Crab Quiche

Friends dropped by last night, and I invited them to dinner. However, I’d been immersed in the business of wordsmithing for most of the day and hadn’t really planned anything. Fortunately, we had the ingredients for this quiche (or close seconds – I grabbed some grated zucchini out of the freezer and used red onion instead of the green onion). It and a salad whipped up quickly and I was able to spend more time socializing than cooking.

The recipe came from my aunt, who suggests serving it for brunch. You can find canned lump blue crab meat in the refrigerator section of most chain grocery stores, and certainly at places like Whole Foods. That same crab meat also makes fabulous crab cakes, by the way.

It ain’t local, but sometimes I really miss all the dungeness crab that was local when I lived in the Pacific Northwest. If you have access to that, it’s easy enough to crack one up and use the meat in this quiche. Blue crab is slightly different, perhaps a bit sweeter. You could also use regular canned crab meat (next to the canned tuna), shrimp or cut up prawns.

Crab Quiche

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup crab meat
• 1 cup grated Swiss cheese
• 1 cup diced zucchini
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 1 unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, mayonnaise, flour and milk until thoroughly blended. Stir in crab, cheese, onion and zucchini. Spread into pie shell. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Sometimes I just butter a pie dish and don’t bother with a crust at all. It’s a way to reduce calories and carbs and still tastes great!

Another Right Tool

I learned about Freedom from a writing friend who extolled it’s virtues. It’s a small tool, a simple tool. All it does is keep you from going on the Internet for a given period of time.

There are times this is really useful – like when I’m so not in the mood to be at my desk, but my scheduled writing/editing time is staring at me in the face. Sometimes I have to trick myself into productivity, and Freedom fits into my strategy. When I really want to be out playing in the sunshine, or there is a pile of non-desk related stuff to do, I let myself off the hook by turning on the Freedom application for a mere forty minutes (you can choose as little as fifteen minutes or as long as eight hours). Then I work until the dialog box comes up that says my “Freedom session” is over, and I get up and … go take a walk or fold a pile of laundry or run to the store or work in the yard or prep dinner or make a few phone calls … or get online.

For twenty minutes.

Then I start all over again. With breaks built in like that, I have more stamina for all the different tasks, and often I’ll find the work sessions expand well beyond forty minutes.

Other tricks? Go to the library which has an unsecured Internet connection so I just turn off the wi-fi on my computer (one hacking experience was enough to make me a believer).

And there is yet another very useful tool that nixes the temptation to get on the Internet:

Announcing The Lightfoot Chronicles

Today is launch day for the new blog. The Lightfoot Chronicles features Katie Lightfoot: new witch, professional baker, recent transplant to Savannah, Georgia, and the amateur sleuth in the Magical Bakery Mysteries that I’m writing as Bailey Cates.

The first book in the series, Brownies and Broomsticks, doesn’t release until May 1, 2012, but I wanted to start the blog early to let people know a bit about Katie and her cohorts. Twice a week she’ll be sharing bits and pieces about what she’s learning as a newbie hedgewitch, tips and hints on baking, herbs and gardening, and maybe even a few recipes – for tasty treats, magic, or a combination of the two. Her witchy mentors will also stop by on occasion.

It’s good to start things on a Monday, but there are other reasons why The Lightfoot Chronicles is hitting the ether today. Katie details those reasons in her first post, and they also apply to the launch of the new dual Cricket/Bailey website designed by Bizango Websites for Writers. They did a fantastic job interpreting and implementing what I wanted. Take a look and let me know what you think!

Lastly, the dual website no longer contains the recipes from the Home Crafting Mysteries. However, you might have noticed that I’ve added a new Recipes From the Books page to this blog (see above, next to Home). Those are only the recipes that actually appear in the back of the books. Unfortunately, not all the Home Crafting Mysteries had room for recipes. #6, Deadly Row to Hoe will, however.

And when the first Magical Bakery Mystery comes out in a few months, the recipes in the back of that book will get their own page on The Lightfoot Chronicles.

What? Of course those have recipes, too!

Chicken Pot Pie Redux

I’ve heard from several people that the link to the chicken pot pie recipe in my last post didn’t work – or that the post would pop up and then disappear. So I thought I’d repost the recipe, because it’s nice in the winter and, perhaps even better, something you can make a few of at a time, freeze, and reap the benefits later.

