Come On Baby, Give Me a Quiche

Growing up, I had a mixed relationship with quiche. The egg flavor was always so heavy that it overpowered any filling that was used. Even when I made it, I still had to choke it down knowing that I'd have a reward at the end (the crust, of course! Isn't that the best reason to eat any sort of pie?)

Then I learned how to properly whisk an egg. When most people make eggs, they barely mix the yolk and albumin (white) together and add it to the pan. Generally this results in dense, incredibly "eggy" eggs.

When 'scrambling' eggs, use a bowl big enough where you're not going to be afraid of overspill. Use a wire whisk and actually use the whisk to get air into the eggs. One tip is to tilt the bowl with one hand which will pool, or concentrate, the eggs into one 'corner' of the bowl. As you mix, gently lift the eggs. You know the cliche, "it's all in the wrist?" Well, it's wrong. It's actually all in the elbow.

That said, I just made a Kitchen Sink quiche chock full of leftover ingredients from my refrigerator. Here's how it went down.

I do take a little help with my quiche from Whole Foods - I buy an organic, frozen, deep dish pie crust. It's buttery, browns nicely and has a touch of sweetness that balances any savory ingredient I find to put into the pie.

I started with 4 slices of high quality, center cut bacon. To move things along, I cut it into 1/2" lardons before adding to a dry, cold pan. Over medium-high heat, the bacon cooked until brown. Removing the bacon with metal tongs, I let it cool while draining on paper towels.

Letting the bacon grease cool for about 10 minutes, I poured the grease into a glass jar to save for a later recipe.

In the same pan, I sauteed about 6 oz of sliced button mushrooms in the remainder of the bacon grease. I'd also dug up some fresh rosemary that was at the end of its life, which was chopped finely and added to the mushrooms (seasoned with salt and pepper.) Once the mushrooms were removed from the pan, the 10oz of baby spinach was added to the same pan in about 1 Tbs of olive oil. Once the spinach was sufficiently wilted and seasoned with salt and pepper, it was added to the mushrooms to let cool.

Once it was cool enough to touch, I gently squeezed the excess liquid from the mushrooms and spinach.

To the dry empty pie shell, the browned, cooled bacon was added. Then I sprinkled the mushroom, rosemary and spinach mixture over the bacon.

Earlier today I bought an intriguing cheese - a smoked, baked sheep's milk ricotta cheese. Delicious to nibble on but I thought it would enhance the smokiness of the bacon. About 1 oz was added to the pie shell (notice no egg has been added yet.)

Next I added a few handfuls of some shredded cheese that was in the refrigerator cheese drawer - an Italian mixture that includes Parmesan, mozzarella and Asiago.

Over the top of the mixture, I added 5 well beaten eggs, seasoned with salt and pepper. Do not mix. My secret? Once the egg is added, I gently pour about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of skim milk into the egg. Still do not mix.

Add another scant handful of cheese.

Place the pie on a large baking sheet in case there's any overspill.

Bake ~30 minutes at 350 degrees or until it puffs up (think souffle) and the center doesn't jiggle when the pan is gently shaken.

I must say, I wanted to quiche this supper.

Breakfast at Tiffany's

While nobody I know can afford to shop at Tiffany's anymore, the film Breakfast at Tiffany's has long been my favorite. From the style and grace of Audrey Hepburn to several memorable quotes, including this classic.

"You call yourself a free spirit, a "wild thing," and you're terrified somebody's gonna stick you in a cage. Well baby, you're already in that cage. You built it yourself. And it's not bounded in the west by Tulip, Texas, or in the east by Somali-land. It's wherever you go. Because no matter where you run, you just end up running into yourself."

I know the movie so well I can explain the difference between "the blues" and "the mean reds" and I still wonder sometimes if you can grow so tall by "gorging" oneself on peanut butter.

But there is a mystery to this movie for me. In the famous opening scene, as Holly Golightly's walks down 5th Avenue at 6am, I often wonder, "What is she eating?" Obviously she has a cup of Street Cart coffee, but what is that pastry? Is it a simple butter croissant? Is it a chocolate croissant? It's not a bagel with shmear, that much I know.

