Comments on: Real Men Eat Quiche

by: miles

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 16:38:05 +0000

Cid,
Thanks for your concern! No digging today, I painted the summer house and greenhouse instead. Quite calming actually!
Miles

by: Cid

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 12:59:51 +0000

Miles,

There, there … is your head better now? Bit of fresh air and some nice digging’ll soon sort it out.

Anyway, can you smell the beetroots cooking? Made the pastry this morning so the quiche shouldn’t be too stressful. I’ve forgotten the cake so that’s my next mission. I’ve decided to have a go with your cream vineagrette for the salad. Finally, this place looks a mess so it’s on with the boring housework before father’s military inspection!

Cid

p.s. wish you hadn’t mentioned chocolate filling … I’ve now entered a kind of hypnotic trance …

by: miles

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 10:25:56 +0000

Cid,
Good point regarding the pastry, you would be suprised at how many chefs/cooks feel daunted by pastry/baking/dessert preperation etc.
A good pastry base is important, you can have the most delicious chocolate filling but if the pastry isn’t up to scratch, well…
Miles

by: miles

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 10:23:16 +0000

Derfel,
You are quite right, it’s all too easy to buy everything ready made. It often has to be done due to time, cost and practicalities but the sense of satisfaction achieved when making something yourself must surely be worth the effort.
Miles

by: miles

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 10:20:36 +0000

Annie,
Re my Fathers generous pouring of wine-have you got the right man? If you aren’t sure, he’s the tall English one eating the cake and swilling the schnapps!
Miles

by: miles

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 10:18:06 +0000

Cid,
Mother is a star-aren’t they all?
A cheesy flan sounds very nice, especially with that gruyere of yours.
I hope your Father enjoys his birthday treat, sounds like the perfect cure for a particularly unpleasant hangover somebody (me) might be battling with.
Miles

by: Cid

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 09:50:23 +0000

Christine,

I shall dress for the occasion … black Motorhead flying suit and Mary Poppins hat. Don’t want to frighten her with my normal apparel!

While we’re there we must quiz Mother Collins on the best continental Christmas markets, strikes me she’ll know. After Halloween I shall be dwelling on spicy German gingerbread and hot spicy wine.

Wonder if Miles’ part-time job will allow for all this festivity?

Cid

by: Cid

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 09:29:52 +0000

Once people learn how to make pastry whether by hand or in a food processor, the mysteries of the tart will seem less daunting …

A real turning point for me was buying a continental fluted tin with a loose base - well that and remembering to prick the pastry first before baking … went through a stage of ‘balloon’ tart!

by: Derfel Cadarn

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 07:59:29 +0000

I’ve had some superb homemade quiches and I hope this encourages people to have a go at making them.

The main barrier to overcome is getting started I suspect. If you look how cheap they are and how good they are, in quality supermarkets that is, it hardly seems worth the bother.

A big part of the day you described would have been lost had the food all come preprepared from Sainsburys - that is the real value of ‘having a go yourself’

Making it all yourself may not work out cheaper, or indeed, for many, end up tasting better - but the satisfaction …

by: Elsie Nean

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 07:55:19 +0000

Miles,
You are right about a home made quiche tasting so much better. I prefer to eat mine warm. This post reminds me of some delicious ones I have eaten in little places in France and the delicatessen shops always offered to warm a quiche in the microwave. I am getting hungry as I write…