Serious Eats

This Week in Eating Out

2008-05-10T00:00:00Z

Southern California Shakes: Erin Zimmer gives us a list of her favorite spots for date shakes.

Creole Comforts: 'Fesser makes Northerners drool with jealousy over his recommendations as to what to eat at the New Orleans Jazz Fest.

Southern Specialty: Pride or scourge of the South? John T. Edge investigates the history of fried dill pickles in an excerpt from his book Southern Belly.

D.C. Kimchi To Go: Erin Zimmer celebrates one of the more interesting D.C. street vendors, a Korean cart called L Street Vending that serves exciting house specialties like Bulgogi and Bibimbap.

Best-Mex: Serious Eaters voted Houston and L.A. the two best Mexican Food towns in the U.S. - check out which cities got honorable mention.

Supermarket Jetsetter: Wooed by the extensive offerings of this Whole Foods-esque Italian grocery store, Gina DePalma is willing to forgive Eataly Torino for its stupid name.

Chile Dogs: Mouthwatering photographs from Robyn Lee of mayo-rific hot dogs and sandwiches from a Chilean restaurant called Rapa Nui.

Fresh Food on TV: Weekend Edition

2008-05-09T23:00:00Z

With all the channels on broadcast TV and cable—and the inevitable episode repeats—it's hard to sort out what's new or worthwhile. Let us sort it out for you so you don't miss anything worth watching. Times may vary with region; check your local listings for exact hour and channels.

The usual PBS food shows aren't on this Sunday because they're showing Live from Lincoln Center's semistaged version of "Camelot". Check your local listings to see what's on your local PBS station.

Saturday (May 10)

Jamie at Home: "Eggs." Jamie makes egg tagliatelle and an omelet salad with bresaola. He also makes a meringue with hot pears and chocolate sauce. (repeat) 9:30 a.m. ET, Food Network

Shopping with Chefs: "Pie, Crepes, Kitchen Electrics, Produce." A visit to a pie maker in Los Angeles, shopping for pie making equipment, a creperie, and crepe makers and pans. They also go shopping for kitchen electrics, including blenders, slow cookers and induction burners; and take a trip to the Farmers Market for fresh produce. 2 p.m. ET, Fine Living Network

Sunday (May 11)

The Essence of Emeril: "Seafood Specials." Emeril shows you simple approaches to seafood dishes. 8 a.m. ET, Food Network

Barefoot Contessa: "Comforting and Elegant Dinner." A settling in dinner of comforting dishes for a friend who recently moved. There's mac and cheese, arugula salad, and peach and raspberry shortcakes filled with vanilla whipped cream. 10 a.m. ET, Food Network

Throwdown With Bobby Flay: "Pulled Pork." Bobby challenges an award winning lady Pitmaster from Chesapeake, Virginia to a pulled pork throwdown. 10 p.m. ET, Food Network

Photo of the Day: Bento, No Box

2008-05-09T22:30:00Z

Curiosly Ravenous has a shot of what's essentially a bento set meal, minus the box. It's austerely and elegantly Japanese in its own right. Here you see "shiozake (salted salmon), asparagus in dashi broth with egg, and steamed rice topped with furikake (rice seasoning)." Be sure to click through to Curiously Ravenous for the salmon recipe.

Time for a Drink: Air Mail

2008-05-09T21:30:00Z

Sure, you could make mimosas on Mother’s Day. But if you’re looking for something a little more adventurous to make with your bubbly—or, perhaps the idea of spending an afternoon at your mother’s place requires a little extra fortification—you can send your greetings via Air Mail.

Bar manager Thad Vogler at Beretta in San Francisco likes these with the dry, floral taste of Barbancourt rum from Haiti, but the gentle, vanilla-y richness of Bacardi 8 also works well. And you’ll want to use a dry Champagne or sparkling wine here; something sweet will overshadow the rum, and you can adjust the sweetness of the drink by tinkering with the honey. The important thing is, the Air Mail is flexible while being suitably celebratory, and the potency can be dialed up or down depending on your mother’s tastes—and the day’s situation.

About the author: Paul Clarke blogs about cocktails at The Cocktail Chronicles and writes regularly on spirits and cocktails for Imbibe magazine. He lives in Seattle, where he works as a writer and magazine editor.

