REAL QUICHE

In 1982, at the dawn of the age of Reagan, a screenwriter named Bruce Feirstein published a popular book of reactionary humor called Real Men Don't Eat Quiche. Until the men's movement emerged a decade later and gave satirists "armpit-sniffing” and "drum-beating” as choice epithets to describe the New Male, "quiche-eater" was second only to "sensitive Alan Alda- type" as a term of masculine disparagement. Although some of Feirstein’s observations now seem outdated (real men don't use zip codes) or just plain bizarre (real men don't floss) , he was on to something, in his own narrow-minded way: a good quiche is a trembling , fussy, high maintenance little thing .
Chefs are touchy creatures, and the male American ones reacted to this slander on the quiches manliness by producing that staple of delis and cheap restaurants everywhere: the Macho Quiche. Five inches high, with a thick, irregular weather-resistant crust, a dense eggy filling and a top as leathery as Charles Bronson’s face, this is a quiche than none would dare call sissy food.
Yas’s version is made with a thin, flaky tart crust, a smooth custard and flavor-packed garnishes. Served with a few lightly dressed greens and a glass of chilled Chenin Blanc, it's the perfect lunch for the metrosexual.

Here are a few imperatives to keep in mind when preparing a quiche:

A quiche is a tart, not a pie.
A good quiche crust is fragile and flaky, and best suited to a 1” high tart pan.
A custard that's baked in an army-sized pie pan will be hard and rubbery on the sides by the time the center is set.
Also, quiche is a rich dish and best served in small portions.

The filling is a custard, not a baked omelet.
Egg should not be the predominant flavor in a quiche.
Use cream rather than milk for your custard, so you can use fewer eggs and minimize the eggy taste.
Use a combination of egg yolks and whole eggs to avoid that rubbery texture.
Remove the quiche when the middle is set but not firm. Do not overcook the custard or you'll end up with scrambled eggs.

Quiche is not nursery food.
Fat blunts flavor. A quiche is made with a lot of eggs, butter, cream and cheese. You need to season the custard aggressively to cut through the blandness and for the garnishes, to use strongly flavored ingredients like cave-aged Gruyere, bacon or pancetta, olives, oven-dried tomatoes and anchovies. Avoid using ingredients with a high water content like uncooked spinach, celery or large pieces of tomatoes; these will make for a watery custard.
Be gentle.
Do not overmix the dough.
Use as little flour as possible when rolling out the crust and be careful not to overwork it.
Whisk the custard mixture gently. A foamy custard mixture will make for a rubbery quiche.
Do not refrigerate the quiche if possible. Cool to room temperature, then serve.
If you're going to reheat the quiche, for god's sake do not use a microwave oven.

Quiche w/ Cherry Tomatoes, Sage and Goat Cheese (makes 1- 8” tart)
4For the crust:
1-1/4 c all-purpose flour
3 oz by weight (1 stick) cold diced unsalted butter
1T granulated sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbs cold heavy cream
pinch cayenne pepper
1 Tbs grated parmesan cheese (optional)
1 egg white, lightly beaten
note: use a tart pan with a removable bottom if possible



In the bowl of a Cuisinart, place the flour, sugar, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese if using. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is evenly distributed and the size of small peas. Add the cream and pulse until the mixture starts to come together but is not yet a solid mass.



Dump the dough into a large sheet of plastic wrap and press the dough together by bringing together the corners of the plastic wrap until you have a solid mass.



Chill the dough for 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and allow sit at room temperature for 2-3 minutes before using.
Preheat the oven to 335 F.
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, preferably wood or granite, to a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the pan.




Fold the dough over the lightly floured rolling pin and press the dough into the fluted sides of the pan using your bent index finger . Trim away any excess dough using a rolling pin or your thumb.



With a fork, score the bottom of the tart shell.


Chill the dough for 15 minutes.
Blind bake the dough until the crust is set, about 12 minutes.




Carefully remove the wax paper and beans, and place the crust back in the oven until the crust is a light golden brown color, about 15 minutes.



Remove the crust from the oven, and immediately brush the bottom with the egg white (this will keep the bottom of the tart from getting soggy once the custard mixture has been added). Set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the custard mixture:
For the Custard Mixture and Garnish:
2 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1 c heavy cream
salt
freshly ground black pepper
nutmeg
cayenne pepper
4 ounces fresh goat cheese, such as Laura Chenel or Haystack Mountain
8 sage leaves
12-16 cherry tomatoes, depending on the size, halved if large

In a small stainless steel mixing bowl using a fork or whisk, lightly mix together egg, egg yolks, cream and spices. Transfer the mixture to a pitcher.
Line the tart shell at regular intervals with the cherry tomatoes if using halved tomatoes, place them cut side up ). Alternate the tomatoes with the whole sage leaves in a bicycle –spoke pattern. Sprinkle with the goat cheese, leaving the cheese in fairly large chunks.


