Quiche. It’s a peculiar word, isn’t it? Sort of like a cross between kiss and kitsch. And eesh. Since I tend of fixate on how some words sound funny when you say them over and over again (I’m real mature like that), my head exploded with all sorts of quiche-related puns, most of them really bad or pathetically lame. For example, I almost called this post, “Quiche On My List.” Then I had visions of Hall and Oates barging into my house and mercilessly hitting me on the head with a club that looked a lot like a keytar, so I stopped myself.

But I digress.

A quiche is basically a savory custard tart, the custard formed by baking a mixture of eggs, milk or cream, and any other add-ins of your choice. Spinach seems to be a popular choice of filling, but mushrooms aren’t too far behind. Now that spring is upon us, there are so many great fresh local veggies available, so you can pick your favorites!

 
 
 
As much as I love my veggies, I think it can’t hurt to throw a little bit of meat in there, too. Maybe it’s because the first really good quiche I ever had was filled with ham and cheese, or maybe it’s because growing up, one of my favorite things for breakfast was a ground beef frittata. For me, eggs and meat have always been a perfect match. And hey, it doesn’t have to be red meat either. Check out the smoked salmon quiche below!

 
 
 
A quiche typically uses a pastry crust but if you need to forgo the crust, we’ve got some crustless versions to show you. I’m pretty sure you could also just omit the crust in any of the other recipes. Or do the opposite and add a crust to the recipes below if you want one! Looking for a good pie crust recipe? You can’t go wrong with this perfect pie crust. And if you need some guidance, Calli has a really great step-by-step tutorial for rolling out beautiful pie crusts.

Don’t forget, you can also get creative and replace the crust with something else unexpected. Spaghetti squash crust, anyone? Or how about the potato crust from cookincanuck’s quiche above? Genius, I tell you.

 
 
 
If you can’t decide what kind of filing to make, why not make them all? You can create individual-sized quiches in tartlet pans, muffin pans, or ramekins. Then your guests can choose their favorite. Or, if you’re like me, you can pretend you can’t decide and pick one of each. I just tell people I work in culinary research and then start taking photos of my food. At that point, they pretty much just shrug their shoulders and leave me alone. (I sometimes hear them whispering to each other as they point in my direction but I’m usually too busy chewing to hear what they’re saying.)

 
 
 
And last but not least, there’s this quiche, with a photo taken by TK member and TK Blog contributor missamy that pretty much speaks for itself.

Amy did a step-by-step blog post of this recipe by Nancy in New Mexico here in the Tasty Kitchen Blog, and I’m telling you, I never get tired of looking at this. In fact, every time I have the photo up on my screen and some random cable/appliance repair/heating guy walks by, he always—and I mean ALWAYS—stops in his tracks, gazes at the photo, and then I swear, a barely-audible sigh escapes his lips. And I’m talking big, burly guys here. One of them even has a tattoo and all.

Which pretty much proves that real mean do eat quiche, especially when it’s loaded with bacon and cheese.

So this weekend, whether you’re cooking for Mom or Mr. Mom, or just for yourself (because we all deserve something special sometimes), why not try something different? I’ve had very little quiche-eating experience in my life, and my quiche-making experience is almost non-existent. But I know that after putting this roundup together, I’m excited to try making my very first quiche. Hey, I might even sing some Hall and Oates while I’m at it!

But only if I find a helmet first.

 
When I set out to gather recipes for this post, I had no idea what I was getting into. Not a clue. Not even the thinnest sliver of an inkling. Nada.

Nevertheless, I approached the task with a great deal of trepidation, primarily because I’m by no means an authority on Mexican food. So when I discovered that Cinco de Mayo is really more an American celebration than Mexican (save for the state of Puebla), I heaved a sigh of relief. Which was short-lived, because then I remembered I’m no authority on Tex-Mex food either.

You know what? It was all for naught. Because once I started browsing the rich TK recipe archives and struggled to keep up with one great Mexican-inspired dish after the other (I was saving links left and right, my mouse practically developed writer’s cramp), I was too distracted by the food to remember what I was worrying about in the first place.

So let’s get this roundup off to a start, shall we? We’ve got almost 100 recipes to show you (I told you I didn’t know what I was getting into!), and what better way to start than with the first meal of the day: chocolate.

