The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook
 | Bass for Picasso One day when Picasso was to lunch with us I decorated a fish in a way that I thought would amuse him. I chose a fine striped bass and cooked it according to a theory of my grandmother who had no experience in cooking and who rarely saw her kitchen but who had endless theories about cooking as well as about many other things. She contended that a fish having lived its life in water, once caught, should have no further contact with the element in which it had been born and raised. She recommended that it be roasted or poached in wine or cream or butter. So I made a court-bouillon of dry white wine with whole peppers, salt, a bay leaf, a sprig of thyme, a blade of mace, an onion with a clove stuck in it, a carrot, a leek and a bouquet of fines herbes. This was gently boiled in the fish-kettle for ½ hour and then put aside to cool. Then the fish was placed on the rack, the fish-kettle covered and slowly brought to a boil and the fish poached for 20 minutes. Taken from the fire it was left to cool in the court-bouillon. It was then carefully drained, dried and placed on the fish platter. A short time before serving it I covered the fish with an ordinary mayonnaise and, using a pastry tube, decorated it with a red mayonnaise, not coloured with catsup – horror of horrors – but with tomato paste. Then I made a design with sieved hard-boiled eggs, the whites and the yolks apart, with truffles and with finely chopped fines herbes. I was proud of my chef d'oeuvre when it was served and Picasso exclaimed at its beauty. But, said he, should it not rather have been made in honour of Matisse than of me. | |
 | A Tender Tart ½ cup and 1 tablespoon butter, 1 cup and 2 tablespoons flour, 1 egg yolk, blend with knives or pastry blender, add only enough water to hold together, knead lightly, put aside in refrigerator. Stir 2 eggs and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar for 20 minutes. Do not beat. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 cup finely chopped hazel nuts. Roll out a little more than half the dough, place in deep pie plate with detachable bottom, fill with egg-sugar-nut mixture. Roll out remaining dough and cover tart, press the edges together so that the bottom and top crusts adhere. Bake for ½ hour in 350° oven. Exquisite. | |
 | Tricoloured Omelette Make a purée of spinach by placing 1 lb of well-washed spinach in a saucepan without water over medium heat. Turn constantly from the bottom so that it does not scorch, until it boils. Then turn flame to lower heat and cover. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from flame, drain off water, place under running cold water until cold. Drain and press out as much water as possible. Return to saucepan over very low flame and dry out completely. Then press through fine sieve with potato masher. Mix this with 4 eggs and ½ teaspoon salt. Make an omelette cooked only enough to fold. Put aside and keep hot. Make another omelette of 3 yolks of eggs and 4 whole eggs, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon powdered saffron. Place the spinach omelette on this and fold the saffron omelette over it. Place on the serving dish with a tomato sauce made by heating 4 tablespoons purée of tomatoes with 2 cups dry white wine. When hot pour slowly into 4 tablespoons melted butter that has been mixed over medium heat with 1 tablespoon flour. Stir until smooth and about to boil. Then add ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, a pinch of cayenne, of cloves and of nutmeg, and 1 tablespoon onion juice. Allow to simmer for ¼ hour and add 4 tablespoons butter. Do not allow to boil. Pour around the 2 omelettes and serve. This is an effective and tasty entrée. | |