Air Mail

Ingredients

2 ounces amber rum
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons honey, to taste*
Dry Champagne or other sparkling wine

Procedure

Add everything except champagne to a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake well and strain into chilled coupe glass or champagne flute; top with 1-2 ounces chilled sparkling wine.

* To make mixing easier, mix equal parts honey and hot water and stir until well mixed. Keep refrigerated. Use double the amount of honey syrup as the amount of honey called for in the recipe.

Dinner Tonight: Cauliflower Purée

2008-05-09T20:30:00Z

I’ve been on a little cauliflower kick lately and just couldn’t turn down the possibility of what was essentially cauliflower mashed potatoes. Yep, it’s a holdout from the low-carb craze. But I didn’t care if it was healthy; I just wanted to see if it was worth it. I found the recipe in Ted Allen’s The Food You Want to Eat, and even he seems a little ashamed of it, regardless of the fact that it ended up being delicious.

And he’s right, the cauliflower puree never feels like a mashed potato rip-off. Instead it makes an earthier offering that’s perfect with lighter dishes like fish. To spruce up things Ted advises a few possible additions. He likes to add curry powder, English mustard, blue cheese or parmesan. I settled on the last item, adding huge grated handful at the very end. It won’t replace mashed potatoes on the Thanksgiving table, but might provide a lighter side to some grilling sessions.

Cauliflower Purée

- serves 4 -

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Procedure

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Meanwhile, cut off the stems of the cauliflower and break into florets. Toss in a steamer basket atop the boiling water and steam for about 15 minutes.

2. Remove the cauliflower and toss half of it in a blender along with 1/4 cup of the steaming water. Process into smooth. Add the other half of the cauliflower along with another 1/3 of cup of the steaming liquid. Process that batch until smooth.

3. With the motor running add the butter, salt, and pepper. When incorporated, turn off the blender, and fold in the parmesan. Season with salt if it needs it, and serve.

Bake a Tattoo

2008-05-09T20:00:01Z

These clever Mother's Day tattoo cookies [Warning: Music player auto-plays loudly] are the perfect gift for a mom who rocks, though they might be a little hard to make without some edible pens such as Wilton's FoodWriter markers.

Still, it's less of an investment than a real tattoo, and chances are your mom would prefer the cookies. [via craftzine.com]

Mother's Day Grilling: Orange, Sage, and Garlic Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

2008-05-09T19:15:00Z

My poor Mom, she bought herself a Weber Q only to be told by her condo board that she can't use it, since the odor of grilling may disturb other residents. So this Mother's Day I decided to ask her what she'd like in order to bring a little bit of grilled joy back into her life. Like any good mother, she quickly responded, "Pork," directly referring to a pulled pork I made for her a couple years back. Seeing as that may not be the most universal holiday meal, I used it as starting point and found a fitting recipe for an Orange, Sage, and Garlic Rubbed Pork Tenderloin.

When assembling the rub, the aroma of orange and sage conjured up memories of Sunday brunches with Mom. Unfortunately, the smells did not translate as well to taste after grilled. The tenderloin was hit or miss with each bite. If a piece had retained enough rub through grilling, it was sweet and succulent, but if not, it was a bit bland. I think this can easily be fixed by either glopping on more rub before cooking or reapplying after moving the tenderloin to the cool side of the grill to finish cooking. I still recommend this as a good choice for Mother's Day, and one of the best parts is it's fast, so you can deliver the two best gifts to mom: food and time together.

Orange, Sage, and Garlic Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

- serves 2 to 3 -
Adapted from The Cook's Illustrated Guide To Grilling And Barbecue

Ingredients

3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated zest from 1 orange
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon orange marmalade
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pork tenderloin (about 1lb), trimmed of silver skin

Procedure

1. Light 1 chimney full of charcoal. While the charcoal is lighting, mix all ingredients for the rub in a small bowl. Rub the trimmed tenderloin with the mixture. When the charcoal is all lit and covered in gray ash, pour out and spread the coals over half of the charcoal grate. Cover and let the grill heat up for 5 minutes.

2. Cook the tenderloin uncovered, directly over the coals until browned on all four sides, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. Move the pork to the cool side of the grill, cover, and continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 145 degrees in the thickest part of the tenderloin, about 5-10 minutes longer.

