Quiche (we pronounce this kwee-chee)

      What makes a better meal on those hot summer days than something that is already cooked? I love making myself a quiche on my days off and then having it around for an easy lunch or breakfast for the rest of the week, because let's be honest, after cooking pancakes, omlettes and eggs all morning, I really don't want to come home and make a meal, but I have certainly worked up an appetite.  This also makes a beautiful dish for a lunch party or maybe something to have around for the grown-ups at your kid's birthday party.  It's beautiful, easy, versatile and most importantly very tasty. 

      I've been eying a really great pan at Target whenever I've gone for possibly the past 6 months and I finally got it.  A nine inch tart pan with a removable bottom and inch and a half sides.  I like using pans like this instead of just a pie pan because it really makes it quiche stand out and you get to see those beautiful rippled sides and end up with a nice tall quiche. So get your pan picked out and off we go.
      I know that I've quite possibly given you a different recipe for pastry dough every time I've talked about it here, but none the less here it is: in a food processor combine:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted, cold butter 
and pulse until it  resembles coarse sand.  Then, while the food processor is running slowly add
1/4 - 1/2 cup ice water
add until it begins to come together and immediately turn off.  Don't want to overwork our dough. Once this is done scrape it out onto a piece of plastic wrap, shape it into a disk, wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. You can make this dough a day in advance if want, but you will have to pull it out and let it soften just a little before rolling it out for your quiche.
      While this is cooling get your insides ready.  You can put pretty much anything you want in your quiche: maybe you want spinach and mushroom, maybe just an easy bacon and cheese, or you can have a little fun and do shrimp, tomatoes, green onions and pepper jack cheese.  That's the fun of it, it's totally up to you.  Just remember not to let your filling be too wet because once you've got all of that figured out you will be putting Royale in it.  Royale is an egg and cream mixture that is used for making lots of custardy foods, it is equal parts by volume of egg and cream, but then you can flavor it however you want.
      For my filling I sauteed
1 onion, thinly sliced until it began to caramelize, then added
1/2 tsp garlic
1/2 lb breakfast sausage which I broke apart and browned then blistered
1 cup of cherry tomato halves and
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and the liquid squeezed out
All of this got well mixed and cooled slightly while made royale and rolled out my dough. For the royale thoroughly mix:
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups cream
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp Worcestershire
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

      This should make enough to fill your pan as long as you have enough other stuff in it, but if you are doing a simple quiche you will need more so for every egg add 1/4 cup of cream.  Next roll out your dough  so that it is approximately 1/8 inch thick, or so that when you set your pan on top you have an extra 2 inches all the way around.  Carefully fit it into the pan, lifting the sides and letting them fall down into the corners of the pan.  Press the sides into the edges of the pan and then pinch the top against the lip of the pan to remove the excess dough.  At this point go ahead and add your cooled fillings as well as any cheese you might want.  Mine got
4 oz blue cheese crumbles
I would put more cheese in if you are using a different kind, blue cheese is just so strong we don't need it overpowering everything else.  Once all of your fillings are in and evenly spread out over the quiche add your egg mixture.  Preheat the oven to 325, put your quiche on a sheet pan just in case it leaks a little bit, we don't want to be cleaning it off the bottom of the oven and cook for 45 min to an hour.  I realize this is a big variation in time but it depends on how warm your  fillings were as well just a variation in oven temperatures.  Check it a 45 and give it a little shake, it should juggle in the middle just a little bit, but it should not be liquidy, if you aren't sure let it go a little longer, checking it every 5 min.  The center will raise a little as you are cooking it and you should be able to gently touch it with your hand and it will spring back.  Remove it from the oven and let it cool.  Like a fruit pie it will do better if you let it cool and then reheat it.  Have fun with it! Play with different flavors, and get some good crust making practice!

PS:  Why not make individual mini quiche in those tiny muffin tins?  roll out your dough, use a circle cutter to cut the dough, carefully lay it into the pan, make, say, 4 different kinds, 6 each fill it with royale and bake them off, the little ones should only take about 15-20 min in the oven, and will make great Hors D'oeuvres for a cocktail party or afternoon tea. 

