An Omelette, A Glass of Wine, and....... oh yeah I'm Italian.....some Bread : )

My Italian version an asparagus frittata and Red Wine...and bread: )

I really like Elizabeth David she is one of my many favorite food writers and every time I eat an omelette, or the Italian version of an omelette a frittata, for dinner I simply feel I must wash it down with a glass of wine and since I am Italian a nice hunk of bread : ) Elizabeth David chose the title An Omelette and A Glass Of Wine from "the almost primitive and elemental meal evoked by the words: 'Let's just have an omelette and a glass of wine.This book is an essay of Elizabeth David's magazine articles and earlier books and so it is a good introduction to her work and introduced you should be. I read every Elizabeth David book I could get from the library during a time when money when was extremely tight and Artisanal was on the food scene. I wanted my family as well as myself to be able to enjoy food but who could afford it? Or was that just what they wanted us to think? Well Elizabeth David's An Omelette and A Glass Of Wine and MFK Fisher's How To Cook A Wolf reminded me of what I already knew since childhood, the good food is just that..... good..... food...
Here are a few of my aha moments I had as I read the book for the first time:
 
"Let's just have an omelette and a glass of wine.",  as I read this simple sentence it was as if Elizabeth was in my home  shutting off the Food Network and placing me down at my humble kitchen table to savor a simple omelette. I am pretty sure I made an omelette that day for lunch and washed it down with a glass of boxed Chardonnay wine.

“To eat figs off the tree in the very early morning, when they have been barely touched by the sun, is one of the exquisite pleasures of the Mediterranean.” I thought,"Ahah! I have a fig tree which means I too can experience this pleasurable food moment!" and I did just that, I ran outside and picked a fig and ate it right there.

Elizabeth David

And here is my favorite Frittata recipe:

Asparagus Frittata

Ingredients 
10-12 inch pan: 8-10 large eggs (serves 8-10)
6-8 inch pan: 4-6 eggs (serves 4-6)
salt and pepper
nutmeg (A few scrapings)
1 cup Parmesan cheese grated: 1/2 for mixture and 1/2 for topping
olive oil
1/2 onion chopped
1 garlic clove minced
12-16 ounces chopped asparagus (I chop each one into about 4 pieces)
Tools
10-12 inch skillet that is oven safe (If using non-stick it will be easy to flip but will not brown as much but if using regular coat well with PAM and/or olive oil)
Directions
Heat the skillet over medium heat. Add PAM if using and then olive oil to coat
Saute the onion, garlic, and asparagus in the pan.
Beat the eggs along with half the cheese you are using, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Pour the eggs on top of the sauteed ingredients and cook tilting the pan and moving the egg mixture  from the center out to cook the top 2/3 mixture (do not disturb the bottom crust) until it is almost set in the center, about 5 minutes.
After the bottom and the top 2/3 has set add the rest of the cheese and place it under the broiler and watch, you just want the top to set and start to brown.
Slice like a pizza and serve straight from the pan or flip out and serve on platter with some bread and a glass of wine...of course : )
Recipe by Ann Minard