A crowd pleaser

When I go for a run I feel like I travel worlds away in a time warp that seem to have lasted hours more than the run itself (a bit like Jodie Foster in Contact). I imagine that's what meditation must feel like. It's especially true in Albany these days, when the people I see while running are tending their gardens or walking their dogs or admiring the flowers in the park with their families. I think it's because as med students we get completely self-centered -- nearly 100% focused on bacteria and viruses at the moment -- and we forget that we live in a community of people doing other things.

Today on my run I saw overwhelmingly gorgeous tulips in the park -- so beautiful and so abundant that I didn't know what to do with them. I think the only thing to do in that situation is to lean in really close with a camera and take hundreds of photos that you will never print out. Makes a really nice Facebook cover photo or something.

Anyway, the tulip festival reminded me that Sunday is Mother's Day, and on Mother's Day people get together for brunch, so while I do not endorse the health benefits of this quiche, I will say that it's extremely delicious, high in protein rather than sugar, and good for sharing with a crowd (small portions!).

Homemade quiche (largely inspired by Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything):

Crust:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, cold
• 1 cup flour
• pinch of salt
• ice water, about 1/4-1/2 cup

Cut butter into pea-sized cubes. In a large bowl, use your finger tips to combine the butter, flour, and salt into crumbs: texture should not be uniform, because it is the melting chunks of butter that will give you a flaky crust. Do not knead the dough but combine with your hands just enough so that it stays together. Add the ice water a few tablespoons at a time: just enough so that you can roll the crust up into a loose ball. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes. Meanwhile...

Filling:

• 6 eggs
• 2 cups whole milk
• pinch grated nutmeg or cayenne
• black pepper (skip the salt if you plan on using cheese or bacon)
• filling suggestions: grated cheese, chopped bacon, mushrooms, spinach, caramelized onions, tomatoes

Beat together the eggs, beat in the milk, add the seasonings. Saute any veggies on the stove (together or separately) so that they lose their water.

Using a rolling pin (or wine bottle covered in plastic wrap), roll out the dough on a floured surface and place into a pie dish. Sprinkle with veggies, then bacon, then cheese. Pour egg-milk mixture over everything.

Bake on a baking sheet (this will help cook the bottom crust) at 350 degrees for about 1 hour, until the middle no longer "jiggles" when you shake the pan. Allow time to cool: this will help solidify the filling. Serve warm (can always reheat at 200 degrees as needed).

(last spring but same idea)