The following is the third installment of my "Taste of Nostalgia Cherry Hill Blogs," where our heroine, Amanda Fitzpatrick, writes letters home to her mother from the small town of Cherry Hill Saskatchewan in 1947.
January 19, 1947
Dear Mother,
So much has happened since the last time I wrote I don't even know where to begin!
I'll start by telling you everyone is well - though it was touch and go last week with all of us down with the flu.
One would think being married to the town doctor would come in handy during such a crisis, but Paul was literally run off his feet with his waiting room packed to the rafters most days.
I, in turn, relied on the remedies you taught me: Vicks Vaporub; rubbed on the chest, throat, and bottoms of the feet - socks on, if you please - plenty of fresh squeezed orange juice, and a big pot of your famous chicken soup with garlic to ease the sniffles.
Within a few days we were all right as rain and I was raring to get onto my next excitement!
Paul's best chum from medical school, Denis Cardin and his wife Sophie, were in Regina for a wedding and I invited them both to brunch.
Truth be told I've been on pins and needles ever since you sent me The Hostess Book last September for my birthday. It was filled to the brim with the most darling ideas for entertaining.
And who better than a chic couple from Montreal to pull out all the stops for?
According to The Hostess Book, the omelet is the latest thing in smart entertaining and I became quite transfixed with preparing perfectly fluffy eggs as well as to set the most lovely table in the theme of "Sunshine" for the big day.
There was plenty of freshed squeezed orange juice, brown eggs from Mr. McGorman's farm, and hot flavourful coffee bubbling away on the stove compliments of the lovely corningware coffee perk you and father gave us as a wedding gift.
Remember those sweet little napkin rings that grandmother gave me?
Well they were just the thing for my festive sunshine brunch!
The omelet, on the other hand, was an entirely different story.
While the Hostess Book made the whole affair seem so elegant and easy, the actual cooking of an omelet is anything but and I was terribly willy nilly in my approach.
I won't tell you how many of Mr. McGorman's eggs ended up as scrambled egg dinner for Paul and the children while I practiced, but suffice it to say I was well into my second dozen by the time I perfected my technique.
However, practice does makes perfect, and the end result was so lovely I know you would have been proud.
Most wonderful of all, though, was the reaction from Sophie and Denis. They couldn't have been more thoughtful or gracious.
Sophie flattered me by letting me know she would be replicating my sunshine brunch for her bridge group at home and commented several times on my creativity.
This from someone so terribly chic!
Her traveling suit and coat were so divine, the part of me who fights against my own sense of vanity and pride wished Mrs. Wilson might have stopped by to see the fine class of friends we associate with.
Of course she didn't.
In the meantime, I will leave you with the omelet recipe as I am certain it is a meal both Daddy and the girls will love.
Your loving daughter,
Amanda
xoxo
Click the link to visit the next installment in my popular Cherry Hill series: Cottage Pie and a New Friend
Nouveau Omelet
Ingredients
3. Remove vegetables from pan. Set aside.
4. Return pan to medium heat, add the remaining butter and olive oil to the pan, add eggs and shake your pan a bit to spread them out evenly.
5. When the omelette begins to cook and firm up, but still has a little raw egg on top, sprinkle over the vegetables and the cheddar.
6. Using a spatula, ease around the edge of the omelet, then fold it in half
7. When it starts to turn golden brown underneath, remove the pan from the heat and slide the omelet on to a plate. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Enjoy!
For another version of a lovely upscale omelet the Cardin's would surely love, please enjoy today's video.
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January 19, 1947
Dear Mother,
So much has happened since the last time I wrote I don't even know where to begin!
I'll start by telling you everyone is well - though it was touch and go last week with all of us down with the flu.
One would think being married to the town doctor would come in handy during such a crisis, but Paul was literally run off his feet with his waiting room packed to the rafters most days.
I, in turn, relied on the remedies you taught me: Vicks Vaporub; rubbed on the chest, throat, and bottoms of the feet - socks on, if you please - plenty of fresh squeezed orange juice, and a big pot of your famous chicken soup with garlic to ease the sniffles.
Paul's best chum from medical school, Denis Cardin and his wife Sophie, were in Regina for a wedding and I invited them both to brunch.
Truth be told I've been on pins and needles ever since you sent me The Hostess Book last September for my birthday. It was filled to the brim with the most darling ideas for entertaining.
And who better than a chic couple from Montreal to pull out all the stops for?
Remember those sweet little napkin rings that grandmother gave me?
Well they were just the thing for my festive sunshine brunch!
While the Hostess Book made the whole affair seem so elegant and easy, the actual cooking of an omelet is anything but and I was terribly willy nilly in my approach.
I won't tell you how many of Mr. McGorman's eggs ended up as scrambled egg dinner for Paul and the children while I practiced, but suffice it to say I was well into my second dozen by the time I perfected my technique.
However, practice does makes perfect, and the end result was so lovely I know you would have been proud.
Most wonderful of all, though, was the reaction from Sophie and Denis. They couldn't have been more thoughtful or gracious.
Sophie flattered me by letting me know she would be replicating my sunshine brunch for her bridge group at home and commented several times on my creativity.
This from someone so terribly chic!
Her traveling suit and coat were so divine, the part of me who fights against my own sense of vanity and pride wished Mrs. Wilson might have stopped by to see the fine class of friends we associate with.
Of course she didn't.
In the meantime, I will leave you with the omelet recipe as I am certain it is a meal both Daddy and the girls will love.
Your loving daughter,
Amanda
xoxo
Click the link to visit the next installment in my popular Cherry Hill series: Cottage Pie and a New Friend
Nouveau Omelet
Ingredients
- 2-3 large eggs
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 diced button mushrooms
- 1/8 cup diced red pepper
- 1/8 cup diced onion
- 1/8 cup diced Canadian bacon
- 1 tsp butter
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese
- Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl. Whisk well and add a little salt and pepper.
- Saute the bacon and vegetables in 1 tsp olive oil in a non stick pan until bacon is cooked and vegetables are soft
3. Remove vegetables from pan. Set aside.
4. Return pan to medium heat, add the remaining butter and olive oil to the pan, add eggs and shake your pan a bit to spread them out evenly.
5. When the omelette begins to cook and firm up, but still has a little raw egg on top, sprinkle over the vegetables and the cheddar.
6. Using a spatula, ease around the edge of the omelet, then fold it in half
7. When it starts to turn golden brown underneath, remove the pan from the heat and slide the omelet on to a plate. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Enjoy!
For another version of a lovely upscale omelet the Cardin's would surely love, please enjoy today's video.
This blog is linked to...
Tweet
Bring the daily magic of The Kitchen Witch straight to your inbox every time a new one is written.
Or you can subscribe by rss feed...
Subscribe in a reader
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