Feel Better Soup—Linda's Tom Kha Gai (Chicken Coconut Galangal Soup)

by Linda

"Tom Kha Gai isn't just any dish; it's one of my top five most favorite dishes in the world, Thai or otherwise. At a risk of taking anthropomorphism of food a bit to far, I felt that if I let myself write about Tom Kha Gai with the kind of unbridled affection from the depth of my bowels, I'd bore—or scare—you. Yet if I held back, I'd be remiss for not giving the dish the love it deserves."
                                                                                  ~ Leela Punyaratabandhu @ She Simmers

Instead of trying to find fresh keiffer lime leaves when I need them, I grow a tree in a pot on my patio. They are easy to grow in California, and the flavor is distinctive and is not easy to find a substitute for. For more information on this beautiful tree whose leaves are used in Thai dishes click here. 

   I learned to love Tom Kha Gai (Chicken Coconut Galangal Soup) when I was first introduced to Thai food—an embarrassing fact about me is that it wasn't all that long ago. Living in the Santa Ynez Valley for most of my life, there just wasn't a Thai Restaurant in town (and there still might not be for that matter). Change comes slowly to the SYV except for all of the rapid change on the Chumash ancestral lands.

   When I was living part-time in Cayucos, California in 2003, my boyfriend at the time, Richard, and I began going to a Thai restaurant in downtown San Luis Obispo called Thai Palace. It was there that I fell in love with flavors that were tantalizingly unfamiliar to my American palate. Later, I became obsessed with finding out how to make it for myself. My first attempts were not that good when I compared them to the soup at the restaurant. I simply could not capture the exact flavor in the soup that I was making at home. My homemade soup was missing something.

   At long last, I am happy to report that I finally nailed it. Suffice it to say, that I can produce a soup at home that I like just as much as the soup prepared by the experts, and it is the soup that I always want went I am sick. Michelle craves her Big Batch Chicken Soup, but I want my homemade Tom Kha Gai.

  
   Learning to make a Tom Kha that satisfied my palate was a journey. The ingredients have become easier to find over the ensuing years, and I even purchased a keiffer lime tree so that I would always have leaves at the ready. Lemongrass stalks are usually available at my Whole Foods Market, but more often than not, I have to drop by the Asian market across the street from the store where I work to purchase fresh galangal root. My own addition to this classic Thai soup is a bit of fresh turmeric root. It adds a lovely pale yellow to the creamy broth, and, in my opinion and the current scientific research, the more ways one can find to eat turmeric the better. However, if you are a purist, you might not want to include it. I also had my honey simple syrup at the very end for a little sweetness and it adds to the perfumed fragrance of the final dish.

Linda's Tom Kha Gai (Chicken Coconut Galangal Soup)

   This soup is great anytime, and is comforting, especially on a chilly winter's day. As an addition to an Asian-fusion dinner menu, begin the evening with our Pineapple Martinis served along side our Szechuan-Style Ma-La Green Beans as an appetizer. Complement the Tom Kha Gai with Thai Pizza and Dragon Noodles or our Thai Spicy BBQ Chicken with Sweet Chili Sauce and you've served up a memorable meal. Oh, and while you are at it—extend the fun by offering refreshing sorbet for dessert—mango, coconut, or chocolate would be delicious, or a combination of all three.

Equipment:
A large soup pot
A fine mesh sieve
Cleaver or mallet

Ingredients:
• 28 ounces homemade chicken broth, or one found in the freezer at your natural foods market (Whole Foods Market carries one called Stock Options that is good).
• 2-13.5 ounce cans of full fat coconut milk, preferably Thai Kitchen®
• 1 large galangal root knob, sliced into thin coins
• 2 fresh lemongrass stalks, sliced in half through the length and cut into three inch pieces. Beat with the back of a heavy chef's cleaver or a mallet to bruise and release essential oils
• 2-3 serrano or Thai chiles
•1 small knob of fresh turmeric cut into thin coins
• 9 smallish fresh keiffer lime leaves (aka kaffir, makrut, wild and Thai lime), stems removed and torn into large pieces. Crush the leaves in your hand before adding to the stock mixture—it's great to have your own tree in a pot
• 1/3 cup Tbsp fish sauce,  preferably Golden Boy or a natural brand with no preservatives
• 4 Tbsps honey simple syrup or coconut sugar
• Sea salt to taste, but the fish sauce should add plenty of saltiness
• 3-4 chicken boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into large bite-sized chunks
• 12 large button or oyster mushrooms, sliced (I personally do not like canned mushrooms, so I do not use the traditional straw mushrooms, but use those if you wish)
• 2 cups fresh corn sliced from the cob (optional, it's a great addition to the soup in summer)
• 1/4 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
• Cilantro sprigs for garnish (optional)

Procedure:
1. Bring chicken broth and coconut milk to a simmer. Keep your temperature low.