Just kidding! You know I meant breakfast.

 
 
 
For most, though, Cinco de Mayo is more about the party. Even the great Rick Bayless acknowledges that drinking has become a big part of it. And when I think Mexico and party, I think of two things: beer and margaritas. If you’ve got some non-drinkers or kids in the party, check out the horchata below!

There’s just something so warm and comforting about beans and rice, and done right, you rarely need anything else to complete the meal. This Simple Black Beans and Rice from Bev is one of those “done right” versions. Plus, she uses Jasmine rice, which scores all kinds of extra points in my book.

Hungry for more? There are all sorts of other great dishes in Bev’s recipe box. Make sure you visit her food blog Bev Cooks, too! And be prepared to want to make just about everything you see in there.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

 
The day before Ash Wednesday is Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Tuesday. It’s also called Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras) in some regions of the world, but for some reason that phrase makes me giggle. Or defensive, depending on how many helpings of mac and cheese I just had.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season, a time associated with abstinence, penance, and reflection. So Shrove Tuesday was a last hurrah of sorts, kinda like polishing off the rest of that chocolate cake late Sunday night before starting a Monday diet. (Not that I’d know anything about that.)

It’s fairly easy to see the connection between the festivities of Mardi Gras right before the start of a season of ritual fasting. But what does all this have to do with pancakes in particular, you ask? Traditionally, the list of foods restricted during Lent included animal products like milk, butter, and eggs. Hmmm. Let me see. What can you make with milk, butter, and eggs? (Other than scrambled eggs or souffles, smarty pants.)

 
 
 
If you’re planning to give up chocolate for Lent, you might want to let pancakes do double duty and use up your chocolate in the same dish, too. And if you’re not giving up chocolate for Lent, that means you can make these everyday! (And then please invite me over everyday. I promise I won’t call you smarty pants again.)

While we’re at it, why not go for broke and make pancakes decadent enough for dessert? Pancakes that taste like cookies, cake, pastries—we’ve got your sweet tooth covered. (I’m coming over for these, too, okay?)

If you’d rather go a different (and less sinful) route, how about some berries and, say, ricotta cheese or cottage cheese? If you haven’t tried ricotta pancakes yet, you gotta. You just gotta. Ricotta pancakes are moist and tender, and they go really well with berries. Or lemon. Or a side of bacon and sausage, for that matter.

 
 
 
For those feeling a bit adventurous, take a walk on the wild side with some non-traditional pancake ingredients. Spelt flour, oatmeal, protein powder, and even avocado—they all get their turn on the griddle.

 
 
 
Speaking of non-traditional, you can swap out that main pancake ingredient—wheat flour—and make gluten-free versions, too. Almond flour is a good substitute, and so is coconut flour. And if you do try a coconut flour version, don’t wonder if the flour measurement is off. Coconut flour is so high in fiber and absorbs so much moisture that you only need a bit of it to prepare your batter. You can experiment with other nut flours, too!

(Note: the coconut flour pancakes on the upper right corner are not gluten-free because they contain spelt flour.)
 
 
 
And finally, we have German pancakes, also known as Dutch babies. These are cool to make with the kids, who’ll get a kick out of watching the pancake inflate in the oven.

 
 
 
Whatever you call them in your neck of the woods—hotcakes, flapjacks, crêpes, Bismarcks, griddlecakes—pancakes are definitely one of breakfast’s top comfort foods. They’re much more than just a way to use up pantry surplus, though I’m happy to have any excuse to serve pancakes all day.

Do you have any favorite pancake recipes? Secret pancake tips? (Here’s mine: I like frying pancakes in a bit of extra oil, which makes the edges extra crispy.) Share them with us!

Happy flipping, everyone!

Ready for another new Tasty Kitchen Blog feature? Today, we’re doing Theme Day, where a specific dish, ingredient, cooking method, or even cuisine gets the spotlight. Guess what today’s theme is?

If you’re like me, a quick way to make breakfast instantly special is to whip up a stack of pancakes. I don’t know what it is about fried batter that just makes mornings feel right. I think the whole “ceremony” involved plays a part in it, too. Pancakes are generally not a grab-and-go kind of breakfast. No, you sit down for pancakes. Pancakes demand that you use proper utensils, and when they’re ready, you’d better be sitting at the table. Pancakes wait for no one.

