As usual when reviewing a cookbook, I make the announcement that I am NOT a great cook or even an average cook. My culinary skills are somewhere below the latter. However, I do indeed enjoy a good cookbook, one which will provide me with pictures while also motivating me to try something new. Michel Roux really checks all the boxes with this tome, which goes beyond what I thought the simple egg could produce. As an eater who doesn’t especially like eggs in general, this book has opened up some new cooking paths for me to pursue.
He starts very simply, with boiled eggs, both hard and soft. There is something lovely about timing a soft-boiled egg to create a morning treat. Here, Roux throws in some add-ons to add to the end result, such as chives and olives. There are also little soldiers, which are asparagus tips to be dipped into the egg. I have never thought of that, so it turned out to be a big hit. Then it’s on to poached eggs. This is something I am adamant about…learn how to poach an egg, restaurant people! Eating a dish of Eggs Benedict that’s ruined by gooey egg is disgusting. So, I was thrilled to see that Roux and I have the same tastes. His pictures on making poached eggs gave me hope. They are fluffy yet solid, the way they should be. Abracadabra.
Fried and scrambled eggs are here, which are easy for me, but I really enjoyed his recipes for omelettes. Because of Roux, I decided to experiment a bit by adding Pickapeppa Sauce (my idea, not his) to my batter. Oh, such a wonderful meal, with chives and basil from the garden thrown into the mix (plus some red bell pepper). A great meal to start any day, I must say. His next chapter is on egg soufflés, which I have now added to my ever-braver list of dishes to make. His Vanilla & Mango Soufflé is heartily welcomed in my household! Eventually the book leads into luscious desserts, none of them too complicated to make. The Chocolate & Orange Mousse recipe grabbed me with the photo as did the Blackberry Ripple Mousse. Both desserts sound “big” but they are light and easier to create than I thought.
The pages are filled with photographs throughout, which is always a big help. He begins each chapter with two fully illustrated pages showing how to start the mixing process for that particular section. Wonderful, so helpful for the reader. I really enjoyed reading and using this book to expand my egg horizons, so to speak.
Book Season = Year Round (feeling extravagant)