2. Add galangal through honey simple syrup or coconut sugar. Simmer until broth is completely infused with the herbs, about 45 minutes. I usually strain the now infused broth through a sieve to remove the spent herbs and leaves. Discard.

3. Add raw chicken cubes to the hot liquid and simmer (do not boil—you want to poach the chicken) until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

4. Add mushrooms, simmer for about five minutes. Add lime juice. Serve in bowls garnished with fresh cilantro.

Servings: 8

Bone Broth—It's What's for Breakfast

by Linda

"Good bone broth will resurrect the dead." —A South American Proverb

Mark enjoys a cup of steaming bone broth on a cold January morning.

   I recently heard it said that bone broth is the new coffee. It gives me hope to think this adage might be true—or could be true anyway. Emerging on the subject is lots of new information to support what ancient cultures have always known—bone broth provides a solid foundation for good health.
   A healthy body requires specific nutrition that is difficult to find in one's diet otherwise. Broth made from bones is full of trace minerals, gelatin, collagen, marrow, cartilage and glycine. Those nutrients in a soup form are easily absorbed into our bodies because they are leached out into the liquid. We need these nutrients because our bodies are built of the same materials—like it or not. A slow-cooked bone broth is the traditional and easy way to get these essential nutrients into our bodies. Pressure cookers can assist in this process for those of us who need to make it quickly.

  Our American addiction to coffee and the considerable daily dose of caffeine this habit provides is a crutch that many of us use to fuel our insanely busy lives, and is generally considered harmless by most people. It is something that we laugh at in an offhand manner. "Don't even talk to me until I have had my coffee"—is our national mantra. It's a habit that supports a Starbucks or Pete's on every street corner and in every strip mall. Many people arrive at work with the large cup of coffee in hand, and then keep drinking it all day long. It's even worse that their coffee it is often spiked with lots of sugar or truly horrific artificial sweeteners. Our coffee is also doctored up with things like chemically-laden powdered creamers and artificial flavorings. Consider this—many of us already have stressed out adrenal glands and high cortisol (the stress hormone) levels. This causes a myriad of health problems and makes us more susceptible to insomnia, colds and flu, allergies, hair loss, belly fat and low sex drive. Our national addiction to coffee helps raise our already sky-high cortisol levels.

   If you are looking to change some bad habits this year, and have a healthier diet in 2015—giving up coffee as your daily kickstart might be something to consider. Have it occasionally, on your weekend perhaps, when you are really have the time to notice and enjoy that caffeine induced euphoria. I know I do.

   Bone broth is also great to have in your freezer to use as a base for your soups and sauces. I love Pho. The flavor of homemade broth makes this delicious soup so much better than packaged or canned broths, and you control the ingredients—like sodium—which is used to disguise the taste of inferior ingredients in commercial products. Choose good quality bones for your broth and fresh organic vegetables if you are able. Happy Cooking in 2015 and Mazel Broth!

Mark's Bone Broth

   It is really worth the time and effort to make your own broth for many reasons. First, you can control the quality of your ingredients. Second is cost. Good quality broth at my supermarket (and I'm not talking about the canned or boxed stuff) runs about eight dollars per quart, Also, you want to purchase good quality bones. I buy mine at Whole Foods Market, but there are small local butcher shops popping up around the country ( I have one in my town). These shops are returning to whole animal butchery and source their animals from small local ranches. This would be a likely spot to purchase not only good quality bones, but calves' feet which are an excellent source of the aforementioned gelatin.

Equipment:

A large roasting pan

A large stock pot— remember the famous words of Julia Child, "Always start out with a larger pot than what you think you need."

