Yes, they leave out the sponge. These days, if I make one I leave out the jelly, not to be posh but because it cuts down the time not having to wait for jelly to set.
Thanks for the trifle explanations 
If I had a video camera I’d make video of myself making an omelet, but I’ll try to describe how I do it.
Start with an 8" non-stick sauté pan (also known, conveniently, as an “omelet pan”). Oil the pan and set it on the stovetop burner/element/flame. Pour in three well-scrambled eggs. Allow it to sit on the heat long enough to just start setting up (i.e. the edges and bottom start to firm up). Using a rubber or silicone spatula, start poking under the edges of the cooking eggs. When you can lift the edge of the eggs without tearing them, stick the spatula further under and lift the eggs off the bottom of the pan, then tilt the pan and allow the still-liquid eggs on top to run to the side of the pan and then under the already-cooked eggs. Repeat as necessary, moving around the edge of the omelet until you’ve gotten all of the uncooked egg on top to run under the omelet. Using a smooth wrist motion, flip the whole thing over to let the last bit of uncooked egg cook, then flip it back over (this flipping takes practice) and immediately fold it onto your plate. Result: one plain omelet. Fillings can be cooked separately and added just before folding it onto the plate, or put immediately into the pan after the uncooked eggs so that they cook right into the eggs (my preferred method).
Done correctly, you have a light, fluffy omelet with no brown bits.
Scrambled eggs: pour eggs into pan and push them around with the spatula until they’re done.
Sorry, didn’t explain myself fully. I’ve only ever used the method where you soak the cake in booze then add it to the bowl.
I move that this disagreement gets resolved from now on by soaking the cake in booze, then pouring more booze into the jelly. Then sprinkle some Grand Marnier or something on the top.
on the topic of omlets America’s test kitchen’s take on rolled French omlets that was in my inbox this morning. Certainly an unorthodox treatment, IMHO. I have no dog in this hunt as I have a food intolerance to eggs 
How do one pronouce trifle? I’ve always said it is try-full ( long i, neither syllable particularly stressed, just as I would say "It’s a trifle sweet, " but I’ve heard people say tri-full with a short i. So?
You are correct I’ve never heard “triffle” (that’s what you mean, right?)
I’ve never really understood trifle. I can see why some people might gag at the thought. It’s not actually foul, but I don’t know why you’d want to combine those foods in that way, it just doesn’t make sense.
I’m loving the Jell-O salad stories. This thread is killing me! 
thefreedictionary.com (and therefore American Heritage) Dictionary.com (Collins) both say try-ful, not triffle.
In other words, long I, like the word “trifle.”
Then drink more booze. Actually, forget the trifle.
Well, it’s lots of sweet things (plus booze). I guess it’s a bit like a recipe a small child might come up with - jelly, custard, cake AND cream! Let’s pile them all up in a bowl! - but it’s not weird like jelly and celery. I quite like both, but I can’t imagine jelery being very appetising or even able to stay on cutlery.
From the Wikipedia article on its history that seems that’s largely what happened, except with adults. Started off as flavoured cream in 1596, then they added booze-soaked bread 60 years later, then jelly in 1747. I’m getting the impression that as each new dessert innovation happened, people said “yay we can add that into trifle too”. Even now we do it - e.g. the addition of bits of Cadbury’s Flake - and the bbcgoodfood recipes for trifle don’t feature a single generic recipe - they’re all ‘twists’ on the theme.
I’m thinking that’s a regional thing too. I recently visited my dad in Missouri and I noticed the exact same thing. There was a big bowl of fruit salad (whipped cream, bananas, apples, coconut, pineapple etc), I assumed it was for dessert and didn’t put any on my plate, come to find out, it was for the main meal. Ugh.
I’m originally from Alaska, and now live in Seattle, I don’t remember ever seeing that dish used as anything other than dessert before that.
What’s with the puke smiley? That sounds like a very close cousin, or even a sibling, of the quite classic aspic. I’m not particularly fond of that dish myself, but it was a quite popular buffet dish when I was a child in the 60s and 70s. It sort of passed into oblivion when “exotic” dishes and fusion food made its appearance in the 80s and 90s.
No, just…NO!
At least the herring in aspic I am familiar with and loved which came in a can(you can see it here: http://parthenonfoods.com/images/RugenHerringAspic200g.jpg ) had very little in common with set gelatin. The fish had a slight salty/acidic/vinegar taste with the sauce at room temp, if served cold out of the fridge the aspic was thicker but still runny and no where near the solid texture of set jello.
This has little in common with “jello salads” which often used sweetened set jello with toppings such as mayo.
Yeah, the aspic in a good* British pork pie is slightly runny too, salty and savoury and not hyper-sweetened artificial fruit flavoured.
*Though supermarket ones either have no aspic, or it’s really set.
nm, too slow
Anyone who dares to add celery, mayonaise, mince and marshmallows wins the thread!
You’re comparing different materials here. If you are starting with the same ingredients and they reach the same temperature then they are equally frozen or cooked. There is obviously a difference in the resulting texture, but it’s not a difference on the continuum of raw-cooked. The difference results from the size of the bits that have been cooked.
As has been pointed out, this isn’t right. In stirring you are ensuring that each bit of egg gets evenly heated.
They’re not liquidy they’re creamy. They don’t run. Again the difference is not in how cooked they are but rather the size of the cooked bit.
I disagree that they are reaching the same temperature throughout the mixture for the same amount of time, but I’m too tired of this particular debate to talk about it anymore, sorry. We’ll just have to agree to disagree.
Who said anything about the same amount of time? It takes longer to make properly creamy scrambled eggs than it does using the other method – you are cooking them slower, that’s part of the process. The fact is this: Once they’re done, if you leave them on the heat longer, they won’t get more cooked. They’ll just burn, same as the non-stirred eggs.
This is not a question that can be disputed. Cooked or frozen means they’ve reached the same temperature. If a block of cream and a tub of ice cream have been left in the freezer, they’re equally frozen, but they have different textures.
You are bringing the eggs to the same final temperature, but through different means. So by definition they are cooked to the same extent.
You can dispute the desirability of the final result based on the final texture. That’s a matter of taste. But the difference is not in how cooked they are. That’s simply not a disputable question.
Whatever you say.
So in your opinion, fish in set aspic would be improved with the addition of 3/4 cup of pure sugar,artificial lime flavor and some pimento olives? And perhaps a lovely dollop of mayonaise?
Good to know. I’m afraid I’m too busy for dinner at your place… forever.
Believe me, my family still serves sturgeon in aspic on occasion (and its a hell of a lot more appetizing than the pic on that wiki page! As others have said, its jelled but still soft). There is no commonality between fish cooked in its own broth with some completely appropriate vegetables, and 12 kinds of random crap mixed with Jello. Which, allow me to reiterate, is 80% sugar.
gracer I am glad you are enjoying our national pain. Should you need to waste 40 or 50 hours of your life, may I suggest The Gallery of Regrettable Food. I’m certain Britain endured food traditions just as awful in their own way – I’m told People of a Certain Age thought SPAM was pretty good – but it seems they are far less thoroughly documented. BTW, I am somewhat of a collector of the type of recipe booklets profiled in the Gallery. Whenever I trot them out people laugh until they can’t breathe, for realisies.