An Oven Omelet for Sunday brunch

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Dear Lynne: You talked about a book on fireplace cooking. Which book is it, is it good for rookies and do you need a big fireplace? -- Macey in South DakotaDear Macey: I've got the book, and it is excellent for rookies. But before answering your question, I can't resist relating a story.My own promising career as a master fire cook was cut off in its infancy at the end of my 15th summer. At that time, my mother and friends were building our garage. My contribution was cooking lunches in my improvised fire pit. After a rocky initiation phase, folks raved over the fragrance and flavor of my concoctions. That was until it was time to shingle the roof. Then the source of all that fragrance and flavor was revealed.Unwittingly, I'd burned up my mother's hefty investment in cedar shingles. Needless to say, I wasn't allowed near a pile of wood until I left home.That said, the book you heard me mention is the best primer for fireplace cooking I've seen so far. It is "The Magic of Fire: Hearth Cooking: One Hundred Recipes for the Fireplace or Campfire" by William Rubel (10 Speed Press, 2002). Rubel takes you step-by-step through the processes with great care for safety and success.Dear Lynne: Recently someone talked about eating really good beef heart in Peru. Do you have any idea how to make it? -- George in MemphisDear George: Although I don't have a tested recipe, I can give you a sketch of how it is done. Start with organic beef. Cut the heart in half from top to bottom, removing any tough connective tissue.Cut the meat into 1/2-inch cubes and toss them with extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, ground cumin and red pepper flakes, and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Shortly before serving, make a dressing of fresh chilies, fresh coriander (chopped, of course), lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil. You want it to be acidic and spicy with a lot of green coriander.Run the beef cubes onto skewers, season with salt and pepper, and grill them under the broiler, or over hot coals, just long enough to brown them and have them pink inside. Pile the meat on a platter, pour over the dressing (or dip them into it as you eat) and serve. Boiled sweet potatoes are wonderful with this dish, as they contrast it perfectly. The heart will be chewy, but very fine.Dear Lynne: Sunday brunch is new for me. Instead of my having to do last-minute eggs, can you give me a leg up in a baked egg recipe, and could it be meatless? -- Muddling Along in the KitchenDear Muddling Along: No problem. I am a great believer in formulas, the idea being that knowing the structure behind the recipe gives you what you need to know to substitute ingredients and improvise as desired.One way of looking at oven omelets and their first cousin, the frittata, is that you start with a saute of vegetables in an ovenproof skillet. Generously moisten it with a mix of seasoned eggs and milk (called a custard) and a generous amount of cheese, which will give the eggs even more substance and heighten flavors.OVEN OMELET WITH BROCCOLI, CHEDDAR AND RAISINSServes 3 or 4.Excellent hot or at room temperature. Reheats well.Use a skillet with an ovenproof handle, and be careful when setting it out -- the handle will be hot.Good-tasting extra-virgin olive oil2 medium onions, cut into 1-inch diceSalt and freshly ground black pepperGenerous pinch hot red pepper flakes1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves2 large garlic cloves, minced1/4 cup raisins2 to 2-1/2 cups cooked broccoli, cabbage or cauliflower, cut into 1/2-inch pieces1/3 cup coarsely chopped salted whole almonds5 large eggs3/4 cup milk1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1/4 teaspoon salt2 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese (you want a bold, complex cheese, not a typical supermarket cheddar)Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Film a 10-inch skillet (with an ovenproof handle) with the olive oil, and heat over medium high. Add the onions, a little salt and pepper. Saute them to golden brown. Stir in the red pepper, thyme, garlic and raisins. Saute about 2 minutes and add the cooked vegetables. Saute another 2 minutes, or until heated through. Stir in the nuts. Set the pan aside.Beat together the eggs, milk, nutmeg, salt, pepper and 2/3 of the cheese. Pour the mixture over the cooked greens. Sprinkle with the remaining cheeses, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out with only a few bits of creamy egg and cheese clinging to it.Remove the pan from the oven. Let the omelet stand 10 minutes before cutting it into wedges.(Lynne Rossetto Kasper hosts "The Splendid Table," American Public Media's weekly national show for people who love to eat. For more information, visit www.splendidtable.org or call 1-800-537-5252.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)