Biscuit and Gravy Bennedict

      Mark and I love biscuits and gravy and the prefect biscuits really make this dish.  There are several important things to know when you making are great biscuits.  First is your flour: a low gluten all purpose flour is key.  Down here we like using Lilly White flour, you might also look into pastry flour if want to be particularity through or maybe even mix some cake flour in with your all purpose. The next, and probably most important factor is the butter.  Like with the pie crust you are trying to get flakes, so the cold butter cut into the flour gives it those layers that make the biscuit flake and raise.
To make your biscuits mix
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
with a pastry cutter or a pair of knives cut in
1/2 cup unsalted butter
if you are using just knives, you might have to go in with your hands and work the butter and flour through your fingers until it looks like coarse sand or cornmeal.  Then add
1 cup buttermilk
and using a spoon (or I use this fun little tool that we sell at Hopsewee called a dough hook) mix the buttermilk until it just holds together.  Turn out onto a clean, dry, well-floured surface.  Now this is one of those times it is really handy to have a baker's bench scraper. It's just a tool that is about 6 inches by 4 inches with a handle along one side.  We use it for many things evening up sides, cutting dough, and maybe even actually scraping our work tables/benches.  I like cutting square biscuits so as not to over work my dough by reforming it over and over until you are left with that last biscuit that is tough and just doesn't have much fluff left. 
      With all this in mind take the dough, fold and knead it just a few times until all of those little pieces come together, also this gives you the layering that allows you to split the biscuit without cutting it.  The idea is to end up with a roughly 1 inch tall rectangle of dough.  Now use your bench scraper to cut it in half so that you have roughly two squares.  Stack them and roll them out again so that you have an approximately 1-1 1/2 inch thick square.  Using the dough scraper trim the edges just a bit because a cut edge always looks better than the alternative.  Then you will cut them into 4 squares.  (Note: this will make 4 large biscuits, if you want smaller ones roll them out a little thinner and cut them into 6 or 8 pieces).  Lay them out on a pan with a piece of parchment that has been lightly sprayed, top each with a thin slice of butter.  bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 min, until they are nice and golden brown.  While they are baking get water started for poaching your eggs.  (for details about poaching eggs see my post on corn beef hash)
Next is the gravy.  If you keep bacon fat around throw 1 tbs in a pan, otherwise
1 TBS butter then
1/2 onion, finely minced
sweat the onion down for a minute or two then add
1/2 lb sage breakfast sausage
with a wooden spoon break it up and allow it to brown.  We are going to make what you call a "dirty roux" where you add your flour and you fat directly to the items already cooking in the pan instead of dirtying up a while new pan.  We've already got the fat from the butter or bacon fat as well as the extra that cooked off when we were browning the sausage, so sprinkle
3 TBS AP flour
Over your meat and onion mixture.  Stir it in and let it cook for at least a minute, stirring regularly.  This little bit of cooking time before you add liquid makes it so that you don't have that pasty flour flavor in your finished gravy.  then stir in
3 cups milk
1 tsp seasoned salt
Pinch cayenne
fresh ground pepper, a lot (it usually takes me 10 or so turns of my pepper mill, but probably about 1 1/2 tsp measured would work too.  And remember that fresh pepper has more flavor than the pre-ground stuff, so to get that nice peppery flavor you need you may have to use up to a tablespoon.  Just be sure to taste it before serving it and make sure it is nice and peppery.  Last a
dash of green Tabasco (I like the flavor of green, but whatever your favorite kind is will work just fine.
      Let this come to a boil, then turn it down and let it simmer until it gets thick, if it is a little too pasty add some more milk.  At this point your gravy is ready to serve.  If your biscuits are also done go ahead and poach your eggs.  I like doing two per person, but obviously whatever everyone wants.  So on your plate: a split biscuit, topped with two eggs and then a good scoop of gravy over the top.  All of this makes for a delicious breakfast.  So be sure to share with those you love, dig in and enjoy.  I think that having a special family breakfast is sometimes even nicer than a big family dinner, because then you have the rest of the day to enjoy each-other, and work off that natural high of a good meal with people you love.