Ingredients:

4 pounds of beef bones

4 ribs of celery cut into large dice

3 large carrots cut to 1/2 inch rounds

2 medium white onions plus skins, cut into large dice

8 cloves of garlic—crush but leave the skins on

1 cup unpacked parsley leaves

3-4 bay leaves

Dry or fresh thyme

1 Tbsp whole black pepper corns

Celtic sea salt

Filtered water

Procedure:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400°F.

2. Add beef bones to a roasting pan large enough for them to be spread out to a single layer. Add onion skins, garlic cloves, half of one onion, one carrot, and one celery rib; all pre-cut. Add a small pinch or two of sea salt to the bones.

3. Place roasting pan with bones and vegetables into the oven for 30-40 minutes. Onion skins should char a bit and beef bones should show some browning. Note: the darker you let the bones get, the darker your stock will be. However, going too long can make your stock bitter.

4. When bones are roasted, place all roasting pan ingredients plus the bay leaves and peppercorns in the large stock pot and add 4 quarts of filtered water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a medium to slow boil once everything is bubbling.

The roasted bones and veggies.

5. For the next hour, remove scum and fat from the top layer of the stock.

6. At the end of one hour, add the rest of the carrots, onions, and celery plus the fresh parsley and the thyme. Stir and bring back to a moderate boil.

7. For the next 3 hours, allow the stock to boil gently and occasionally skim for fat that will rise to the top. You will lose some volume of water during this time. I like to add more pre-heated, filtered water to keep the volume constant. Pre-heating the water keeps the stock at a steady boil.

8. At the end of cooking, the vegetables will have given their all and the bones will look dry and porous when held up to the air. Turn off heat and allow the stock to sit for one half hour.

Deglazing the roasting pan with boiling water to capture all of the roasted flavor.

9. When the stock has cooled a bit, it is time to strain the broth into empty containers using a fine mesh sieve or a strainer lined with cheese cloth. I like to leave my stock in the refrigerator overnight to allow any remaining fat to separate and to rise to the top of the broth for easy removal.
10. Once cooled, the stock can be put into containers of your choice, or poured into ice cube trays. These can be frozen for use later and can keep up to six months for best flavor.

(This method involves roasted elements and fresh ingredients. The stock will take on the roasted flavors, but also have a clean, freshness that I also enjoy.)

Our frozen bone broth ready for breakfast or for making soup and stews.

Happy New Year— Lime and Lemon Pisco Punches… or a Margarita, Maybe?

The Memory Keepers by Linda

"Masterfully distilled in the heart of the Andes Mountains, Portón Pisco personifies adventure in the form of the world's ultra-premium white spirit. Portón expresses the passionate power of the Peruvian spirit, inspiring, intriguing, alluring and enlivening connoisseurs and cocktail lovers in search of sophisticated flavor. From islands to oceans, east to west, Portón brings bold, personal experience to lovers, risk-takers, world travelers and anyone who understands how to explore without fear. Portón contributes an authentic aura to any setting, always adding enjoyment, inciting and emboldening others to see adventure anywhere in the world. Discover without apology. Act without fear. Embody success." 
                                                                              ~ Marketing blurb from the Pisco Portón website

   If you thought that promotional intro piece from Pisco Portón was a bunch of bull crap (sorry—I am a huge fan of The Voice, and I am starting to talk like Blake Shelton—accent and all), then just wait until you take a sip of the stuff. My son Jordan, who is not unaccustomed to drinking spirits, not only said it gave him "goose flesh", but also pronounced the cocktail to taste like "cobra venom", and he refused to drink a drop more. Pisco brandy, I would venture to say, is an acquired taste. I am aware of its ancient and honored past, and generally speaking I like things made from grapes—but I believe that we were missing the cultural piece that would have allowed us to properly appreciate the taste of Pisco. I am pretty sure no one is born liking the taste of Pisco—it is learned over time and hopefully in one's adulthood. I am told that it also tastes better with delicious Peruvian food, which we did not have on hand when we made this pair of cocktails.

Although Jordan was not drinking a Pisco cocktail at this particular moment—this is how
I remember his face looking after he told me he would rather drink cobra venom.