Pancakes rule.

Since pancakes are a special way to start a day, we thought it was only fitting that we start off this new themed series with, well, pancakes. Many of you already know PW’s Perfect Pancakes pictured above. It’s got all the usual suspects in the ingredients, but it’s made with cake flour and a good amount of vanilla. Ree feels strongly about adding vanilla to your pancake batter.

How about you? When it comes to pancakes, what’s your poison? Do you like them with fruit, either mixed in or on top? Nuts? Chocolate chips? Savory rather than sweet? Or are you a straight up pancake purist?

I thought I’d seen my share of pancake variations, but I was blown away by the wonderful creations you clever, clever members have shared with us. Let’s take a look at some of them, shall we?

 
 

How gorgeous do these Carrot Cake Pancakes by multiplydelicious2 look? I found myself wondering how they might taste with some cream cheese frosting on them. Because carrots are vegetables, right? So they cancel out the cream cheese? Yes?

 
We’ve also got our own lineup of international pancakes: German Pancakes, Dutch Babies, Swedish Pancakes, French Crepes, and these beauties from down under.
 

These are Yoghurt Pikelets from Bindi. Bindi says they can be eaten warm or cold, although I’m not sure a stack of these would last long enough in my house to get cold.

 
Or, if you’ve got some leftover ricotta from last night’s lasagna …
 

… that ricotta can find a home in these Lemon-Poppy Seed Ricotta Pancakes from A Cozy Kitchen.

 
Because their base is so simple, pancakes are one of the easiest dishes to customize. You can add fruits, nuts, cheese, bacon, sausage, baking chips, different extracts, and with all the possible combinations, they can quickly be made seasonal, too. Or, they can also be turned into something completely different.

 

Have you seen these delightful Mini Maple Chocolate Chip Pancake Muffins from Bakerella? She says they can be served with butter, with a small bowl of maple syrup for dipping. Genius, I’m telling you. Sheer genius.

 
 

And look, we even have gluten free pancakes. These Easy Morning Gluten Free Pancakes from tallmisto look so good, you can almost taste them.

 
These are only a few of the many wonderful pancake recipes here, and boy do I want to make them all. Check out the Pancakes category and see what strikes your fancy. Or come up with your own special blend, and share it with us!

Oh, and if anyone can get back to me on that whole vegetables-cancel-out-cream-cheese thing, please let me know. But only if the answer is yes.

There’s something about the holidays and cookies that just feels right. Like pumpkin and autumn. Ice cream and summer. Coffee and mornings. Chocolate and any-o’clock.

So, to send you off on your busy holiday weekend, we picked a few (okay, more than a few) cookie recipes for you, all highly-rated favorites here at Tasty Kitchen. Just in case you haven’t baked enough yet.

You can’t go wrong with chocolate chip cookies, and these Easy and Fast Chocolate Chip Cookies by breehester are no exception. The dough takes less than 10 minutes to whip up, too, so they’re great for any last-minute cookie shortage.

This Lofthouse Frosted Cookie by Noshings is definitely a favorite. One reviewer writes that it gets better the longer it sits, so this would be a great make-ahead cookie.

Chocolate and gingerbread together! Now if these Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies by sundayrain don’t do the trick, I don’t know what will.

Okay, gingerbread may add a special holiday emphasis, but you can’t beat chocolate and booze either. HowSweetEats brings us these Double Fudge Irish Cream Cookies made with Bailey’s Irish Cream and a touch of coffee. I may eat all the dough before it has a chance to reach the oven.

Here’s another classic cookie: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies by whisktogether. Mary Ellen says they taste just like the kind the restaurants serve.

Of course, sugar cookies are the go-to cookie for decorating, but Karly Campbell ups the ante with these Butter Cookies. Mmm. Butter.

Here’s a cookie with a strange name and an unforgettable flavor: Zand Gebak by emmyd. It’s a shortbread cookie with mocha butter spread on it, followed by melted chocolate and topped with a whole pecan. Erica Lea loved it too, and you can see her step-by-step post on the Tasty Kitchen Blog here. (That’s Erica’s photo you see up there.)

Want to make cookies that look like the kind you get in those fancy holiday tins? Try these Fudge Striped Shortbread Cookies by EatLiveRun. They’re pretty and so simple to make, too!

