Basic Cheese Quiche

Recipe: Basic Cheese Quiche // How to Cook Everything

Rating:

The last time I made quiche, I added a lot of extra fillings and removed one egg. Turns out ALL the eggs are needed for the quiche to set properly. And a variety of fillings really didn't taste as a good as a basic one- or two-ingredient quiche. Bittman mentions this in his book, so I should have known better. Anyway, this one had only cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, pecorino) and sauteed mushrooms. It turned out quite well.

We Recreate a BBQ Experience at Home

Recipe: Pulled Chicken in the Slow Cooker // Jesse Cardozo
Rating: 

Side Recipe: Macaroni & Cheese with Black Beans and Chipotle // Serious Eats

Rating:

Side Recipe: Roasted Russets with Chipotle Aioli // Moosewood Restaurant

Rating:

Appetizer: Fried (Baked) Pickles (not pictured) // Full Flavor Food

Rating:

In spite of the varied kitty ratings, this was a favorite meal! The chicken was superb, and not actually cooked by Seth or myself. Our friend Jesse was the master chef there, and we enjoyed it with smoked apple cheddar.

What Seth and I did make was all the side dishes. I enjoyed the idea of the mac & cheese, but our pasta ended up being overcooked because it finishes cooking on the stove. I would have preferred if the dish had been baked. But it was creamy, and I liked the addition of the chipotle and black beans for something a little heartier.

We've enjoyed the original roasted russets with chipotle aioli at Ithaca's Just a Taste Wine and Tapas bar. Ours were not as delicious as the original, but not a bad homemade attempt. I especially liked the chipotle aioli.

The fried baked pickles were edible, but nowhere near as tasty as the steaming-hot fried pickles we've had at varous pubs. I wouldn't make it again. Because they were baked, ours ended up dried out, and covered in an even dryer coating of panko and breadcrumbs. We ate them all because we were hungry, but not because we particularly enjoyed them!

Also pictured is some refreshing fruit salad that helped to lighten up the meal, and some store-bought cole slaw.

Fanny Farmer Mac & Cheese

Recipe: Macaroni & Cheese // Fanny Farmer Cookbook

Rating:

After Seth made macaroni & cheese for dinner a few weeks ago, I felt the need to try again using a different recipe. This is from the beloved Fanny Farmer Cookbook -- my mom cooked some of my favorite meals from this cookbook when I was growing up (specifically, Chicken Pie Country Style).

I enjoyed this with a bit of ketchup. It's my go-to macaroni & cheese recipe.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Recipe: Broccoli Cheddar Soup // Mangio da Sola

Rating: 

I have made this soup before and enjoyed it again tonight. I added an extra can of chicken broth when my base looked too thick, but I think I should have just added one cup of water. I didn't add any extra salt, but this still tasted salty to me (we used low sodium broth). It's still a nice soup, and I expect we'll make it again.