What's equally as good with high tea, sparking wine, or frosty beer at a tailgate? I have an egg of an idea - the deviled egg. It's one of those hors d'oeuvre platters that spans the occasion ladder from high brow to low brow; which always empties fast, because it is so difficult to have just one. The name deviled implies hot, but need not be. It is simply hard boiled eggs chilled and halved with the yolk whipped into a flavorful filling of a wide variety of flavors such as; mayonaise, sour cream, yogurt, Dijon mustard, etc. You can even spice it up with a touch of cayenne, hot sauce or wasabi. Use a touch of fresh herbs like dill, cilantro or chives, it's a nice touch. Make special occasion up-end garnishes such as chopped proscuitto, crisp chopped pancetta or with a sliver of smoked salmon, sour cream and caviar.
Real Men Don’t Eat Küche
Contrary to what you might believe, the tart quiche originated on German soil and not French. The widely popular classic of French cuisine heralds from an area of the medieval German kingdom Lothringen, aka Lorraine, France.
Years ago the pie was made with just eggs, cream, smoked bacon and bread dough. The word Küche or Küchen is German for cake; believed to be the origin of the word Quiche.
Keep in mind, the Lorraine region has influence from Germany as well as France; so depending on who you ask or where you sampling your Quiche from - you may receive a slight variation of the recipe. Today a Quiche Lorraine is expected to contain cheese and onions, as well. The use of Gruyère cheese is a relatively new addition to quiche in France. Oh and don't expect to taste any Gruyère in your quiche in Lorraine; they are purists - sans the cheese. Too bad, it's a really good modification to the French recipe. In Germany expect onions and no cheese; and it's called Zwiebelkuchen.
I find it interesting to know the classical origin of a dish, but what is more important when making a quiche or any dish for that matter is - what influences the taste and texture of a dish. So for me the appeal is not to stick to its classical roots, but how the melding of cultures and the additions of flavorful savory ingredients, in this case, like onions and cheese have improved on this dish.
As for Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche, the best selling book by Bruce Feirstein, which satirized stereotypes of masculinity; I can assure you based upon all the quiches I have made - real men DO eat quiche!
Tips:
Add 1 Tablespoon flour mixed into filling prior to adding egg/ milk mixture to help set a filling that is too moist, example: tomatoes, mushrooms, etc..
To prevent a raw bottom of quiche, pre-bake pastry dough Blind (8-12 minutes with no color) before filling.
Bake directly on an oven rack. Baking quiche on a cookie or sheet pan will cause the tart or pie bottom to be raw.
Feel free to improvise with flavors, seasonings, vegetables, meats and seafood. Just keep in mind that adding very moist fillings such as mushrooms, tomatoes, etc will affect the custard of eggs and milk or cream.
Better than Quiche Lorraine
recipe by George Hirsch | Makes one 9-inch tart
Prepare George’s piecrust the night prior or at least 1 hour ahead; or use store bought piecrust. Roll out pastry into a 9-inch tart or pie pan. Pre-bake pastry dough Blind (8-12 minutes with no color) before filling.
For the Filling:
1 cup (approximately 6 slices) thick cut or slab bacon, cut into thin strips-'lardons'
1/2 cup sweet white onion, sliced thin
2 green onions, chopped
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups half-half or milk
Pinch of sea salt and fresh grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon each hot sauce, fresh grated black pepper
1 cup Gruyere or good Swiss cheese, shredded
Optional:
2 Tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
2 Tablespoons Arugula, chopped
Preheat oven to 375F.
Pre heat a sauté pan to medium heat, cook bacon until brown and crisp. Remove bacon pieces and drain on a paper towel. Drain bacon fat from pan; add both onions to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes to slightly soften. Allow bacon and onions to cool.
Place bacon, onion, parsley, Arugula, and Swiss cheese on top of blind baked pastry crust.
In a bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, nutmeg, hot sauce and pepper and pour the mixture over onion and bacon tart.
Bake for 20 minutes, lower temperature to 350F; total baking time is 30 minutes or until egg custard is set. Allow to cool slightly and serve warm or at room temperature.
Tapenade
How about entertaining with a bit of Northern Spain/ South of France influence? Stock up on Olives and Anchovies. Tip: Give Arbequina olives a try - they are grown in Catalonia, Spain and have a buttery flavor with hints of pepper.
Tapenade comes from the word tapeno which means capers in Provence. The addition of sun dried tomatoes adds a little sweetness.
Olive Tapenade
Recipe by George Hirsch | Makes 1 cup
2/3 cup black oil cured olives (Kalamata or Nicoise), pitted and finely chopped
2 anchovy fillets in oil, drained and finely chopped
4 cloves caramelized garlic
2 Tablespoons capers, drained, rinsed under cold tap water and finely chopped
2 small sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped
4 Tablespoons virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 basil leaves , chopped
In a bowl, mix together the olives, anchovies, garlic, capers, sun dried tomatoes, oil, pepper, and water. Spread Tapenade on toasted French baguette bread, top with fresh basil, or serve with your favorite sandwich.
Coulommiers Rouzaire
You know I like to pass along good stuff when I come across it. Today's topic, the ever important wedge of soft cheese - that you don't need to hold on to your hat, when buying, this quality of product.
Fromagerie Rouzairein, is a third generation cheese factory owned by the Rouzaire family. The factory is located less than one hour from Paris center, in the heart of the Seine et Marne, the Île-de-France region.
Old Ourcq canal dockside in Meaux, France, image; Lundeux
Meaux medieval passage
Coulommiers, made from cows milk, is considered a member of the Brie family made in Meaux, aka the "land of Brie," about 40 miles east of Paris. It is smaller and thicker than the more typical Brie-style cheeses, and some say that Coulommiers is the predecessor of Brie.
Coulommiers' hand molded artisanal cheese is described as "the color of fresh churned butter with a supple paste and well-developed rind with a hint of hazelnut."
The famous Brie de Meaux, crowned "king of cheeses" at the 1815 Congress of Vienna, has a Label of Controlled Origin. It is a distinctively soft cheese, encased in a covering of white skin, scattered with reddish pigments, with a light hazelnut taste
Coulommiers is delightful on crackers, spread on a baguette and pairs well with with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or even Merlot.
Available at fine specialty shops and artisianalcheese.com
Holiday Snack
Roasting in New York City since 1886, A. L. Bazzini has been supplying Yankee Stadium with peanuts since its inaugural game against the Red Sox in 1923, and it is the nutroaster of choice for the finest restaurants and hotels, including the Waldorf Astoria, and Four Seasons. As far back as 1945, generous Bazzini 4-pound Elephant Tins have supplied the best kitchens.
Need a great snack in under 1 hour? And- with no concerns about added holiday fat intake, like the usual snack mix with butter. Make another viewer favorite and most requested party snack is my seasoned spiced nuts recipe. My recipe, roasted in the oven with egg whites, that's sans the butter!
I’ve listed options to mix-in with the nuts if you want to put your own spin on my holiday snack. Oh, and BTW- it makes a great hostess/ host gift when wrapped up in clear cello bags with a festive ribbon.
Add any of the following to above make your own spin on Holiday Snack
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup white raisins
1 cup Indian nuts, aka pinion, or pine nuts
2 cups mini pretzel sticks
1 cup wasabi nuts
(Not for me, but if you like a more sweet version, add)
1 cup chocolate or white chocolate chunks