Here’s one of our all-time favorites, and one of Tasty Kitchen’s most-rated cookie recipes: Chocolate and Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies by mynameissnickerdoodle. I’d say more, but my mouth is already busy imagining it’s enjoying one of these.

These cute and festive (and egg-free!) Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies by CarenG are easy to make, need few ingredients, and absolutely melt in your mouth. One batch makes 24 cookies, so if you want a private stash, you may want to double the recipe. Or quadruple it.

It’s still technically autumn, so go ahead and call these Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies seasonal. Thanks for the recipe, Jennifer!

Here’s another holiday-themed cookie: Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies by twopeasandtheirpod. Because you can never have enough candy canes. Or chocolate.

And speaking of chocolate …

Rounding up our baker’s dozen cookie extravaganza is this Hot Chocolate Chip Cookie by elimaxandlela. The photo was taken by savorysweetlife, who showed us how to make these incredible cookies in this Tasty Kitchen Blog post.

Did you know that the Cookies subcategory is the largest of all the TK subcategories? We have almost 250 pages of cookie recipes, and that’s not even counting the ones that are gluten-free. There are so many other great cookies in here, so if you have any favorites, give them a shout out!

Here’s wishing you well this weekend, whatever your plans are. May it be filled with love, laughter, and good cheer. And butter, sugar, and chocolate.

Turkeys. They can be such divas sometimes.

First up: gravy. Because let’s face it, sometimes that bird needs a little help. And even the moistest of turkeys never hurt from a bit of gravy slathered over it. Member and culinary expert sallypv says that the question she gets the most on turkey day has to do with making gravy, and she shares her Spare the Angst Classic Turkey Gravy to help those of us who share that gravy stress. Want a quick tip on how to kick up your gravy from the get-go? Check out Amanda’s neat trick below. Hint: the turkey gets wrapped in something that makes everything better.

 
 
 
Next, let’s make some cranberry sauce or relish. It does double and triple duty, too. Aside from its usual turkey responsibilities, you can also slather it on your biscuits, eat it plain, or serve the extra sauce with dessert. Plus, it adds such a beautiful color to your spread. It’s a hard-working berry, that one.

 
 
 
And of course, there’s stuffing. Which, in many cases, ought to get equal billing with the bird. I mean, seriously. I could make a meal of stuffing and gravy and be perfectly content. (Uh-oh. I heard an ominous gobble behind me. Wait … false alarm. That was me. Hmm. That should probably scare me more, right?)

 
 
 
If you need to avoid gluten, you can certainly make the necessary substitutes for any of the recipes above. Or check out a few more options that are already gluten-free.

 
 
 
Now that I think about it, with sides like these, I almost think I won’t miss the bird. (Did you see that? I think the turkey just gave me the evil eye.)

So while that diva is bathing and prepping herself (or himself—guys can be divas, too) for the big day, have some fun browsing the great recipes we have here and fill your table with all kinds of holiday goodness. Who knows, you just might discover your newest holiday favorite!

I love you in the morning, when I can start my day with you in my belly. You singlehandedly (singlespudly?) arm me with—wait for it—769% of my daily recommended value of vitamin A, which helps me see the corner of the bed more clearly and avoid stubbing my toe. I remember that one morning I rushed out forgetting to say hello to you, and I misread the train stop sign and wound up in Fiji. Never again, my love. Never again.

 
 
 
I love you when the evenings turn chilly, and all I want is a warm bowl of soup to comfort me. You’re packed with calcium, which helps me fold my legs in all kinds of positions so I can sit on the couch under the covers and balance my bowl on my knees while watching reruns of Three’s Company. And I love that you don’t tell anyone about it.

 
 
 
I love you on the days when I actually wear proper clothes—decent clothes fit for public consumption—because people (real people!) are coming over. You don’t demand to be the center of attention, and are equally happy playing a supporting role on the side, content with simply making me look good in front of my friends. (Do you have any single brothers? Just asking.)

 
 
 
I love you after dinner, when you pull out all the stops and amaze me with all the different ways you can entice me with your orange (or yellow) beauty. I marvel at how you can transform yourself from humble spud to decked out princess. Or prince. (How do I tell?)