   Perhaps I should back up just a wee bit in the telling of this story in which I provide some context for our Pisco Punch caper. This past November, I left for Arizona the day after Thanksgiving to meet up with my son Jordan, where we would be spending a week with our family who all live in the southern part of The Grand Canyon State. Jordan, who would be flying in from Greenville, California the day after me—or so we thought—would be celebrating a belated Thanksgiving, his birthday, his cousin's birthday, an early Winter Solstice and Christmas with the family, who had not been together for six years following the death of our beloved Joshua in 2009. His cousins during this time had advanced from teens to young adults in the passing years, and Jordan would also be meeting his second cousins—his cousin Paul's boys. Jordan, who just finished with an exhausting fire season with the National Forest Service, somehow had it in his head that he would be flying in on Sunday instead of Saturday. When I had not heard from Jordan on Saturday morning that his flight would be on time, I finally resorted calling his home, hoping to talk with his roommate and co-worker, Jason, who I hoped might have some information for me. Instead, a very happy sounding Jordan answered the phone:
Me (sounding puzzled): You're at home… what are you doing?
Jordan (happily): I have been sleeping and now I am reading a book… what are you doing?
Much more conversation then ensued (not so happy) ending with...
Jordan (unhappily): "Oh, sh*t, I missed my flight! I am calling the airline right now."

Our sister, Juliette, dresses up these antique bottles with bits of bric-a-brac that she finds thrifting.

   We sisters take Sistercations very seriously. A Sistercation such as we just had—a mammoth affair that included all the family, the celebration of major holidays and birthdays required much coordination, discussion of possible menus, planning of venues and how to pack in as much as possible in the way of activities in a mere ten day span. Cocktail planning is also a favorite of we sisters. Often, I like to end the year with a special new cocktail that we share here on our blog for New Year's Day. This year Michelle, who has been reading up on how to make your own obscure components for Tiki cocktails, wanted to try making Pisco Punch, because she planned to make her own gomme syrup for the first time. This then, would be our end-of-the-year cocktail for 2014, which none of us had ever even ordered at a bar. This turned out to be a mistake on our part upon reflection.

   While Jordan was frantically trying to catch another plane in the middle of the overbooked Thanksgiving travel weekend, Michelle and I went to BevMo to pick up the special Pisco brandy that we would be needing later in the week for our cocktails. There were two varieties of brandy to choose between, so we picked the one that was a few dollars more and had the most most impressive bottle since the clerk had never tried either and could not make a recommendation. Back at home, we set the Pisco Brandy aside, declaring it off limits for Thanksgiving weekend casual drinking.

Cousincation was happening out in the backyard.

Michelle, Jordan and Paul mug for the camera. 

The cousins even had their own "Cousincation" table for Thanksgiving dinner.

   Long about mid-week, Michelle, Jordan and I found ourselves alone with some quiet time on our hands at around the cocktail hour. We all enthusiastically agreed it should be Pisco Punch time. Cameras, ingredients and equipment at the ready we could not decide on a particular recipe to try. Michelle had spied a recipe using her pineapple gomme syrup and lemon juice that she wanted to try. The internet search that I did revealed a Pisco Punch made with lime juice, gomme syrup and egg white, which I thought sounded better—so we decide to make both, and do a taste test.

Lime Pisco Punch with Gomme Syrup and Egg White

Lime Picso Punch—Version #1

   Though we did triple this recipe, I personally was grossed out by the thought of adding three raw egg whites to our drink mixture. So I tripled the ingredients and added one egg white, which I do believe led to a less fluffy foam on the top. I also blended the ingredients and then shook the mixture in a cocktail shaker. The group panel decision was that this was a nasty drink and we should move on to Michelle's hopefully much better cocktail.

Ingredients:
1 ounce gomme syrup
3 dashes of Angostura Bitters
1 ounce fresh lime juice
1 egg white
3 ounces Pisco brandy

Procedure: 
Blend ingredients vigorously in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Pour into desired glass. The coupe is traditional. Enjoy or don't enjoy. We were decidedly on the "don't" side.

The Lemon Pisco Punch—although pretty—fell short of our expectations. 
We all voted that we should have made Margaritas instead.

