The Good Egg: More Than 200 Fresh Approaches from Soup to Dessert

Pity the poor egg--in these cholesterol-conscious times it has fallen from grace. Simmons (a James Beard Award winner and Bon App tit columnist) makes a valiant effort to rehabilitate the versatile ovum in this wide-ranging collection of recipes. Simmons provides a brief introduction (including a piece that explains that eggs are high in cholesterol but low in saturated fat, which is the substance that actually raises blood cholesterol in humans), but the bulk of this book consists of recipes for dishes satisfying yet simple enough to serve as last-minute suppers. A chapter on scrambled and fried eggs offers the basics, as well as variations such as Creamy Scrambled Eggs with Curry and Cardamom. Another focuses on omelets, moving from the Basic Omelette to predictable combinations, including a Feta, Spinach and Tomato Omelette, then on to the more adventurous Egg Fu Yung. It would have been easy enough to include almost anything in this cookbook, but Simmons stays true to her theme, including only dishes that feature eggs front and center, such as Carter House Potato ""Risotto"" with Poached Eggs (made by cutting the potatoes into small cubes and cooking them as one would a risotto) and Anna Teresa's Sensational Fried Stuffed Eggs, in which hard-cooked eggs are opened, stuffed with b chamel, then reassembled and fried. An entire chapter on egg salads brims with innovation, and desserts such as Earl Grey Cr me Br l e and Strawberry Jam Bread Pudding with Almond Streusel Topping are a treat. Simmons may not fully restore the egg to its previous status, but she's made a convincing start. (May)