Sunday, January 12, 2020

Christmas/Advent/Winter Solstice Omelet celebration


You’ve got to love the mystique of a man skilled at tossing up an omelet to feed/impress all his friends. It’s such a ‘70s thing that entwines company, nutrition, showmanship and the appreciation of a simple egg. I’ll bet James Bond can whisk up a good one.
                Of course, a good pan must be involved, as well as the freshest ingredients. Wine helps.
                All this came together in front of my eyes when musician Paul Thomas brought not his guitar, but a cast iron skillet into my presence and cooked for friends. It was an Advent/Christmas/Solstice affair that made lemonade of lemons.
                I’d originally been invited to a vegetarian gathering that night and had already made “puppy chow” from seed butter (chia, flax, pumpkin, hemp and sunflower from Beyond Equator) for that event, but the host had to cancel. So what to do on that dark December Saturday when I was feeling so festive?
                A man we’ve know for years had been talking about his large-production omelets and how he should make one for us. Then he went vegetarian and I wonder if he still worked with eggs. He’d said he would make one,  but was engaged that night. That’s when Mr. Thomas said that he made a pretty good omelet and agreed to come round and do this thing, with additional guests.
                What an adventure. I asked him to text me the needed ingredients so I’d have them at his disposal and the list began with 2 dozen brown, cage-free eggs. There were tomatoes, black olives, fresh parsley and spinach, shredded cheese, mushrooms, red and green onions, etc. And of course, olive oil.
                Even bigger treat: my husband went shopping for it all. Here I’ll note that my husband, Chris, is a fantastic omelet maker in his own right, though he typically makes small batches. We went for more than a  year’s stretch dining on his omelets every Friday evening.
                So back to Saturday morning. I got a text asking what sort of stove our celebrity chef be using. I wasn’t even sure how to answer. Oh, I thought, the answer is “electric.”
                His next query: Coil or glass top?
                Glass top.
                When the time came, he’d also brought avocado oil to heat in his skillet while we prepped the ingredients.
                His one big tip: Keep it colorful.
                Paul’ giant red and green creation sliced smoothly into tall triangles and impressed as expected.
                I’d like to thank all the men I know who are proud to work with eggs. May many more opportunities for them to crack open their hearts and scramble up some joy be in their 2020.
                And guess what? I just visited with a family I know who loves their house chicken named Nugget. Nugget just learned how to lay eggs…..
                Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who appreciates a good omelet and wishes you “a dozen” great holiday wishes. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

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