Caramelized Onion, Bacon, and Gruyere Quiche

Long time no dish. I'm back, lovely friends. It's been a crazy two months. Thank you to all of you who have made me feel alternately wonderful and guilty during my absence from the blogosphere by telling me that you like reading the things that are posted here. Thank you, thank you, thank you. My two-month sortie into the "real world" (i.e. jobosphere) has been illuminating in more ways than one...but probably the biggest is that working 9 to 6 with a half hour commute on either end leaves little time for cooking. And even less time for blogging about said cooking. 

But this is not a time for regrets! It's a time for new beginnings! And not only for new jobs...and new blog posts...but also a new kitchen, in my new apartment in Brooklyn. I just want to prepare you--remember those lovely granite countertops? Gone. The fully stocked pantry with things like salt, sugar, and frozen homemade chicken stock? Gone. And--I can barely bring myself to speak of it--that immersion blender? All, all is lost. Sorry to be so dramatic, I'll stop. It is a very different kitchen than the one you've been seeing, and the one I've been used to cooking in. But it's my first real kitchen that's truly mine--one that I get to stock with goodies and fill with delicious smells (along with my two fabulous roommates). 

So here we are. I'm looking for my next gig, on a budget, in a new, un-stocked kitchen...what is the first thing I want to make? Something a little bit special, a little bit decadent, and a little bit familiar--a caramelized onion, bacon, and gruyere quiche.

Oh, and despite the picture above, this recipe actually does make a whole quiche. Obviously, it gets eaten pretty quickly.

Hippie Bread

This morning, I'm starting my first job. I've been asking myself a lot of questions--will I totally mess this up? Will my co-workers like me? Most importantly, what will I eat as a quick breakfast before hopping on the train? 

This bread is the answer. It is the most delicious food ever created. 

Two summers ago, my lovely roommate Carson and I were interning in D.C., asking ourselves these same questions. Carson's fabulously talented friend Brigid gave her this recipe for a vegan bread. I was skeptical at first--not because it was vegan (well, a little), but mostly because of the number and variety of ingredients it required. But it was actually a really simple recipe to follow, and when it came out of the oven, well, I was sold. 

I can't really describe it...it's moist (sorry for those of you who hate that word!). It's crumbly. It's a little spicy. Yes, the ingredients list is long and a little weird, but do not be daunted, my friends! The amount of hippie bread this makes is well worth it. Eat it in the morning. Eat it in the evening, all over this land. Carson and I call it Hippie Bread because this stuff is pretty darn good for you!

Crispy Asian Peanut Slaw

I think the best recipes are always born of 30% desperation, 20% an unswerving desire for a particular dish, and 50% whatever you have in the fridge. The other day, I was stressed about finding a dinner that would please everyone in my family (meat-eaters and veggies alike), had a crazy craving for cold peanut noodles, and had no noodles but a ton of vegetables in the crisper. So Crispy Asian Peanut Slaw was born! It is delicious topped with sauteed gingery garlic tofu or sauteed/grilled chicken, or by itself as a side dish. It comes together really quickly, so if you're looking for a simple delicious salad for a  BBQ today, I think you've found it. Happy Fourth of July!

Cold-Brew Coffee

Do you remember that freaky snowstorm last October? The one that left millions of children across the Northeast in tears because they had to cancel trick-or-treating on Halloween? Where thousands of people were without power?


If you do, you might think I'm crazy for still being obsessed with this storm. What's the big deal, you might say. Halloween got rescheduled. There was pretty snow. It was romantic because of the darkness from power outages, so you could take a break from technology and really get back to connecting with people. I'm going to stop you right there, imaginary person who's arguing with me. I'm all for romancin' in the dark, but no electricity? You know what you need to make coffee? ELECTRICITY!


Throughout the three day long power outage in Massachusetts, I was berated. And shamed. Because at 8 a.m. when the power went out, I ran around like a crazy person insisting that cold-brew coffee existed, and that I could make it in an hour. Guess which one of those things is true? Right. It exists, but it's a pretty long (hands-off) process. So when I tried to serve nasty, slightly coffee-flavored water with huge grinds in it to several caffeine-addicted friends who were already getting headaches (you know who you are), they were merciless. This post is my vindication, my restoration to the halls of culinary awesomeness, and most of all--my revenge. Cold-Brew: it's a thing.

Put an Egg on It: BLT Salad Edition

Today is a really exciting day. I'm kicking off my "Put an Egg on It" series here on Dishes! Inspired by the Portlandia sketch "Put a Bird on It," this recipe series will celebrate my relatively newfound love of fried eggs. They're cheap, delicious, full of protein, most vegetarians eat them...and did I mention they're cheap?


 Runny egg yolks used to gross me out. Now I love them. Why the change of heart? One word--bacon. When I was in France a few years ago, I went out to lunch with a fellow American on the trip (hi Alix!), her student host, and the host student's father. Ordering in French was fine--I saw "Frisee aux Lardons," or curly bitter salad greens with porcine yumminess on the menu, and I felt set. Imagine my horror when my lunch arrived with two jiggly eggs on top! I had just started picking around them when Alix's father gave me an accusing look--"That's obviously the best part, and you're not going to EAT it?"--that I couldn't ignore. So I sighed, and pricked the eggs with my fork until the yolk began to drip down the salad. Taking an apprehensive bite, I was ready to hate it.


Wrong. So, so wrong.


The silky yolks were the perfect complement to the crispy bitter tangles of endive, chunks of crunchy bacon, and vinegary bite of the warm dressing.  This is by far my favorite salad, and it's pretty easy to recreate without fancy ingredients and with minimal effort. I ate it as brunch, but it's another one of those dishes that you will love anytime...including right now!! Put an egg on it!

Spiced Kale Chips

As some of you may know, my lovely roommate Carson is here!! She really likes kale chips. Kale is one of those vegetables that is pretty much always around in huge, cheap bunches, and we had about 3 pounds sitting in the fridge. To celebrate her arrival, we turned 'em into kale chips! Together! Now, kale chips are delicious with just a little olive oil, salt, and time in the oven--but my mother had other (brilliant) ideas, and spiced kale chips were born. We made two varieties: Chili Garlic and Tandoori Spiced. 

The Perfect Burger

It's grilling season. And you know what that means: fried tomatoes. No, just kidding. It means burgers! It is, of course, also high season for grill-mands (like gourmands? See what I did there?) to get all fancy and grill up watermelon, pizza, and even truly "grilled" cheese. But the most basic of all backyard BBQ staples is the humble burger.

There are a couple of tricks to making the perfect burger. First, you need a meat with a good meat-to-fat ratio like 80/20 or 85/15. This ensures that you'll have a moist (sorry! juicy) burger. I also add some onions for flavor and additional juice (more on that below). Second, you need some good seasonings. Mustard for kick, Worcestershire to enhance that beefy flavor, garlic because garlic should be in everything, and of course salt and pepper to round everything out. Third, you need to shape the patties so they don't dome in the middle, which a) makes them cook unevenly b) makes your toppings slip off and c) increases the likelihood that you'll be tempted to press down on the burger while cooking, thereby pushing out all the juices and losing the tasty fruits (or burgers) of your labors! This list is getting pretty long, so let's just make 'em and you can see how it's done.