Quiche!

Every now and then I've found I need to take a step back from the upscale haute cuisine I've been so enthralled with recently and remember some of the dishes that started this whole culinary journey.

My mom endures a lot of teasing (especially from her side of the family) about her skills in the kitchen, but the reality is some of my all-time favorite foods have come from her kitchen: the french fries that have become small legends among my friends, the macaroni and cheese that I've been happy to serve time after time, and the fried chicken that I still don't know how to recreate.

But perhaps my favorite of all of these, since before I even knew had to spell (or probably pronounce the word), is the spinach and bacon quiche. So much do I love it that I'm not even remotely tempted to kick it up with my own additions.

I start with chopped braised spinach in a mixing bowl mixed with extra sharp cheddar, monterey jack, and asiago.. Either frozen or fresh spinach will do, but when I do it fresh I make sure to keep the vinegar to a subdued minimum. In a separate bowl I mix 6 eggs and about a quarter cup of milk with some salt and pepper. Add the egg mixture with a healthy dose of chopped bacon to the spinach, and pour into two pie crusts that have been pre-baked for about 10 minutes. Top with lots more extra sharp cheddar and bake at 300 degrees for about 25-30 minutes. Let chill for about 10 minutes before serving.

There are few words to describe how delicious this quiche is. The amounts of spinach, bacon, and cheeses are really up to you, but I like to be heavy on both the cheese and the bacon. Spoken like a true southerner.

But of course, I can't keep the gourmet stuff on the back-burner too long. Next up, my restaurant weekend dry run, and the menu for the real restaurant weekend, coming up in just 6 short days!