Place the tart shell on a baking sheet, open the oven door and pull out the middle rack of the oven a few inches. Place the baking sheet with tart shell on the rack. Lightly whisk the custard mixture (this will ensure that the spices are evenly distributed) and carefully pour the custard into the tart shell.





Close the oven and bake about 15-20 minutes until the custard is just set but slightly jiggly in the middle.
Cool the tart for about 10 minutes, then, using a large offset spatula, carefully remove the tart from the pan and cool on a wire rack.
Gently rewarm in a 300 F oven and serve with a small green salad.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

1 RIPE BUTTERNUT SQUASH (ABOUT 2#)
3 TBS. OLIVE OIL
SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND PEPPER
2 SMALL SHALLOTS DICED
1/2 SMALL ONION DICED
1 INCH PIECE OF FRESH GINGER, PEELED AND SLICED THIN
1 T BUTTER
1/4 tsp. CINNAMON
1/8 tsp. CAYENNE PEPPER
3 CUPS CHICKEN BROTH
3/4 CUP LITE COCONUT MILK (SUCH AS "THAI KITCHEN")

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the squash in half horizontally, drizzle with 2 T olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a heavy duty baking sheet. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for about 1 hour or until the flesh yields to the touch. Remove from the oven.



While the squash is cooling, warm the butter and the remaining T of olive oil in a heavy bottomed 4 quart pot. Add the onions and shallots and cook until translucent. Add a pinch of salt. Add the ginger and crush with a wooden spoon against the side of the pot.



Meanwhile with a large spoon remove the seeds of the squash. Scoop out the flesh and transfer into the pot. Stir well to coat with the onion mixture and lightly caramelize the squash. Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil.
Blend the soup in batches. You should have a slightly coarse puree. To serve, gently reward the soup. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and sliced toasted almonds or walnut pieces.

Notes: -When blending hot liquids it's important not to overfill the blender. Start the blender on low speed and increase to high. We also like to cover the top of the blender with a kitchen towel.
-To create well balanced, deeply flavored dishes, we recommend seasoning your food throughout the cooking process.

- It's important to use lite coconut milk because it has a more subtle flavor and won't overwhelm the delicate taste of the squash.

SAFFRON RICE PILAF

Saffron Rice Pilaf ( serves 6-8)


2 cups basmati rice
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, cut in a fine dice
1 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbs black peppercorns
pinch saffron threads
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp kosher salt
1 bay leaf
3 c water
1 Tbs fennel seeds
optional:
1 cup Birdseye mixture ( frozen carrots and peas)
¼ cup sliced almonds

Place the rice in a fine strainer and rinse well. Drain.




If using, the Birdseye mixture, defrost 1 cup.
In a small sauté pan over high heat, toast the fennel seeds until they begin to change color. Immediately remove from heat and transfer the fennel seeds to a plate.




In a heavy bottomed 2qt pot, heat the butter and oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, toss to coat with the butter and oil and sweat until soft but not colored, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sweat for about 30 seconds.



Add the rice and stir well to coat with fat, about two minutes. Be careful not to brown the rice. Add the peppercorns, saffron, cayenne pepper, salt and bay leaf and stir well, about 1 minute.
Add the water, bring to a boil over high heat.




Immediately cover the pot and turn down the heat to low. Cook about 8 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let the rice sit covered for about 5 minutes.
While the rice is resting, toast the almonds. In a small sauté pan over high heat toast the almonds, tossing every 30 seconds until they begin to change color.




Immediately transfer to a plate to stop cooking.
Remove the lid from the rice. Gently, using a fork and being careful not to bruise the rice, fold in the fennel seeds and add additional salt and cayenne pepper as needed. Fold in the Birdseye mixture if using. Serve immediately.

CRAB CAKES

(yields 4)
8 ounces Premium Lump Backfin Crab meat (such as Phillips)
8 ounces Crab Claw Meat
1/2 red bell pepper, minced
3 Tbsp. minced yellows onion
3 Tbsp. minced celery heart
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 tsp. Hot Sauce
1/4 cup Panko (Japanese Bread Crumbs) plus additional 1 cup for breading
2 T Canola Oil plus 1 T Butter (for frying)








In a small frying pan, heat the olive oil to smoking point, add the peppers and toss to coat with oil. Cook over low-medium heat until the peppers are soft but not colored, about 10 minutes.



