It really is amazing how the simplest of ideas are so often the best and once they arrive we all wonder why nobody thought of it before.  When it comes to things culinary we expect new ideas from chefs, celebrity chefs or just plain celebrities fronting a chef’s idea.  Did George Foreman really invent the health grill (Lean Mean Grilling Machine) or was it somebody else’s idea and he just stuck his name on it.  Did Jamie Oliver really create that range of pots and pans with Tefal or how about Anthony Worrall Thompson who has a great deal going with Breville appliances?  Even Gordon Ramsay is in on the act with the Bamix hand blender.  Anyway all my cynicism was blown out of the water by two ordinary women who have come up with a sterling idea and are about to become the next big thing in celebrity cooking.

The story starts with two ordinary Australian mothers, Rachael Bermingham and Kim McCosker, who were best friends since kindergarten.  One was very successful in marketing and the other had a degree in finance and Japanese.  Both are 39 years old, have young children, husbands and busy careers and so as their lives paralleled quite a lot they also encountered the same difficulties.  One of those enduring problems was the universal late afternoon cry of working mothers everywhere, “What the hell will I get for the dinner”.  I know that many, many people, if they are in charge of the cooking, can relate to this, particularly if they are also holding down a day job.  Even the most organised who batch cook at weekends get caught out now and again.  What these two ladies came up with was a book simply entitled 4 Ingredients.  It is a cookery book that has become the biggest publishing phenomenon in Australia and is about to take the rest of the world by storm. Obviously the title reveals the premise behind the book.  Every recipe fits the criteria of simple, healthy and just 4 ingredients.   

When they first came up with the idea because they weren’t celebrities or even chefs for that matter, they were turned down by every publisher they approached.  They decided to self publish and two and half years later they had sold a staggering 2.5 million copies.  Needless to remark the publishers soon took notice and now the girls have gone global.  These two women are now responsible for the biggest Australian title in publishing history and naturally that led to TV programmes  and all the usual spin offs.    

The recipes in the book were all collected from family and friends and according to all reports they demonstrate how you can save time and money in the kitchen and still have tasty, nutritional food that is fun to make.  They claim that they have taken the hardship from cooking and returned it to a simple, fun and therapeutic daily exercise rather than the stressful ordeal that some people consider.  Less is more is definitely the ethos and with simplicity at its core, it is not surprising that they have very quickly established an empire.  They are now on their third book in Australia, they have the obligatory TV show that accompanies it and they have just launched a range of cookware.  Naturally they have a website with lots of little cooking videos that you can watch and they’ve also developed a special software application for the iPhone that offers a selection of recipes for any ingredients you might have in your cupboard.  You can check them out on 4ingredients.com. 

I’m all for simplicity and as it is the beginning of a new year there couldn’t be a better time to embrace such a philosophy.  I certainly think these leaner times call for greater clarity and stripping back and so this ethos of four ingredients really appeals to me.  Of course like everything, while these two Australian ladies have been at the forefront of this movement, using just 4 ingredients is the basic idea and you don’t have to necessarily buy these books to take advantage of the concept, although they are available here.  There are plenty of recipes freely available on line that also use only four, and sometimes even less, ingredients.  If you think about it you probably have some of your own that only use four ingredients.  I firmly believe that dinner time should be a time when the family comes together.  I believe that in sharing food we can more naturally share other details of the day.  Meal times are often the only real quality time left for a family during the busy weekday schedule particularly.  A recent study said there were huge emotional benefits for the family who sat down together at least once a day.  It was at this time that problems as well as excitement or achievements were expressed and discussed.  So after the excesses of December, January is the perfect month for a clean sweep, a fresh start and baby steps toward a simpler life.  Happy New Year 

I welcome your feedback at pat@jwb.ie

The Classic French Omelette 

Ingredients

• 3 Quality Assured Eggs
• 3 teasp. water
• ½ tablesp. fresh herbs, chopped
• Salt and black pepper
• Knob of butter

Filling 

• A little butter
• 25g (1 oz) Quality Assured Bacon, diced
• 25g (1 oz) oyster or button mushrooms, chopped
• 25g (1 oz) Farmhouse Cheese, grated

Alternative Filling: 

• Chopped tomatoes, basil, scallions

To Cook

Prepare the Filling

Step 1. A non-stick omelette pan is essential. Beat the eggs, water, herbs and seasoning together. Heat the pan well, add the butter, pour in the egg mixture. Work quickly, drawing the egg to the centre of the pan as it begins to set. This allows the uncooked mixture to reach the base of the pan. Continue until you have the omelette cooked to your liking. 

Step 2. Place the filling along the centre of the omelette. Starting at the handle, fold over the omelette by 1/3.Slide the omelette down the pan. 

Step 3. Then, with your hand under the handle, tip the omelette onto a warm plate, making the third fold. Sprinkle with finely grated regato cheese (optional) and serve with mixed salad leaves.