Monday, September 6, 2021

Omelets in History and Mystery by Maya Corrigan - Potluck Monday


Image courtesy of Pixabay
Sleuths seeking the origin of omelets can't say for sure who invented the omelet. Some food historians trace the dish to the Persian Empire and others to Ancient Rome. Ovemele was the name of a Roman dish of egg sweetened with honey. A 17th century French cookbook uses a similar word: aumelette. By the 18th century omelette became the standard spelling in France and Britain, though the word is shortened to omelet in American English. 

The dish is a favorite of Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie’s detective with the egg-shaped head. In her story, “The Third Floor Flat,” he declares, “Me, I have a passion for the omelettes.” He even gives an omelet cooking lesson in Mrs. McGinty’s Dead (1952). He is stuck at a guesthouse, having to eat food prepared by Maureen Summerhayes, his landlady and possibly the worst cook in England. Her name comes up in a later book, Cat Among the Pigeons (1959), when her nephew says, “Aunt Maureen makes smashing omelettes.” The detective sighs with satisfaction and says, “Then Hercule Poirot has not lived in vain. It was I who taught your Aunt Maureen to make an omelette.”

An omelette is part of the mystery in Strong Poison (1930) by Dorothy Sayers. The book opens with Harriet Vane on trial for the arsenic poisoning of her lover, Philip Boyes. In summing up the evidence, the judge describes in his deadpan voice the preparation of the dessert omelette the victim ate shortly before dying: “Four eggs were brought to the table in their shells, and Mr. Urquhart broke them one by one into a bowl, adding sugar from a sifter. Then he handed the bowl to Mr. Boyes...Philip Boyes then beat the eggs and sugar together, cooked the omelette in the chafing-dish, filled it with hot jam...” After his recipe recital ends, the judge makes the point that no one who ate the omelet or any part of the dinner became ill except for Philip Boyes. This seemed to prove that he wasn't poisoned at the table, but earlier by Harriet Vane. One trial spectator, Lord Peter Wimsey, disagrees and is determined to prove her innocent.   

 

My well-thumbed copy of Strong Poison

Omelet moments appear in books by the writers on Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen. In Maddie Day’s new mystery, No Grater Crime, a mushroom omelet proves fatal. Watch this space on Friday, September 10, when Maddie will share a recipe for the Kitchen Sink omelet that her sleuth Robbie often makes. 

In Leslie Budewitz's Spice Shop series, Matt is clueless about food when he’s hired, then teaches himself to make an omelet by watching the Jacques Pepin video over and over until he gets it. And in Leslie Karst’s book, Dying for a Taste, sleuth Sally reminisces about her aunt teaching her the French technique for making an omelet, the best one she’d ever eaten. 

Julia Child introduced Americans to French cooking, and you’ll find her omelette recipe on this blog, along with other recipes for omelets: 


What's your favorite omelet? Leave a comment about it.

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Scroll down to Around the Kitchen Table and leave a comment there for a chance to win books by Molly MacRae, Cleo Coyle, Maddie Day, Lucy Burdette, and me

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Maya Corrigan writes the Five-Ingredient Mysteries featuring café manger Val and her live-wire grandfather solving murders in a Chesapeake Bay town. Maya lives in a Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C. Before writing crime fiction, she taught American literature, writing, and detective fiction at Northern Virginia Community College and Georgetown University. When not reading and writing, she enjoys theater, travel, trivia, cooking, and crosswords.

Visit her website to sign up for her newsletter. One subscriber wins a book each time a newsletter goes out. Check out the easy recipes, mystery history and trivia, and a free culinary mystery story on the website.


Book covers of the 7 Five-Ingredient Mysteries by Maya Corrigan

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22 comments:

  1. My favorited omelet is cheddar cheese inside with salsa on top. So good!

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    1. I have to try a cheddar and salsa omelet. It sounds really good. Thanks for your comment, Brenda.

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  2. My fave is spinach, feta or goat cheese and fresh garden tomatoes with mint.
    Happy Labor Day to all!

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    1. I love feta. I'll have to add it to a tomato omelet, which I often make. Thanks for the suggestion, Liz.
      ~Maya

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  3. I adore omelets! A Western omelet is my favorite, with ham, peppers, and onions. If I can add cheese, I do. Thanks for sharing all these recipes.

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  4. My favorite omelet is one made with onions & green bell peppers and covered with salsa. Gingerdead Man is a wonderful mystery. I love the small town & the characters.

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    1. Thank you for commenting, Linda, and for the kind words about Gingerdead Man ~Maya

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  5. Fun post, Maya, and a great recipe roundup. I remembered the role of the omelet in Strong Poison, though the idea of a dessert omelet was new to me, but hadn't remembered Hercule Poirot's comment -- such fun! I love eggs and pretty much any kind of omelet -- part of their appeal is their flexibility. And their deliciosity!

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    1. Thanks, Leslie. The comments suggesting different fillings for omelets show how versatile they are.

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  6. My favorite omelets are Pepper Jack cheese topped with salsa and pepperoni with mozzarella cheese.

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    1. Thanks for commenting, Emily. That omelet sounds like a pizza substitute--and lots easier to make than dealing with a crust.
      ~Maya

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  7. Peg's Magic Omelets are a revelation!
    Eggs are so wonderfully versatile.

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    1. Thanks for your comment, Libby. I'll have to try those magic omelets. ~Maya

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  8. Yay for omelets! I even taught hubby how to make them years ago. One I make most often has sauteed onions, 'shrooms and bell peppers, with ham & some kind of cheese. Sometimes I add salsa or a few drops of La. Hot Sauce on top. I recently re-binged all the Poirot series and laughed about poor Mrs. McGinty, and also rewatched the 100 Foot Journey, when Helen Mirren's snooty character helped the Indian chef (with bandaged hands)make her an omelet. Now I want to reread Sayers's book Strong Poison!

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    1. Thanks for your comment, Lynn. My husband taught me to make an omelet years ago! Strong Poison is on my to-be-reread list as well.

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  9. My favorite omelet is one someone else makes! I do like cheese, any kind, in my omelet. I wonder how Nero Wolfe would make one. In The Mother Hunt he made perfect scrambled eggs but it took 45 minutes.

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    1. Thanks for your comment, Pat. Nero Wolfe's chef Fritz made him a special omelet in PLOT IT YOURSELF. It's a mushroom and almond omelet. Besides those two ingredients and eggs, the omelet includes shallots, butter, light cream, and a splash of dry white wine.

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  10. My favorite omelet is one filled with avocado slices and seasoned with pico de gallo salsa. One can add cheese or tomatoes, but I like it as is. Simple, delicious, and very California!
    PS thank you for the history of the omelette/omelet!

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  11. My favorite would be a toss up between a fluffy omelet with Swiss and ham, or a cheddar with mushrooms and bacon bits. Pure comfort cooking. Thank you for the new recipes to try everyone!

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