Remove from heat, transfer to a plate and season with salt and pepper. Cool.
In a medium size mixing bowl, gently fold both crab meats and the remaining ingredients.




Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper and additional hot sauce. On a large plate, sprinkle the 1/4 cup of Panko. If using a ring mold, place a quarter of the crab cake mixture into it, firmly pressing the preparation into the mold with the bottom of a spoon. Sprinkle the top of the crab cakes with about a Tbsp. of Panko. Repeat the process until you have 4 crab cakes.



Loosely cover the plate with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Remove cakes from refrigerator. In a large non stick pan or cast iron skillet heat Canola oil over medium heat. At the last minute gently re-bread crab cakes in the remaining Panko. Place the crab cakes in the skillet and add the butter. Fry for about 4 minutes or until golden brown. Gently turn over. Fry another 4 minutes.Serve immediately. Garnish with avocado, a wedge of lemon and mayonnaise.

Notes: Panko, also known as Japanese Bread Crumbs is made from the crumbs rather that the crust of the bread and its flaked rather than ground. It gives breaded food a lighter and crunchier texture. Panko is available at Asian Market as well as the ethnic section of most supermarket.

Old Bay Seasoning is a spice mixture made by the Maryland based Mc.Cormick Company. It's most often used to prepare boiled crabs or crab cakes. It contains a variety of hot peppers and spices, although its most distinctive flavor is celery salt. Until Mc Cormick relocated its factory to suburban Hunt Valley Baltimore, Inner Harbor was permeated with the wonderful smell of roasting spices.

YASMIN'S MANGO SORBET

"In this sorbet, the aroma of the peel is brought out with the addition of a soupçon, literally a "suspicion", of clove powder."

MANGO SORBET

3 cups of mango puree
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1/4 cup of a good quality rum (I use Venezuelan Rum...you can use your favorite one)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
Combine water, sugar and lime juice in saucepan over low heat. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved -- Bring it to a simmer. Remove from the heat. What you have now is nothing more than a Simple Syrup (in this case with a little touch of lime juice) and it can be use as your sweetener base for any other fruit sorbet. Mix Mango puree, Simple Syrup,rum and spices. Pour into sorbet freezer. Set timer to 15 minutes, or follow the freezer directions.

John's Tunafish Sandwich

1 whole baguette
3 Hardboiled Eggs (recipe follows)
Marinated Roasted Peppers(recipe follows)
1 cup arugula leaves or one bunch watercress
¼ c Niçoise, Alfonso or Kalamata olives, pitted
A few slices of red onion, cut into half moons
¼ c cherry tomatoes (preferably Sweet 100s) cut in half
4T good quality mayonnaise
1 jar 7.8 oz Ortiz oil-packed tuna (or other olive oil packed tuna)
2T Olive oil
1 T Balsamic Vinegar
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Optional: 4T fresh basil leaves



Marinated Roasted Peppers :
2 ripe red bell peppers
2T extra virgin olive oil
2t toasted fennel seeds
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1T chopped parsley
1/2t red chili flakes
zest of ½ a lemon
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375f. Rinse the peppers, pat dry and cut in half through the stem. Remove seeds and ribs and brush with 2t of the oil . Season with salt and pepper and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes or until the skin is slightly blackened and blistered. While still hot, place peppers in a plastic bag or a small mixing bowl covered with plastic wrap. Cool. With the aid of a small paring knife, remove the skins .
Place the remaining ingredients in a bowl and toss well. Refrigerate for up to three days.


Hardboiled Eggs:
Place the eggs in a small pot, add cold water to cover by one inch, add a pinch of salt , and bring to a simmer. Simmer two minutes, turn of the heat , cover the pot and set the pot off the stove for 10 minutes. Remove the eggs and plunge into cold water . When the eggs are cold to the touch , peel , rinse and slice each egg into 5 or 6 slices. Season with salt and pepper.




To assemble the sandwich:
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cut baguette in half horizontally. Remove a little bit of the crumb from the top half of the loaf and discard.Toast the bread into golden brown. Cool the bread slightly and spread the mayo on the bottom half of the sandwich.
In a small mixing bowl, toss together the arugula, onion,olives, and tomato with the oil, vinegar and some salt and pepper.


Drain the tuna from the oil, leaving a little oil adhering to the tuna for moisture , and season with a little bit of salt and pepper.
Layer the peppers on top of the bread, followed by the tuna, the eggs and the salad mixture. Place the top half of the bread on top of the sandwich. Cut the baguette into 4-6 pieces. Serve immediately.