Lemon Pisco Punch—Version #2

   The recipe seemed lacking in ingredients somehow, but we weren't sure what to add, so we left well enough alone we thought… but we were wrong. This cocktail sucked, too.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsps fresh lemon juice
2 Tbps pineapple gomme syrup
4 ounces Pisco brandy

Procedure:
Add mixed ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake or stir and pour into a cocktail glass. Sip and wish that you are having a different cocktail.

Jordan in a contemplative mood at The Mission in the Sun
dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe. It was built by Ted DeGrazia in the 1950s.

   Alas, every so often we sisters get adventurous in the kitchen or bar, sadly—the results aren't always spectacular. What I think is most likely though, is that years from now, Jordan will remember the afternoon of making lousy Pisco Punches with his aunt and his mom with a grin and a toast to the good old days—whereas a better cocktail might have been forgotten in all of its perfection and lack of fuss. However, if you're asking for a better use of your time and drinking, we highly recommend our "Not Too Girly" Strawberry Margarita, this year's cocktail winner from me. It was definitely the most requested drink in the house this year at Thanksgiving. Fortunately Michelle had the prescience to make up a half gallon of strawberry-infused tequila ahead of time and a big batch of honey simple syrup.

Juliette's son Paul with his son Parker.

   As we slide into 2015 in just a few days time, we are once again thankful for our family and friends and time spent together in 2014. This year as usual has been filled with its share of trials and tribulations, but we move forward into the New Year with hearts full of gratitude for the love and abundance that we all share. Wishing you all a very Happy New Year with much love from the Salvation Sisters!

Improve Your Cocktails with Plain and Fruit Flavored Gomme (Gum) Syrups

by Michelle

A classic cocktail, an Old Fashioned, made the traditional way with homemade gomme syrup.

   Gomme syrup is simply a sugar syrup enriched with food grade Gum Arabic.  What, you say—gum? Gum Arabic is a white powder that is made from the resin of the Acacia tree. It makes the sugar syrup thicker, giving a more substantial mouth-feel to a classic cocktail. It's one of those things that you don't know what you are missing until you've tried it.
    For many spirit-forward classic cocktails such as a Sazerac that call for simple syrup, you may swap the same measurement for gomme syrup. While gomme syrup is not difficult to make, it fell out of favor with bartenders. The good news is that just like Justin Timberlake brought sexy back, mixologists across the country are bringing gomme syrup back.

Many classic cocktails are stirred with ice, not shaken, then strained into a chilled glass.

Gomme Syrup

   Food grade gum Arabic can be difficult to source. I finally ordered mine from on on-line retailer.

2 ounces food grade gum Arabic
2 to 3 ounces very hot water
2 cups granulated sugar or 1/2 granulated sugar and 1/2 demara sugar
1 cup filtered water
1 Tbsp vodka, optional—acts as a preservative to extend the shelf life of the syrup

Gum Arabic and hot water mixed to a thick gelatin-like paste.

Procedure:
1. In a mug mix together the gum Arabic and 2 ounces very hot water. Blend together vigorously for a few minutes until well combined. Add a little more water, if needed, to blend thoroughly. Set aside.
2. In a saucepan, heat the sugar and water over medium high heat, stirring frequently until the mixture reaches a boil. Reduce the heat, and maintain a boil, while stirring constantly for two minutes. Add the gum Arabic mixture and continue to boil, while stirring constantly, for two minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. Strain the gomme syrup and whisk in one tablespoon vodka. Transfer the mixture to an impeccably clean jar with a tight fitting lid, or a squeeze bottle with a cap. The gomme syrup will last about 6 months when stored properly in the refrigerator.

Strained and ready-to-go gomme syrup.

The marinated pineapple chunks can be frozen and used as garnish for tropical inspired drinks.

Pineapple Gomme Syrup

  Infuse Gomme Syrup with the flavor of pineapple and make a number of cocktails including Pisco Punch.

