Emphasizing cooking technique makes cooking simple

Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000 | 9:53 a.m.

How would you fare in the kitchen without a cookbook? Do you know the techniques and tricks that make preparing meals a cinch?

Let author and "recipe troubleshooter" Pam Anderson show you the way.

"How to Cook Without a Book: Recipes and Techniques Every Cook Should Know by Heart" (Broadway Books, $25), is a valuable, down-to-earth text that is practical and enlightening.

Master a technique or formula, then use the same information to make your own recipes. There's no magic to Anderson's approach, it just works. She applies it to everything from omelets to desserts.

A well-stocked fridge, freezer and pantry is essential. Follow the author's suggestions and you're bound to succeed. "How to Cook Without a Book" is a terrific learning tool for cooks at any level.

This basic omelet and its many variations is typical of the style of "How to Cook Without a Book."

The Little Big Fat Omelet

2 Tbs butter or other fat

4 to 5 large eggs

Pinch of salt

Ground pepper to taste

Optional fillings (see recipes below)

1. Heat the butter over medium-low heat in a 10-inch nonstick skillet (with an oven-proof handle if baking the omelet in the oven) while preparing the eggs and optional fillings. Lightly beat the eggs with salt and pepper; let stand for a few minutes to warm up.

2. Increase the heat to medium-high, swirling the butter around to completely coat the pan bottom and up the sides. Once the butter starts to turn golden brown and smells nutty, add the eggs. Using a plastic or wooden spatula to push back the eggs that have set, tilt the pan so that the uncooked eggs run into the empty portion of the pan. Continue pushing back the cooked eggs and tilting the pan until the omelet top is wet but not runny, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, and quickly add optional toppings over one half of the omelet. Carefully fold the remaining half over the topped half. Partially cover the pan and cook (or place in a 350 degree oven) until the filling is warm and the eggs are set, as desired, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Halve and serve immediately. Serves 2.

(Since I often serve French bread with an omelet, the oven is on, heating up the frozen bread. Rather than cover the omelet and finish cooking it stovetop, I prefer to put the omelet in the oven once it has been topped and folded. The slow, even heat of the oven perfectly and gently finishes cooking the eggs. )

The Big Fat Omelet With Smoked Salmon, Sour Cream and Chives

Filling:

2 thin slices smoked salmon (1 to 1 1/2 oz)

1 1/2 Tbs sour cream

1 Tbs snipped chives or minced scallion greens

Follow the Little Big Fat Omelet recipe, laying smoked salmon over half the omelet, spreading sour cream over the salmon and sprinkling chives over the sour cream at the appropriate time.

The Big Fat Omelet With Watercress, Bacon and Sour Cream

Filling:

2 bacon slices, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/3 c. stemmed watercress leaves

1 1/2 Tbs sour cream

Fry the bacon in the selected omelet pan over medium heat until crisp and brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and pour off all but 2 teaspoons of fat. Follow the Little Big Fat Omelet recipe, substituting bacon fat for butter and spreading watercress, bacon and sour cream over half the omelet at the appropriate time.

The Big Fat Omelet With Spinach and Feta

Filling:

2 tsp butter

2 c. washed and stemmed spinach

Salt to taste

2 Tbs crumbled feta cheese

Heat the butter in the selected omelet pan over medium-high heat until sizzling subsides. Add the spinach and saute, seasoning with salt to taste, until just wilted, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside. Follow the Little Big Fat Omelet recipe, sprinkling spinach and feta over half the omelet at the appropriate time.

The Big Fat Omelet With Crabmeat

Filling:

2 tsp butter

1 Tbs diced bell pepper

1 small scallion, sliced thin

Salt to taste

1/3 c. crabmeat, picked over to remove bits of shell

Heat the butter in the selected omelet pan over medium-high heat until sizzling subsides. Add the peppers and scallions, saute until just softened, about 1 minute. Add the crabmeat; saute to warm through. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside. Follow the Little Big Fat Omelet recipe, sprinkling crab mixture over half the omelet at the appropriate time.

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