3. Transfer the tenderloin to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice crosswise into 1-inch-thick pieces and serve.

This Week in Recipes

2008-05-09T18:45:00Z

Ramp Happy: Blake Royer of The Paupered Chef experiments with ramps and finds them to his liking when he cooks up some Ramps with Linguine.

Eating for Two: Expectant mother Robin Bellinger hopes for a chard-eating child and shares a recipe she's got up her sleeve for the day she needs it—Swiss Chard with Tomatoes and Chickpeas.

Kentucky's Finest: Cocktail connoisseur Paul Clarke offers the Seelbach Cocktail as a classy alternative to the worn-out mint julep.

Goodness Gracious Great Balls of Fire: To celebrate the start of grilling season, Serious Eats' Adam Kuban suggests Salmon Vera Cruz, while grilling aficionado Joshua Bousel talks through some Fajitas.

Supersize Me: Lucy Baker expands her favorite appetizer into a main course with Giant Bruschetta.

Ramping Up: Raphael here at Serious Eats shows us how to extend ramp season by making Compound Ramp Butter and Pickled Ramps.

Really French Fries: For those stranded stateside but craving French street food, Zach Brooks describes how to make your own Merguez Frites.

Look Who's Talkin': Recent Comments We Have Known And Loved

2008-05-09T18:00:00Z

The useful, thoughtful, and funny discussions in Talk keep us clicking, reading, and grinning. Looking back at the week past, here's just a handful of our favorite threads and comments.

Tuna. In a Can. Love it or Hate it?
"Every year I mix up a wonderful tuna salad that everyone I make it for loves, and every year I eat about 2 bites before I swear I will never do this again! So in answer, NO CANNED TUNA!!! thank you" – huney_bumper

Favorite Food Network Show and Chef
"I used to have a crush on Tyler [Florence] until he got puffy in the face." — charm city cupcake

Emotional attachments to kitchen appliances
"Tonight I parted company with my electric range... The family who got it will certainly love it as much as I did, and it will be cared for. And I'm doing it no fever by hanging onto it without using it. It needs to be used. But that still doesn't help the fact that I'll miss it." — beth1

Frog Legs?
"Are you insinuating that the senior citizen frogs, like their human counterparts, are fattier and crabbier - hence more fishy tasting, and thus undesirable? Where's Gomer Pyle when I need him?" — PerkyMac

Is there a such thing as too much fried potato?
"I'm not so much a fan of french fries, but if it's normal fried potato, I believe there is no such thing as too much. Kind of like friends, the more, the merrier." — Schnauzer_Mama

And the Winners Are ...

2008-05-09T17:45:00Z

After a heated debate over the Best Mexican Food Town in the U.S., Serious Eaters remain at an impasse. Houston and L.A. are tied for first place, with San Antonio, Phoenix and Tuscon right behind. (Since locals tend to be biased, it may be worth noting that L.A. and Houston are the 2nd and 4th most populous cities in the country, respectively, with Phoenix and San Antonio occupying spots number 5 and 7.) Meanwhile, honorable mention for least likely nomination goes to ... Central Oregon?

Cook the Book: Chocolate Whiskey Cake

2008-05-09T17:30:00Z

I saved the best for last. Today's Cook the Book recipe, the final one to be excerpted from Cowgirl Cuisine, is for a deep, dark, incredibly dense Chocolate Whiskey Cake. This is one of my go-to, never-fail dessert recipes: I've made it for a bourbon-loving friend as a going-away present and for my boyfriend on his birthday. Why not make it for my mom on Mother's Day? Served with a mug of spiked coffee, it would be the perfect ending to a special, home-cooked meal.

Spiced with black pepper and cloves, this cake has subtle gingerbread flavors. The whiskey becomes more pronounced if it sits overnight, so it’s a great make-ahead dessert.

Win 'Cowgirl Cuisine'
As is always the case with our Cook the Book selections, we're giving away a number of copies to lucky readers. Enter to win here.

Chocolate Whiskey Cake

—makes 1 10-inch cake—
Adapted from Cowgirl Cuisine by Paula Disbrowe.

