leaves of a fresh stalk of celery and substitute.

4 RASHERS BACON

4 EGGS

1 TEASPOON CELERY SEED

PEPPER

2 TABLESPOONS MINCED SPRING ONION

2 TABLESPOONS MINCED PARSLEY

Fry the bacon in a large skillet. When the bacon is done, remove and chop it into small

pieces. Grease the skillet with the bacon fat, and discard the excess. Beat the eggs lightly, add

to them the celery seed, and season with pepper to taste. With the skillet very hot, pour in the

eggs and make an omelette. Shortly before the omelette is done, add the chopped bacon and

onion and most of the parsley. Finish cooking the omelette, fold, and remove to a hot platter.

Sprinkle the remainder of the parsley over the top, and serve.

Probably because of the onion, freshly baked French bread does better with this omelette than

toast. Broccoli with Hollandaise (qv) is an ideal vegetable. Co vent Garden Salad (qv) or

Double Cressed Salad (qv), either with a few tomatoes added, would be suitable to follow.

Coffee, I think, does better than wine, but if wine is to be, make it Rose, Tavel, or Bouquet de

Provence.

Photo owned by Flagstaffotos

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CHEESE OMELETTE SERVES 2

Next to a plain omelette, the simplest of them all is one made with cheese, which, if it is to

add the proper tang, should be sharp and full-flavored. I should not include among such

cheeses, however, Roquefort, Stilton, or any of the other Blue cheeses. I have never eaten an

omelette made with Brie or Camembert, but an experiment with either might yield interesting

results. The Cheese Omelette is not a dinner dish, of course, but is excellent at any other meal

including breakfast.

4 EGGS

3 TABLESPOONS GRATED SHARP CHEESE

SALT PEPPER

1 TABLESPOON BUTTER

2 TEASPOONS FINELY CHOPPED PARSLEY

Beat the eggs lightly in a bowl. Add and stir in the cheese, season with salt and pepper. In a

large, at least eight-inch, skillet melt the butter. When the skillet is hot and thoroughly

greased with the butter, pour in the cheese and egg mixture. When the omelette is cooked,

fold over twice, remove to hot platter, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve.

Hot buttered French bread and coffee are indicated with this dish. Tomato Daishe (qv) or

Mixed Green Salad II (qv) are good with the omelette or after it. If for some reason you wish

to serve wine with it, a Riesling would be light, dry, and appropriate.

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MUSHROOM OMELETTE SERVES 2

A truly very simple and very good omelette is made with mushrooms. It can be made a little

fancier, but no better, I think, by preparing a small quantity of a light white sauce for the

mushrooms before they are placed in the omelette. This recipe calls for tinned mushrooms

because you will probably always have them on hand, but fresh ones are better if they are

available. Slice them coarsely and sauté in two tablespoons of butter until well done on both

sides. A Mushroom Omelette is good fare at any time except dinner.

1 TABLESPOON BUTTER

4 EGGS

2 TABLESPOONS CREAM

SALT

PEPPER

1 FOUR-OUNCE TIN MUSHROOM BITS AND PIECES

2 SPRIGS PARSLEY

Melt the butter in a large skillet. While the skillet is heating, put the eggs and cream together

in a mixing bowl and beat lightly. When the skillet is hot, pour in the egg and cream mixture,

season with salt and pepper, and cook. Just before the omelette is done, drain the mushrooms

well, and add them to the center of the eggs. When the omelette is firm, fold, garnish with

sprigs of parsley, and serve.

Popovers, French bread, even toast are all good with a Mushroom Omelette, which should be

accompanied with or followed by a dish thinly sliced tomatoes and cucumbers. A light red

wine, such as Barbera, complements this omelette very well.F

This reproduction is made possible by Susan Alexander Truffles. Check out our blog post to

find out how we put our own twist on a popular egg recipe.