Not your momma's Brussel sprouts

       I grew up, just like most other kids, hating brussel sprouts.  I didn't actually hate them because I had eaten them and found them disgusting, rather, because well. . . kids hate brussel sprouts.  I realize that it was a little petty, but since I was finally given some that were absolutely delicious I am on a mission to convert the unbelievers!  So what do we do to make things that people are afraid of delicious. . . why we add bacon! This recipe is for Bacon braised brussel sprouts.  I actually made these for work this week, because we had a whole cause of them laying around, and had to go home and make them again.  Yes, they are that good.
      First things first, clean your fresh sprouts (don't get the frozen stuff, fresh is better I promise).  I got a one pound bag at the store for 4 dollars, and that should be plenty to feed 4 people.  To clean them use a pairing knife and carefully cut the base just to remove the exposed stem edge.   You will lose a few outer leaves in the process, but this is fine.  After that just cut it in half lengthways.  Put your sprouts aside and on to the next task.
Slice 4 pieces of thick cut bacon thinly and render some of the fat in a large heavy bottom pan.  While that is rendering cut the white part off one leek then cut it in half long ways, rinse it to clean the dirt, then thinly slice and add to your pan with the bacon.  Allow the leek and bacon to cook down together for a few minutes.  Next stir in 1 tsp minced garlic followed by your cleaned sprouts. Stir all of this up and allow it to sit for a minute or so before again, just to let the edges get a little brown.  After it begins to brown deglaze with 1/2  white wine, you know, whatever you are drinking.  Then sprinkle with 1 tsp salt, a couple grinds of your pepper mill and cover with 1 cup cream.
      Let it all come to a boil, stirring occasionally and then reduce to a very low simmer.  Slowly your cream will reduce and your sprouts will soften and absorb that wonderful bacony flavor.  Keep and eye on it and stir it every once in a while, if it gets too low on liquid add a bit more cream.  Check your sprouts, and when they soft through (go ahead and eat one) they are done, but don't forget to check your salt and pepper. 
These baby cabbages are super delicious with just about anything.  We had ours with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, ribeyes topped with blue cheese and a glass of red wine.  Hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

      It's getting pretty summery out there, and I do live on the coast, so I've been thinking about seafood.  When I eat out at the beach my go to seems to be fried oysters and some fresh local shrimp, but when I'm at home the frying and clean-up well it's not so much fun.  So when thoughts ran to seafood while I was staring at the produce section my eyes drifted to the mushrooms.  Yes crab stuffed mushrooms would be quite delicious, and something other that my normal chicken and broccoli that Mark is so sick and tired of.  This turned out to be a quite delicious change of pace.
First lightly sweat
1 jalapeno, chopped really fine
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
Stems of 4 portabella mushrooms
and put in the refrigerator.  While cooling combine:
16 oz crab meat  Buy the fresh stuff, it's a little more expensive, but absolutely worth it.
2 oz cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 TBS dijon 
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp Texas Pete
dash Worcestershire
2 tsp old bay
2 TBS fresh tarragon, chopped
1 cup panko
add your cooled vegetables and mix thoughtfully. 
Next clean the stems underside of the caps of your
4 portabella mushrooms
by taking a spoon and scraping against gills but being careful not to damage the meat of the mushroom.  You are removing the black part.  When you get to brown stop.  Next toss your mushrooms in
3 TBS olive oil
Just enough to lightly  coat.
Then divide your crab mix and pack it into the mushroom caps
Next toss 1/3 cup panko with
2 TBS melted butter

Coat the top of the crab mixture with the bread crumbs.  Bake at 375 for fifteen to twenty minutes, or until the tops are brown and the crab is hot all the way through.
If you are feeling a little frisky, maybe make a hollandaise, or a roasted red pepper aoli.  Serve with a nice salad or maybe some asparagus.  Hope you have fun, and enjoy!
 