This makes two regular sized pies, though sometimes I make three smaller, deep dish pies, each of which provides K and me with two meals. The filling doesn't contain potatoes, as they don't freeze well, but if you're not planning to freeze then a few chunks of waxy potatoes would be good. A friend of mine, whose son doesn't care for peas, uses corn in their place. This is the perfect thing when unexpected guests show up -- or even expected ones!

The filling:

• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup carrot, chopped
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 4 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground pepper to taste

Cook first three ingredients in butter until tender. Add in the flour, stirring until it coats the vegetables. Cook for a minute, stirring. Add the chicken broth and the half-and-half; stir constantly until thick and bubbly. Stir in the chicken, peas, salt and pepper.

The crust:

You can buy pie crusts ready made, though it's hard to find them without trans fats. Another solution is to top the filling with puff pastry rolled out just large enough to cover the top and brushed with egg yolk mixed with a few drops of water. Or, you can make

Awesome All Butter Pie Crust

Also known as pate brisee. This makes enough crust for two deep dish pies. It's good with either savory or sweet pies. If you're going to bake it first, as for a quiche, be sure to put it in the freezer for half an hour or more, or it will slide down the sides of the pan. The addition of vodka makes for a particularly flaky crust, as it evaporates very quickly in the oven. Other kinds of alcohol work as well -- say, apple brandy for an apple pie.

• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 16 ounces butter, cut into cubes and placed in the freezer for at least 20 minutes
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 10 Tablespoons ice water
• 2-3 Tablespoons ice cold vodka

Cut the sticks of butter into cubes and freeze for at least twenty minutes. Combine flour, salt and sugar, then either cut in the butter by hand, or pulse in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. If you use a food processor it will either need to be large, or you'll have to halve the recipe and make the pie crust in two batches. Add half the ice water a tablespoon at a time, fluffing with a fork, or pulsing in processor. Add vodka the same way, then the rest of the ice water. If the dough holds together when you pinch it, it's ready. If not, add a little more water.

Divide dough into four disks and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least an hour to allow the flour to hydrate, or up to two days. When ready to make the pie, remove crust and allow to sit at room temperature for five to fifteen minutes so it will be a little easier to work with. Roll out on a floured board or pastry cloth, fold into fourths, and line the bottom of the pie pan. Add filling, roll out the top, cover the filling, and flute the edges. Repeat for second pie. I always have a little extra crust left over, which I save in the freezer until I have enough to use for something else.

Score the top of the pie to release steam (or use a pie bird), and brush with an egg yolk mixed with a few drops of water.

At this point you can freeze one or both of the pies. Be sure to wrap them tightly. Bake straight from the freezer, uncovered, at 400 degrees for an hour or until the crust is brown. I usually bake one and freeze the other(s).

At Least It Isn’t a Vacuum

A corner of the Desperate Housewives puzzle we did over the holidays

We installed a new gas range this week. The old one just had to go. The interior glass in the door was cracked in several places so we couldn’t use the self-cleaning feature. It wasn’t terribly safe, either. The oven light hasn’t worked for years, and I kept a flashlight in a nearby drawer. Eventually “flashlight” became “oven light ha ha ha” even when referring to the Maglite in the glove box of the car. To the best of my knowledge, the temperature probe never worked. And one time I brushed some mysterious combination of digital buttons and the range went into Sabbath mode: The damn door wouldn’t open for twenty-four hours.

It still worked okay, though, and looked fine. In the summer I may have my no-oven menus, but in the winter the range gets a workout pretty much every day. Breads, simmering stews, chicken stock, slow-cooked meats … I hate throwing away something that still functions, even if I’m inconvenienced.

But when the burners kept going out on the lowest setting (and the gas was still seeping into the kitchen) and the oven temperature started running 25 to 75 degrees too hot – in a thoroughly unpredictable fashion – I gave in. In the interest of having the right tool for the job (as well as simple safety), we needed a new range.

This was the last meal cooked in the old oven.

Chicken pot pie from this recipe I shared last year, only instead of a regular crust I made small casseroles and slapped some puff pastry on top. Easy peasy.

Then, while I worked on the new blog (The Lightfoot Chronicles will launch Monday, January 23rd), put in my time on the second Magical Bakery Mystery (untitled so far) and reviewed page proofs from Brownies and Broomsticks, K wrestled the range. As often happens it ended up requiring a certain amount of disassembly, shims and a visit from a plumber to move the gas line, but eventually he emerged victorious.

