An omelet is to cooking what a sonnet is to poetry. Alexander Dumas

{HISTORY}

Rudolph Stanish led quite an extraordinary life. Born in Pennsylvania in 1914, Rudy was reared in the world of domestic service, first taught by his mother (also a domestic worker herself) and then trained in the great houses of Newport, Rhode Island. Always gravitating towards the kitchen, he learned the art of cooking from various staff members in Newport and eventually gained skill and recognition as a personal chef to some of the countries most well-known celebrities. 

It was during his time spent in the kitchen of Paul and Bunny Mellon that the idea for a cookbook was ignited. At Bunny Mellon's request that Rudy make eggs for a dinner party she was hosting, Rudy whipped up his reliable omelet recipe and the partygoers fell in love. That night launched Rudy into the annals of celebrity status himself as a requested cook at various well-to-do parties around town. Earning the nickname, "The Omelet King," Rudy whipped up eggs for such clients as Princess Diana, John F Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Tennessee Williams, Whoppie Goldberg, Leonard Bernstein and Jacqueline Bouvier (long before she became Mrs. Kennedy and hired him for a presidential inauguration dinner).

It was Bunny Mellon who encouraged Rudy to write a cookbook and fill it with the things he liked to make best - omelets, crepes, and party food inspired by European and Asian flavors and techniques. In 1970, Omelets, Crepes, and Other Recipes was published - a slim volume of exceptional recipes in an egg yolk colored dust jacket wiith limited quantities available. This copy is especially wonderful because it is signed by Rudy himself.

Slim and elegant, the recipes in this cookbook are meant to impress both in flavor and appearance.  Rudy didn't become king of the omelets and the dinner party on his chivalrous personality alone! His crowd-pleasing cooking during the 1960s, 70s and 80s kept him in constant demand from Newport to Nantucket to Manhattan.

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Limited Edition Cookbook

- Signed by the author

- Contains 70 pages featuring over 70 recipes including 22 omelet recipes

- Contains original dust jacket

- A hard to find copy that contains both the original dust jacket (not price-clipped) and his signature in such clean condition

- Interesting recipes include: the Opera House Omelet, Omelet with Red Caviar and Sour Cream, the Queen Anne Omelet, Crepes Stuffed with Lobster in Pink Sauce, Crepes wih Chocolate Cream, Stuffed Artichoke Hearts, Bavarian Cream with Apricot Rosettes, Roast Duck with Black Cherries, Braised Cucumbers, Hominy Grits Souffle, Chocolate Roll, and Babas Aux Peches

 {CONDITION}

In beautiful condition. There is one small rip on the spine of the dust jacket at top and two small cooking splatters on the front of the dust jacket. The interior pages are very clean and bright with the exception of the basic omelet page which has a few very light cooking stains. 

{SIZE}

Measures 6.25" inches (width) x 9.25" inches (length) x 1.5" inch (thickness) and weighs 12 oz.