Ingredients

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, plus more to grease the pan
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweeted (not Dutch process) cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups strong brewed coffee
1/2 cup whiskey
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cut dark brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Procedure

1. place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F. Butter a 10-inch springform pan and dust with 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, tapping out the excess.

2. Heat the coffee, whiskey, butter, and remaining 3/4 cup of cocoa powder in a heavy medium saucepan over low heat until the butter is melted, whisking occasionally, Add the sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from the heat, transfer the mixture to a large bowl, and let cool.

3. While the chocolate cools, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, black pepper, and cloves, in a largebowl. In a separate, small bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla. Beginning with a slow drizzle, whisk the eggs into the cooled chocolate mixture until combined. Add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth (but don't overmix), then stir in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean, about 50 minutes to 1 hour.

4. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack (if you're going to leave the cake in the pan overnight cover it with a dish towel so it doesn't dry out). Using the tip of a knife, loosen the cake from the pan and remove the outer ring. Wrap the cake in plastic so it doesn't dry out. After 1 day, store it in the fridge, where it will last up to 1 week.

Mother's Day with Lidia Bastianich

2008-05-09T17:00:00Z

The first serious chef I think of when I think about Mother's Day is Lidia Bastianich. Lidia is the proud mother of Joe Bastianich, restaurateur, vintner, and food businessman extraordinaire, and of Tanya Bastianich Manuali, her travelmate on the Lidia's Italy television series. She's also a grandmother of five and the devoted daughter of her mom, Erminia, who escaped from a refugee camp with Lidia 40 years ago. So I figured I'd ask Lidia how she's celebrating Mother's Day.

Usually she spends it at her restaurants, she told me, because it's such a restaurant-oriented holiday. But this year Joe's son is having his First Communion, so the whole Bastianich clan is congregating at Joe's house in Connecticut. Lidia is making a special octopus dish that she says all her grandchildren love; here's the recipe.

Lidia's Octopus and Potato Salad (Insalata di Polipo e Patate)

- serves 6 -

Ingredients

1 1/2 to 2 pounds octopus, cleaned
1 wine cork
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
2 medium Idaho potatoes, whole
5 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 Bermuda onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
Lemon wedges for garnish

Procedure

1. Place the octopus, wine cork, bay leaves, and salt and pepper in a large pot with water. Cover generously and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook the octopus at a vigorous simmer until tender but slightly al dente, about 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a second pot, cover the potatoes with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook about 25 minutes, until just tender, then cool, peel, and cut into 1" cubes.

3. Drain the octopus, discarding the bay leaves and cork. Cut the tentacles away where they join the head and, if desired, strip away the skin and suction cups by drawing the tentacles through the bunched fingers of one hand. Clean the octopus head by squeezing out the core with your fingers, and cut the meat into thin slices. Cut the tentacles into 1" pieces, and toss the octopus pieces with the warm potatoes.

4. Toss in the olive oil, red wine vinegar, onion, and parsley. Place on a plate, garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

Lidia's Asparagus and Rice Soup (Minestra di Asparagi e Risi)

- makes about 4 quarts of soup, serving 8 -

Lidia was also gracious enough to share this springy recipe from Lidia's Italy that would be a perfect dish to serve anyone's mother. This simple soup can be made any time but it is best with locally grown asparagus (if you can possibly get it) with the sweetness of springtime. It's also important to cook this soup sufficiently to develop the full flavor and silkiness from the base of leek and potatoes.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus spears
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more for serving
4 plump garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
2 cups potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch cubes
3 cups chopped leek, 1/4-inch white and green pieces
5 quarts water
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt plus more to taste
1 cup Arborio rice
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano

Recommended Equipment

A heavy-bottomed 6-quart saucepan or soup pot, with a cover

Procedure

1. Rinse the asparagus and snap off the tough bottom stubs. Slice the spears crosswise into 1/3-inch chunks, including tips.

2. Pour 1/3 cup of olive oil into the pot, drop in the crushed garlic and turn on a medium-high flame. Golden the garlic for a minute or 2, just until fragrant and lightly colored, and stir the potato cubes in the hot oil. Cook, stirring now and then, until the potatoes are crusty and starting to stick to the bottom but not browned—lower the heat if necessary—4 or 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped leeks and cook until softened and sizzling, 3 or 4 minutes more.