And the old “oven light ha ha ha”? Retired!

Winter Market

About twice a month during the winter, local food producers and artists gather in the Opera Galleria downtown. Barring acts of God (or being out of town), I go. It’s always bustling, and this last Saturday was no exception. As soon as I walk in, I feel a smile spread across my face. These people have become my friends.

And, oh the goodies available!

There are Hazel Dell mushrooms. There are cheeses and eggs from the Windsor Dairy. Fresh organic lettuces and greens – and by fresh I mean either cut that morning or with the roots still on – are such a treat in the middle of winter, thanks to Quatrix aquaponics. They even had tomatoes. And soon they’ll offer fresh tilapia raised only a couple of miles down the road without any icky chemicals.

On Saturday I bought another CSA poultry share from Jodar Farms at the market. That’s also where I got the side of pork currently in the freezer, and I’ll be doing that again once we work our way through what we have. There’s also a 20-pound turkey in there which I’m planning to cook up to celebrate Arbor Day.

What? You don’t have a special dinner for Arbor Day?

This year they might even have rabbit. I know, I know: bunnies?! K is already resisting.

By the way, if you live along the Front Range and are interested, here is the information about Jodar Farms’ poultry CSA.

And there were plenty of Pitchfork Pinups calendars on hand. The photos are terrific, and I already have one in the kitchen plus gave some away as Christmas presents. Here’s an article about the calendar project.

All this is only a taste, though. I found some grass fed beef, potatoes, onions, carrots, leeks, navy and pinto beans, and a nice spaghetti squash. I could have indulged in cherry cider, specialty nut butters, flavored oils and vinegars, mustards, some stunningly beautiful salmon (the seller goes to Alaska in the summer for the fishing season, freezes the salmon right on the boat, and sells it throughout the winter to augment his income as a CU student – it’s fabulous), salsas and Italian sauces. There are plenty of baked goods, flavored pastas, and prepared foods like tamales. You can buy handmade soaps and lotions and other toiletries.

That’s not even counting the artists. The fiber arts alone are utterly breathtaking.

There are crowds jostling through the aisles, children running around, and live music. I cannot explain why I walk away from these markets, lugging my bags of goodies back to the parking garage, feeling so calm and happy.

I just do. And that’s probably why my next Home Crafting Mystery, Deadly Row to Hoe, features Sophie Mae and Meghan working on a Community Supported Agriculture farm.

Life does bleed onto the page. ; )

Spicy Cheddar Cornbread

Cornbread is great with all kinds of winter chili and stews. Many recipes have at least a slight sweetness to them, but we prefer something more savory. This recipe is adapted from Gourmet’s In Short Order cookbook. You need an ovenproof skillet – cast iron is ideal. The original recipe calls for pickled jalapeños but there are always roasted poblanos in the freezer so I use those instead. I nixed the pimientos from a jar, too, and threw in some whole kernel corn for extra flavor and texture.

This recipe is great for K and me since it’s intended to serve two with leftovers. It’s easy to double if you’re cooking for more people, though. Just use a bigger skillet and bake a bit longer.

Spicy Cheddar Cornbread

• 2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup grated Cheddar (extra sharp is best – Cougar Gold is awesome)
• 1/3 cup chopped roasted poblano peppers (or you can use fresh bell pepper chopped fine – red ones are pretty – and half of a medium jalapeño pepper deveined and seeded and chopped fine, or even a whole one if you like things really spicy!)
• 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels, or frozen corn that’s been thawed
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 425 F. Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the cheese, peppers and corn and toss well.

Whisk together the egg and buttermilk in another bowl.

On the stovetop, melt the butter in an 8-inch, heavy, oven-proof skillet. Add half the melted butter to the buttermilk mixture. Transfer the skillet with the rest of the butter in it to the 425-degree oven and let it heat up for at least 5 minutes.

Add the buttermilk mixture to the cornmeal mixture and stir until just combined. Remove the skillet from the oven. Add the batter quickly, smoothing the top, and return skillet to the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cornbread is golden and a tester inserted comes out clean.

When you cut the bread, the bottom will be brown from the browned butter, which adds an almost nutty flavor. Delish!