Dash to the Quiche

Quiche - it never really made a strong impression on me as a kid. I think i had it once...maybe twice...I have this crazy aunt which I love - I love all my aunts, crazy or not - but she was the first one who made it that stuck in my memory. She also made the most amazing scones - another ground breaker in my mind. My aunt is a really good cook. Of course my childhood memory was apparently killed until after I tried a quiche again my sophomore year. I had a friend who was slightly obsessed with them. Tonight he made it, which means it was taken down to the Best Basics Ever! (sorry - I couldn't stop orientation from coming out) Swiss cheese, eggs, half-and-half, nutmeg, salt, butter, and...BACON! Food that is reminds me of my childhood tend to be my favorite. Bacon falls into that category of home food. When cooked well, it reminds me of saturday mornings with my Dad making breakfast. There was extra half-and-half in tonight's quiche, making the eggs extra fluffy and light. When I cook quiche I always feel the need to add diced tomatoes, green onions (shallots), and sometimes even mushrooms. Extra nutmeg and a little pepper and cinnamon make a good addition of spices.

To change up the night we tried some of WSU's Cougar Gold cheese. The cheese comes in a metal tin can with bright yellow stipes. I actually bought it because of a childhood memory. When I lived in Moscow, Idaho, I went over to WSU and toured the creamery where they made the cheese. My mother bought it once because I was so excited that I had seen the same cheese being made. This white cheese is made of only pasteurized milk, cultures, salt, and enzymes. The longer the cheese ages the more liquids are drawn out of the cheese and the more crumbly it becomes. Also a hard white crystal forms from the amino acid tyrosine The cheese we had was aged two years. I actually spilled the liquid from the can all over my pants and the crystals definitely needed to be scrapped off. I couldn't place the familiar taste until another friend named it straight off, parmesan. Parmesan only softer and less crisp.

I don't really like lying, so I will tell you the truth. I had two deserts. The first was some fresh raspberries from Costco. The berries didn't have that sun ripened flavor but it was a nice change considering I actually didn't buy raspberries this summer - one of my favorite fruits. The last desert was sour patch kids. They have actually been in my backpack for weeks, a product of a Winco run. Nothing makes a contrast like cheese and sour patch kids. Now if you will excuse me I am going to get another piece of the quiche that my friend referenced as his personal crack.