More than three decades after it was hatched, "The Incredible Edible Egg" jingle still has a spot in American pop culture. But there's nothing last-century about the recipes in culinary instructor Andrea Slonecker's Eggs on Top, an homage to the ovoid nuggets of protein.
"Learn to Cook an Egg and You Can Cook Anything," the cover announces, and from the introductory Egg Primer through the concluding Eggs on Leftovers chapter, Slonecker gives cooks all the help they need to prove her claim. A brief overview of the basics--what differentiates large from jumbo or A from double A, shell color, parentage (chicken, duck, "adorable" quail)--includes a defense of eggs' nutritional value, debunking the theory that they raise cholesterol and contribute to heart disease. She sorts out the carton claims, too, defining free-range, humane and other considerations. The photos throughout illustrate eggs in various degrees of doneness: a nine-photo spread shows the interiors of eggs boiled for different lengths of time, and poaching is broken down into clear steps.
With egg literacy out of the way, Slonecker encourages cooks to create impressive main dishes, ranging from a snazzy breakfast of Sri Lankan crepes to an Earthy Stew of Chickpeas and Swiss Chard with Crunchy Eggs (which is to say, deep-fried). Slonecker even suggests beverage pairings, such as a flute of champagne alongside leeks vinaigrette and herbed quail eggs.
A conversational tone, whimsical fonts and layout, and clear step-by-step coaching will encourage even a novice cook to get crackin'. --Cheryl Krocker McKeon, manager, Book Passage, San Francisco