3. Pour the 5 quarts water into the pot, drop in the bay leaves and tablespoon salt, and stir well, scraping up any crusty potatoes on the bottom. Cover and bring to the boil over high heat. Stir in all the cut asparagus, return to the boil and adjust heat to keep the broth bubbling steadily and slowly reducing.

4. Cook uncovered for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the soup volume is reduced by almost 1/3 and the broth is full of flavor—tasting is the way to test for doneness. Stir in the rice, return to the boil and cook for 10 minutes, until the grains are al dente, then turn off the heat.

5. Season with freshly ground black pepper and more salt to taste. Stir in 2 tablespoons fresh olive oil and 1/2 cup grated cheese. Serve immediately in warm bowls, with more cheese and oil at the table.

Happy Mother's Day to Lidia, Lidia's mom, and the whole Bastianich clan.

In Videos: Crepes in 'Talladega Nights'

2008-05-09T16:30:45Z

Sacha Baron Cohen as a French race car driver challenges Will Ferrell in the comedy Talladega Nights in the worst way imaginable: by making him say, "I love crepes," in exchange for not breaking his arm. Although Ferrell initially doesn't know what crepes are, he doesn't want to cave in even after realizing that crepes are just really thin pancakes and that he actually likes them.

Watch the clip, after the jump.

Crepes in 'Talladega Nights'

Super Bowl: Food Commercials Wrapup

Gordon Ramsay Suggests Seasonal Foods be Enforced By Law

2008-05-09T16:00:00Z

Chef Gordon Ramsay is pushing for a law that would require restaurants to serve only in-season fruits and veggies, or be subject to fines. In an interview broadcast with BBC's Radio 5 Live today, he said he wants chefs to use home-grown produce only, not Kenyan strawberries in March for example. While demanding better ingredients may be a positive concept, how could you police this? What about products that just aren't available naturally in the UK, like chocolate or pistachios?

On the Guardian's food blog "Word of Mouth" readers fired back, "what a chump," and pointed out that Ramsay's restaurants don't even serve local, seasonal food all the time. As if landing in Heathrow wasn't already expensive, Ramsay wants to fine you for eating a tomato in January. Shoot, is it really a crime to eat spaghetti outside of August?

We'll see if Gordon can get the other Gordon to make sense of his rant.

Kid-Friendly Mother's Day Brunch

2008-05-09T15:00:00Z

If you're wondering how to get the kids off your hands while you fix Mother's Day brunch this weekend, why not try making them your sous chefs? It'll be fun for them, it'll be less work for you, and Mom will be delighted. And if anything goes wrong, no one will think it's your fault.

Here's a possible menu of dishes that are deliciously uncomplicated to make and involve child-friendly steps like mixing and grating. (For safety's sake, just be sure to carefully supervise your kids and leave the grating and any chopping to your older children.)

Oatmeal Breakfast Bread

Doesn't require kneading, but provides lots of opportunities for kids to mix ingredients by hand and stir the batter.

- serves 12 -
Adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan.

Ingredients

For the topping:
1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the bread:
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup flavorless oil, such as canola or safflower
1/4 cup buttermilk or whole milk
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
1/2 cup diced dried figs, apples, or apricots or moist, plump raisins (dark or golden)
1 cup old-fashioned oats

Procedure

1. Center a rack in oven; preheat to 350°F. Butter 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, dust with flour, and tap out excess. Put pan on a baking sheet.

2. Make the topping: In a small bowl, use your fingers to toss together the sugar, nuts, and cinnamon until evenly mix. Set aside.

3. Make the bread: Whisk together the eggs, applesauce, oil, and buttermilk until well blended.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. Remove 1/2 teaspoon of mix; toss it with the fruit to coat. Set aside. Stir the oats into the bowl. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry, and, using a large rubber spatula, stir just until everything is evenly moistened. Don't overdo the mixing. Scatter the dried fruit over batter and stir it to blend. Scrape batter into pan; sprinkle over topping, tamping it down lightly with fingers so it sticks.

5. Bake 55 to 65 minutes, or until the bread is browned and a thin knife inserted into center comes out clean. Transfer bread to a cooling rack for about 5 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of pan and unmold. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.