Ingredients:
1 ripe pineapple
2 ounces food grade gum Arabic
2 to 3 ounces very hot water
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup filtered water
1 Tbsp vodka, optional - acts as a preservative to extend the shelf life of the syrup

Procedure:
1. With a sharp knife, remove the top and bottom of the pineapple. Slice down the sides of the pineapple to remove the peel, and discard. Slice in quarters, remove and discard, the core. Slice each quarter in half lengthwise, and then cut each quarter into 1-inch cubes.
2. In a mug mix together the gum Arabic and 2 ounces very hot water. Blend together vigorously for a few minutes until well combined. Add a little more water, if needed, to blend thoroughly. Set aside.
3. In a saucepan, heat the sugar and water over medium high heat, stirring frequently until the mixture reaches a boil. Reduce the heat, and maintain a boil, while stirring constantly for two minutes. Add the gum Arabic mixture and continue to boil, while stirring constantly, for two minutes. Remove from heat and add pineapple cubes. Let sit overnight.
4. In the morning, remove the pineapple slices. You can place the pineapple in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once frozen, put the pineapple cubes in a ziplock bag and return to the freezer.
5. Strain the gomme syrup and whisk in one tablespoon vodka. Transfer the mixture into an impeccably clean jar with a tight fitting lid, or a squeeze bottle with a cap. The gomme syrup will last about 6 months when stored properly in the refrigerator.

Raspberry Gomme Syrup

  Infuse Gomme Syrup with the flavor of raspberries and use as a substitute for grenadine in your favorite cocktails.

Ingredients:
2 ounces food grade gum Arabic
2 to 3 ounces very hot water
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup filtered water
1 bag partially thawed frozen raspberries
1 Tbsp vodka, optional - acts as a preservative to extend the shelf life of the syrup

Procedure:
1. In a mug mix together the gum Arabic and 2 ounces very hot water. Blend together vigorously for a few minutes until well combined. Add a little more water, if needed, to blend thoroughly. Set aside.
2. In a saucepan, heat the sugar and water over medium high heat, stirring frequently until the mixture reaches a boil. Reduce the heat, and maintain a boil, while stirring constantly for two minutes. Add the gum Arabic mixture and continue to boil, while stirring constantly, for two minutes. Remove from heat and add raspberries. Let sit overnight.
3. In the morning, remove and discard the raspberries. Strain the pretty pink gomme syrup and whisk in one tablespoon vodka. Transfer the mixture into an impeccably clean jar with a tight fitting lid, or a squeeze bottle with a cap. The gomme syrup will last about 6 months when stored properly in the refrigerator.

I prefer to place one over-sized ice cube in a chilled crystal glass for an Old Fashioned or Sazerac.

A large ice cube, a twist of fresh orange peel and a Luxardo Maraschino are the perfect garnishes for an Old Fashioned: 2-1/2 ounces rye, 1/2-ounce plain gomme syrup and 2 dashes Angostura Bitters stirred over cubed ice and strained into a chilled crystal glass. 

Quiche—Now and Then—and a Winter Solstice Brunch

by Michelle

"What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family." ~ Mother Teresa

Maddie and I party—literally—like it's 1999.
I hosted a Winter Solstice luncheon for friends and colleagues.

   The topic of the morning while my husband and I made our respective coffees—he in a French Press, me with the stove top Bialetti—was to mull over the feminine versus masculine reaction to quiche. Jay reminisced about reading Bruce Feirstein's now famous article for Playboy magazine published in 1982 entitled, "Real Men Don't Eat Quiche." Hubby recalled the article was so hilarious that he had to stop reading in places so that his laughing could subside before continuing on to the end of the piece. The article was so popular that it spawned a book released one year later with a title of the same name and the byline—The Guidebook to all that is Truly Masculine. That's all it took—one satirical article cautioning modern day Homo erectus about the dangers of becoming sissified in our modern age—and just like that... faster than you can say pie crust—a whole generation of males lived in fear of being seen eating (much less choosing to order it off a menu) the delicious custardy and cheesy egg dish that is full of protein and perhaps a few vegetables and herbs.

On a recent Sunday, I prepared individual quiches for brunch.

  Fortunately, I'm a woman, so I don't have to be concerned whether I am, or am not, a real man when I eat quiche. I also, thankfully, don't have to contemplate if I am a real man if I put ice cubes in my whiskey or if I wear pajamas to bed. I can talk about my feelings and enjoy a sappy romantic comedy without the least twinge of guilt. I agree, however, with the notion that it is probably harder to be a "real" man (whatever that actually means) today than in yesteryears. My assertion on the matter of manly men is this: real men shouldn't worry about being real men. Eat the friggin' quiche and be happy that someone—probably a woman—made you a home-cooked meal. Remember to say thank you and compliment the cook. It's that simple.

