Trying to get back into the Friday night routine. I’ve missed spending time here, but
work has been very busy, so it has been difficult to get my brain to sit
quietly here and write.
But a couple of days off has helped restore some creative
energy as well as some sanity (what little I possess). ;o)
Last weekend was Mother’s Day, a day when the Mom in the
house gets a day off. In a house
with two moms, that proves a bit of a challenge, but since we wouldn’t have G
if Nancy hadn't given birth, I figure that gives her a bit of an edge.
So I decided that on Mother’s Day (or Mothers’ Day, if you
prefer), I would set out to cook some yummy meals for her.
How did we celebrate?
With egg custards, of course!
First, there was French toast for breakfast. In my family, there wasn’t really a
recipe with measurements, there was a demonstration and a lot of practice.
This will do it for 6-8 slices of bread. We like to use the spelt bread from
Trader Joe’s.
For starters, two or three eggs get cracked into a pie plate. Splash in a good bit of milk (probably
½ a cup), add a healthy dribble of vanilla, a generous sprinkling of cinnamon
and a dash or three of nutmeg.
Beat with a fork or whisk until well combined. Keep that fork handy to keep mixing the custard…the cinnamon
will float to the top and then get used up by the first two slices of bread if
you don’t mix between dunks.
Now I like to fry my French toast on an electric
griddle. It will hold 6 slices of
bread easily (instead of two in my 12” skillet) and there are no sides to get
in the way of your spatula when you turn your slices.
Dunk your bread, one slice at a time, in the egg mixture and
transfer each slice immediately to the griddle. Fry on the first side until brown, turn and let cook until
brown on the other side.
Keep warm in a 180 degree oven if you need to, but if you’re
only making 6 slices and you used your griddle, you should be done in one.
Serve with butter, maple syrup (and peanut butter if you’re
from my family).
It was delicious…French toast is so easy to make and makes
people so happy. It makes me
wonder why we don’t do it more often.
But the custard celebration wasn’t over. When I asked Nancy what else she wanted
to eat that day, she said, “Quiche.”
I’d never made quiche before, but how hard could it be,
right? Especially if I was going
to use pre-made pie shells. (Shut
up…I have a two year old and have been working a lot of overtime. I am allowed a shortcut here and
there.)
What surprised me about the recipe I chose was that there
were only two eggs in the whole thing.
For a ten -nch quiche, only two eggs.
The examples I had tasted before couldn’t have been that
light on the hen fruit. In fact, I
have been turned off quiches before because they were way too eggy.
But really, Julia Child can’t be wrong about something as
beautifully French as Quiche Lorraine, now could she?
My answer to that is not only no, but hells to the no. It was the most simple, exquisite thing
in a crust.
Technically, it came from Saveur Magazine, but it was
adapted from the recipe in Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia
Child. Close enough. Here, check it out.
1.5 cups heavy cream, a half teaspoon of salt, two eggs, a
dash or two of nutmeg and about 6 ounces of bacon is all that was needed to
make this gorgeous treat. Someday
when I have more time and energy, I will make the pastry from scratch, but now
is not that time.
Dice the bacon and fry until crisp. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle in
the bottom of the pre-baked crust.
Combine the cream, eggs, salt and nutmeg and pour into the crust. Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until top
is golden and puffed and the middle is just set (if you stick a sharp knife in
the center, it will come out clean).
Let it cool a little before serving. Otherwise you will end up with pieces
of delicate crust and filling all over your kitchen counters.
Be patient, because the end result is well worth the
wait.
This quiche surpassed any other I have ever eaten. It was light, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth
delicious. It was sublime. It made us weep with joy.
We finished the leftovers today for lunch. It was just as good the second time,
though it was challenging to warm up in the microwave without destroying
it. But we managed. And I am very sure we will manage
again.
So Happy Mothers’ Day!
Because there are lots of mommies in the world and the day belongs to
all of us!