Zucchini Fritters

A happy compromise between the "Eat your veggies" camp and the "I want pancakes" camp. Kids can help make these by grating the vegetables—but for safety's sake, let your older children do the grating.

- serves 4 -
Adapted from Mark Bittman's version.

Ingredients

About 2 pounds zucchini, eggplant, or turnips, peeled if necessary and grated
1/2 onion, peeled and grated
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup flour or plain bread crumbs, more as needed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 to 4 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil

Procedure

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl except butter or olive oil. The mixture should be fairly loose but not iquid; add more flour or bread crumbs if necessary.

2. Put butter or oil in a large skillet and turn heat to medium-high. When the oil is hot, put generous spoonfuls of batter in the pan. Cook, flipping once, until nicely browned on both sides - 10 to 15 minutes total.

3. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Bacon and Egg Pie

This fairly simple frittata might be more of an adult task, though kids can still arrange the ingredients in the pie plate once everything is cooked. The recipe is from Martha Stewart, who seems like she'd know what to make for Mother's Day brunch (though if you're still hankering to take advantage of ramp season, there's always this recipe.)

- serves 6 -
Adapted from the The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics.

Ingredients

Unsalted butter, for pie plate
8 ounces thickly sliced bacon
4 ounces small mushrooms, wiped clean, quarted
1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, diced
3 ounces soft goat cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Generously butter a 10-inch glass pie plate. Cook the bacon in a large skillet until very crisp. Remove; drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the skillet.

2. Return the skillet to medium-high heat; add the mushrooms. Cook until well browned, about 4 minutes. Remove from the skillet; spread the mushrooms in a prepared pie plate. Crumble the bacon; arrange over the mushrooms, along with the pepper, cheeses, and thyme.

3. Beat the eggs and cream in a large bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the bacon-vegetable mixture. Bake until the egg pie is set and deep golden brown, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven, and place on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Slice into wedges, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Fig Clafouti

Achieve fancy-sounding results with very minimal effort—not much for either you or the kids to do here.

- serves 6 -
Adapted from Everyday Food magazine.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
8 ounces dried figs, stemmed and coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups Everyday Baking Mix (recipe follows)
3 large eggs
1 cup half-and-half
Confectioners sugar, for dusting

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch baking dish or cake pan. In a small bowl, toss the figs with 1/4 cup of the baking mix.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, melted butter, and remaining cup of baking mix. Add figs and stir until just combined. Pour batter into pan and place pan on a baking sheet. Bake until center of clafouti is set, about 30 minutes. Let cool until barely warm. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve.

Everyday Baking Mix (Quarter Portion)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cups of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Scant teaspoon salt

Procedure

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk well.

Serious Eats

This Week in Eating Out

Fresh Food on TV: Weekend Edition

Saturday (May 10)

Sunday (May 11)

Photo of the Day: Bento, No Box

Time for a Drink: Air Mail

Air Mail

Ingredients

Procedure

Dinner Tonight: Cauliflower Purée

Cauliflower Purée

Ingredients

Procedure

Bake a Tattoo

Mother's Day Grilling: Orange, Sage, and Garlic Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

Orange, Sage, and Garlic Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients

Procedure

This Week in Recipes

Look Who's Talkin': Recent Comments We Have Known And Loved

And the Winners Are ...

Cook the Book: Chocolate Whiskey Cake

Chocolate Whiskey Cake

Ingredients

Procedure

Mother's Day with Lidia Bastianich

Lidia's Octopus and Potato Salad (Insalata di Polipo e Patate)

Ingredients

Procedure

Lidia's Asparagus and Rice Soup (Minestra di Asparagi e Risi)

Ingredients

Recommended Equipment

Procedure

In Videos: Crepes in 'Talladega Nights'

Crepes in 'Talladega Nights'

Related

Gordon Ramsay Suggests Seasonal Foods be Enforced By Law

Kid-Friendly Mother's Day Brunch

Oatmeal Breakfast Bread

Ingredients

Procedure

Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients

Procedure

Bacon and Egg Pie

Ingredients

Fig Clafouti

Ingredients

Procedure

Everyday Baking Mix (Quarter Portion)

Ingredients

Procedure