   On a more practical note, quiche is great for brunch because the pie dough can be prepared the day before. The next morning, all that is left to do is add the filling to the prepared crust and pop it in the oven. Side dishes are made while the quiche is turning puffy and golden while baking. Quiche feels like a celebration dish, even if at its heart, it's a humble pie.

My Winter Solstice Luncheon Menu from 1999 that was posted on the refrigerator.
For the official record, the name of each guest was handwritten on the reverse side.

   If I am to ever own a bistro, I know that I would have individual quiches on the daily menu. Quiche is open to endless variations and tastes best with fillings that are fresh and in season. I also like that quiche can lean more towards breakfast with a side of cottage potatoes or more towards lunch when served with a side salad, such a the tasty Rockin' French Salad with French Vinaigrette. If I'm feeling energetic, I'll serve both potatoes and a salad, 'cause that's the way I like it.
  The following recipe gives you a formula to follow to create your own quiche masterpieces. If you are interested in making individual quiches, I had to search wide and far before finding the small springform pans at Sur La Table. If I had to do it over again, I would buy cheesecake pans with removable bottoms. They look easier to handle (when removing the quiches) and clean.

Quiche

   For the real men in your lives, my husband suggested that quiche would benefit by a rebranding campaign. "Wimpy" Quiche Lorraine could transform into Lumberjack Pie. Any "real" man would want that heartiness personified when eggs are enriched with bacon, cream and Gruyère. Wait, you better say cheese instead. Gruyère sounds like it could be a girly cheese, ya know?

For one 9-inch deep dish or 10-inch Pie
1 recipe All Butter Pie Crust or Gluten-Free All Butter Pie Crust, or commercially prepared pie crust
1 egg lightly beaten

Custard:
3 eggs
1-3/4 cups half and half, or cream (do not use low-fat milk)
1/2 tsp sea salt
a few grinds freshly ground black pepper
a pinch of ground nutmeg

Absolutely Delicious All Butter Gluten-Free Gum-Free Pie Crust is easy to work with.

Add-Ins:
Protein:  Diced cooked ham, diced cooked bacon, crumbled cooked sausage, slivered Genoa salami
Cheeses: shredded white cheddar, crumbled chèvre (goat cheese), Gorgonzola, Gruyère, Monterey Jack
Vegetables: roasted and chopped Hatch chiles, most vegetables should be sautéed or roasted (and cooled) before adding to the quiche, this includes aromatics such as shallots, garlic, leeks and onions
Fresh Herbs: basil pesto (add to the custard mix, if using), minced dill, minced parsley, crumbled thyme, lemon zest

If you happen to be using a lot of cooked vegetables, that might expend even more water while being baked, such as zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, red bell peppers, mushrooms, you can add 1 tablespoon cornstarch to the custard mix to ensure thickening while baking.

Toppings:
buttered French or sourdough bread crumbs (or Gluten-Free, such a Glutino brand)
shredded Parmesan
chives

Procedure:
1. Prepare All Butter Pie Crust or Gluten-Free Gum-Free All-Butter Pie Crust one or two days ahead up to the point the dough is rolled out, placed in the pie pan, edges crimped, and crust docked. Cover and refrigerate until ready to blind bake the crust (at least one day ahead).

2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove the cold crust from the refrigerator and immediately line with foil, the shiny side down and fill with your preferred choice of pie weights (I use dried beans that I keep and reuse as needed). Bake for 15 minutes, then remove foil and pie weights and bake for another 5 minutes. Brush the crust with the beaten egg white, and bake another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and set it aside to cool. You can placed the pie on a cookie sheet, if you like, for easier transfer between counter and oven.

3. Lightly whisk the eggs and then add the cream, then stir in the sea salt, black pepper and nutmeg.
4. Cover the pie crust with protein and shredded or crumbled cheeses. Sprinkle on vegetables and fresh herbs, if using. Pour the custard into the prepared crust. The custard should be level with the bottom of the crimped edge. Sprinkle the top with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan and 1 to 2 tablespoons of buttered breadcrumbs, if desired.

5. Bake until puffed and golden and the filling is set, about 25 to 35 minutes, depending upon your oven. Once removed from the oven, I let the Quiche cool on a rack for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.