Mother's Day Chaos

      Today is Mother's Day.  I love my mother, and all of my extra mother's that I have adopted over the years, but when you work in a restaurant Mother's Day, Easter, and Valentines are some of the most dreaded days of the year.  The boss always wants to over complicate things by having a million specials and then you know you are going to be working at capacity all day long.  The day just becomes stressful.  You do your best to go in with a positive attitude, and sometimes you are successful at maintaining it. . . sometimes not.  So the doors open and they come.  Seems like the whole world is flooding in.  The food starts to roll out, everyone gets into their groove and everything is going fine. 
      Then disaster strikes.   Something goes wrong.  Someone missed an order or messed up a ticket.  Something falls on the floor.  Plates break. . . hopes shattered.  From here on out the rest of the day is just catch-up.  Did they ever get that extra stack of pancakes, or are these them? And do I need to put another on for that order that just came back, or am I ahead.  You people do know I can only cook two waffles at once, and when 12 come in over a 3 minute time span some of them are just going to be late, there is nothing I can do to make them cook faster.  Neither I nor the waffle iron are magic.  Finally the surges come and go, you get yourself back on track and you keep going. 
      That five minutes outside in tears really didn't help any except to get your frustrations out, because really there was no one to blame, and no one to yell at, so and empty wall, or the vacuum of the walk-in does just as well.  You breathe, you de-stress, (you wish for that shot of whiskey that never comes) but in the end you get through it.  And if you don't make it through, if you make that choice to just leave-- to quit, then you really aren't a cook.  You are just that person that didn't make it, that wasn't up to snuff.  If you do make it back, you throw yourself back into the fray with new determination to be the best and to make it happen. 

      It ends, though, and you find out that you couldn't have really been in hell as you thought.  Hell has no endings, just an eternity of oppressive heat and all those things you hate most.  It ends, and then there is the cleaning.  I don't know what it is, but there is something about cleaning at the end of a busy day that just clears the mind.  As you scrub the grill it's like wiping clean the slate for a whole new day.  It's amazing how the grime and the stress can be scrubbed away with a few minutes of work.  I find a release in the fact that all the chaos of the day can so easily be put back into order.  Dishes cleaned, counters wiped down, food organized, labeled and in it's proper places.  A place for everything and everything in it's place.  (Just wish I could feel like that at home!)  And once everything id done, everyone is cleaned up, floors are mopped and left to dry, you know that whatever happened today is gone, not forgotten, but eased and corrected by the simple task of cleaning.  Because. . .

This is a fractal pattern of broccoli, why you might ask? Because I like fractals . . . and Broccoli oh yea, and fractals are a visual interpretation of the order of chaos

       even in chaos we find order.  And even in the little things we can
find our peace.  

For the love of a good book

      Reading your favorite book is like seeing a good friend that has been lost to you for years.  You may know every twist and turn of the story, but still you read it again because it makes you smile, it makes you cry and it gives you hope that somewhere there is a happy ending. And that often happy endings are the ones that make you cry the most.

Camomile and honey while reading in the rain

      My favorite book may not be the most well written book ever, still, it's a story that just keeps bringing me back.  And the book . . . the book is a bit worn.  Her binding has been broken, loose pages that are taped back in are worn from bring worried away as my fingers twitched to turn the the next page, and stained from tea, coco and any other things imaginable. The pages are dog eared and I can hear the sounds of the characters voices in my head even when I'm not reading it. 
      Many people would be upset at the treatment of my book, and while that is not the point of this post, I can understand the upset.  I sometimes wish I had taken better care of it, but every time I pick it up I am reminded of how much I enjoy it and just how much it means to me just the way it is.
      All my life I have loved a good story.  When I was young my parents would read to me: I especially loved it when my dad would read books from the land of Serendipity or some Mark Twain.  When I got older I always had a book in hand.  I fully admit, i wasn't always reading the most involved books and Fantasy books are definitely my guilty pleasure. This book, Wizard of the Grove by Tanya Huff found its way into my hands sometime during high school and I've read it at least once a year since.  I cherish the friends I've made in the characters, and I weep for them in their pain, and share in their joys. 

Millions of Peaches, Peaches for me

      Went to the Mount Pleasant farmer's market today and i was really surprised that local South Carolina peaches are already in season.  I'm really particular about my peaches, so I was a bit cautious to go ahead and buy them this early in the season, but they smelled so delicious I couldn't pass up the opportunity.  A really good peach isn't just sweet and fragrant, but there is a very specific way you have to eat it without making a giant mess.  As you bite into your peach you also have to kind of suck too, so that all of the juices don't dribble down your chin.  A really good peach is like this.  It's perfect just the way it is, you don't have to do anything to it.  No turning it into cobbler, or ice cream or chopping it up and sprinkling it with sugar.  It is a divine little prize.  A reward for the patient wait until the next season.  Because food is always best when it must be enjoyed hanging off a porch, or over a trash can so that you don't make too much of a mess, and when you might as well jump in for a swim to rinse the delicious juices away.