Because this movie exudes class and sophistication to me, I've always dreamt it was a chocolate croissant.

As I sit here this morning in my decidedly unglamorous life, sipping my NYC coffee and eating a chocolate croissant, I think of Holly Golightly and silently thank her for making slightly crazy and neurotic seem simultaneously romantic and simply a passing fancy.

Look What a Snow Day Cooked Up

Buried under 10” of snow and piles of work, that trip to the grocery store never happened. “I have nothing in the house.” Sound familiar?

Digging through the pantry, the cogs in my brain start shaking off the dust. Dried mushrooms, chicken stock, hey! Is that some Arborio rice behind the Great Northern Beans? It is! Suddenly, dinner takes shape in my mind.

Wild Mushroom Risotto

~1 oz. dried wild mushrooms (Chanterelle, Shitake, Trumpet, etc.)
4-5 cups chicken stock
1 medium shallot, chopped finely
1 large garlic clove, minced
¾ cup Arborio Rice
½ cup dry white wine
1 Tbs unsalted butter
1/3 cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Place chicken stock in a small pot. Add dried mushrooms and bring stock just to a boil. Turn off heat, cover and let stand for 20 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove mushrooms. Let mushrooms cool and chop.
Turn heat back on under chicken stock to low and keep warm.

In a large, high sided skillet, heat 2 Tbs olive oil over medium to medium high heat.
Add shallot and cook until softened. Add garlic and stir, cooking until fragrant and soft, about 30 seconds.
Add Arborio rice, stirring until all grains are coated with the olive oil.
Add wine and stir constantly until wine is absorbed.
Add stock, ¼- ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly between each addition until absorbed. (Tip: If using a wooden spoon or Silicone spatula to stir, as you’re stirring, pull the spoon or spatula down the center of the rice. If the liquid immediately pools back to the center of the pan, keep stirring. If the liquid does not ooze back immediately, it’s time to add more)
Continue this process until the rice is opaque and creamy (you may want to taste for texture) ~ 18 minutes total.
Add in reserved reconstituted mushrooms, stir to combine.
Stir in butter. Once melted, stir in parmesan cheese.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 2.

A wonderful, cozy meal when you’re snowed in. Or any day! Bon Appetite.

The Value of a Customer

I recently discovered a new lunch option in NYC. The food is decent, the prices are reasonable and the staff is always friendly and accommodating. Having been there a few times, I recommended it to some co-workers and a few days ago brought 4 people with me.

Since the cafe is on my path to work in the mornings, the last time I was there I asked the man behind the counter how much they charge for a cup of coffee. He replied with "75 Cents but we're known for our cappuccinos and lattes. We make the best." "Good to know," I said, thinking that the price seemed worth giving it a shot.

This morning I decided to give the 75 cent coffee a test run. I shouldn't have been surprised to see the same worker there but I was. He remembered me, even asking how I liked my soup the last time I was there. (The Hungarian Mushroom soup was light in texture with lots of good flavor - slightly creamy with chunks of mushroom and carrots and the subtle but distinct flavor of dill.) I was impressed that he not only remembered me but also remembered what I'd ordered.

As I handed over my dollar bill, he gently pushed it back towards me. "This one's on me. Let me know how you think tomorrow."

While the food (and coffee) may not be the best, it just goes to prove the age old knowledge in the restaurant world that if your service is stellar, your customers will keep coming back, even if your food is mediocre. His simple gesture of a free cup of coffee let me know that he values my business.

I'll be back tomorrow. And I'll gladly pay 75 cents for my cup of coffee.

It's Too Expensive to Eat Healthy

People are always talking about how eating healthy is just too expensive. I've always tried to stress that you don't need to buy the fancy organic food. It's a combination of fresh food and smart choices.

A little experiment that included two lunches purchased in New York City:

Lunch #1 included a salad of fresh baby spinach, chickpeas, sundried tomatoes (NOT in oil), black olives, a palmful of Parmesan cheese, sliced mushrooms with fresh lemon juice and pepper as the dressing.
Cost = $6.00

Lunch #2 included McDonald's single cheeseburger, small french fries, small strawberry shake.
Cost = $6.25.

Your heart, gut and wallet thank you.