the arugula files

Spanish Tortilla

I ate tortilla for breakfast everyday in Spain.  Every day.  I was in Madrid, mostly, where I would walk to the local breakfast counter in Puerta del Sol.  The first time I ordered  tortilla, I expected the Mexican version: a light corn shell filled with eggs or beans.  What a lovely surprise: a thick frittata of sorts, filled with potatoes and eggs, so delicious that I forgot about the fact that, most days, I ate standing up, leaning on a counter (when in Rome, eh, Madrid, do as the Madrileño do). 

I was in Spain for two weeks.  Then I came home and forgot about Spanish tortilla.  Out of sight, out of mind.  That was seven years ago.  No tortilla for me, for seven years.  (Ok, maybe I've eaten one or two around town at Jaleo or Taberna Alabadero, but that's not the point.  The point is I forgot about the dish).

Then I went to Estadio for tapas.  With each bite of Estadio's tortilla I remembered the creaminess of the eggs and potatoes; how, in Spain, a slice of tortilla filled me up until lunch, and how the egg and potato combination is a perfect match for hot sauce and bitter greens.  With pitter patter from a Chorus Line in the background, I thought: I can make that. 

Leek and Goat Cheese Galette (Plus Meet My New Friend Deborah Madison)

For Christmas I received Vegetarian for Everyone by Deborah Madison.  It was published in 1997, so if you are a vegetarian you probably already own it.  I'm not a vegetarian.  I aim for "meat-lite," but I like bacon, chorizo, and lamb too much to be a vegetarian.  And even though I like meat, I'm really into Deborah Madison.  She's a vegetarian cook for carnivores. I think it's because she understands vegetables and isn't afraid of a little fat.

Waste Not, Want Not: Kitchen Sink Strata

At the end of the week, I always have an odd assortment of food in my fridge on the verge of expiration. It usually makes me feel guilty.  Terribly guilty.  Like if I planned better, or something, then I wouldn't have extra cilantro struggling to stay alive in my crisper.  And what is up with having an extra 1/2 loaf of delicious farmer's market bread left over?  What am I in the zone?  In addition to stale bread, veggies are frequent victims: oh my dear lovely shallots, don't feel neglected there, alone in my veggie bowl; it's not you, it's me.

Usually this situation is a clear indicator that I abandoned cooking the meals I originally planned for the week, and went out to eat more than I should have. Yeah, probably. 

Mushroom and Shallot Quiche

You had me at mushrooms, basil, shallots, and thyme.  Seriously.  I can't say enough about this combination.  You can stuff these ingredients in anything--calzones, epanadas, quiche, or throw them on top of pizza.  I sauteed the shallots and mushrooms in a bit of olive oil, added the basil and thyme, made a quick pie crust, cracked some eggs, added some cream and cheese, and this quiche was ready to bake.

Bacon, Cheddar, and Scallion Mini-Quiches

This past weekend I worked on finding the perfect biscuit recipe. I hatched this test kitchen plan with my friend Jeff, who is a cuckoo for biscuits (who isn’t?). We selected three recipes--all different variations on ingredients and level of difficulty.  Marcus took photos and Anne, Jeff’s wife and one of my bestest friends, offered Christopher Kimball type comments, like “hey bozo, the biscuits are totally burning.”  I will be posting our results some time this week. 

For now, here is Anne and Jeff’s recipe for mini-quiches, which they served before we got started on biscuit-palooza.  They were delicious and very addictive. 

Breakfast Casserole (Add Whatever!)

I'm not sure if you noticed a common theme that is emerging around these parts: I'm visiting friends and relatives, asking them to cook for me, and then posting their recipes here on Arugula Files.  It started with Uncle Sonny's eggplant parmesan and next I posted Jesse's Glogg (a perfect drink for the holidays).  And now, here's Nina's breakfast casserole.  In my mind this is what Michael Scott (The Office) would call a "win, win, win."  I win because I don't have to cook anything, my friends and relatives win because they don't have to write a blog and they still get their masterpieces published, and finally, and most importantly of course, you win (um, right?).

That was a long way to say, I'm tired.  This week I'll be eating grilled cheese for dinner.  Since this blog isn't called the Grilled Cheese Files (TM for a future date!), I'll avoid posting about it seven nights in a row.  Instead here's a recipe from my friend Nina.

Ingredients

6 eggs, beaten
3 cups of whole milk
10 pieces of white bread, no crust, torn into pieces
½ cup of butter
2 tsp of dry mustard
4 cups of shredded cheese
Add whatever (bacon, sausage, spinach, kale, arugula, mushrooms, potatoes...)

Directions

Combine ingredients in a casserole pan
Bake 325 for one hour