 
 
 
As a baker who always works with her hands, I love you for all your antioxidants that help my body fight inflammation and arthritis. When I look at your gnarled and crooked face as you sit quietly in my vegetable bowl, I know your empathy toward my gnarled and crooked fingers is real. (High five.)

 
 
 
And I know my friend Zee the pasta-fiend loves you too, especially when she gets to say “gnocchi” over and over again. (It is a strange-sounding word, I’ll admit.) You play nice with all the other pastas, happy to be stuffed inside, mixed in the dough, or chopped up in the sauce. Everybody loves a team player, and everyone knows there is no “I” in sweet potato.

 
 
 
How much more can I say about you, oh sweet potato? I love you morning, afternoon, and night, when the snack monster attacks and will not be appeased until it gets something crunchy or sweet or salty or doughy. You make snacking fun and healthy, which is probably why George Washington wanted you with him in his Virginia farm. 

 
 
 
I can go on and on about the wonders of you, and if I called you a superfood, it would be true. But you would blush and start looking like a beet. So I won’t do that. Instead, I will end my ode by once more declaring my undying love for you—a love so great that I am willing to share you with everyone else.

The end.

 
 
—
Note: Click on any of the photos to be taken directly to its recipe page. This is not part of the ode. Over and out.

Let’s start with our resident Canuck: Dara (cookincanuck), who is now based in Utah. Dara is a prolific food blogger and Tasty Kitchen member. She’s also a regular here at the Tasty Kitchen Blog. Believe me, it was difficult trying to pick out only a few recipes to showcase from her 115-strong recipe box, but I gave it my best shot.

I’m sneaky like that.

Ice cream is the perfect summer treat, and with the current heatwave hitting many areas of the country, I almost can’t decide whether to binge on it or bathe in it. Seriously, man. It’s hot outside. Let’s just all stay in and make ice cream.

(See how I snuck that in again? I’m telling you. Ping me if you need me to craft custom excuses to make copious amounts of ice cream in your home.)

Today, we’ll do a rundown of two main types of ice cream. First we’ll show you some egg-free ice cream recipes. Some purists will insist this is technically what ice cream should be, hence the name ice cream. Ice cream made without eggs is usually easier and quicker, and is sometimes referred to as Philadelphia, New York, or American-style ice cream. Though this style of ice cream doesn’t require any cooking, Alton Brown says that bringing the milk or cream up to about 170ºF then letting it cool before churning greatly improves the texture of the finished product.

(Note: I goofed and mistakenly included the Orange Julius ice cream here. It belongs to the custard-based lineup. Oops!)

You can get incredibly creative with these, too. And by golly, you have. You kill me with all your incredible concoctions, creating all these frozen versions of our favorite desserts. Banana bread ice cream? Strawberry cheesecake ice cream? Pecan pie ice cream? My goodness. Will one of you adopt me please?

Now we’ll lay some custard-based ice creams on you. Custard-based ice cream is basically the same, but with a higher concentration of egg yolks. It is sometimes referred to as frozen custard or French ice cream. Since eggs are a natural emulsifier, these tend to be richer and smoother than egg-free versions. The egg yolks also give them a pale yellow tinge, which is apparent when you compare a scoop of the ubiquitous bright white vanilla ice cream and a scoop of French vanilla ice cream.

Here are some custard-based ice creams paired nicely with fruit. Maybe it’s just that fruit really goes well with ice cream, or maybe, particularly with the richer custard-based versions, the fruit provides a nice balance of flavor. Whatever the reason, what I’m sure of is that I just want more of it.

If you’re lactose-intolerant, have dairy allergies or simply want to avoid dairy, fret not. Though not technically ice cream, here are a few of ice cream’s cousins you can enjoy without feeling like you’re missing out. Some use coconut milk instead, and some are just straight-up sorbets. Sorbets, according to the FDA, are water ices and contain no milk or eggs. But if you need to stay away from eggs completely, be sure to read the label or recipe carefully. Some sorbets can contain egg whites.

And there you go! That was a tour of my freezer rundown of just a few of the ice cream recipes here in Tasty Kitchen, and we hope you find a few new favorites. I didn’t even show you any gelatos and sherbets yet. Oh well. Guess we’ll have to do that in a separate post.

So make some ice cream this week, and unleash your inner Ben & Jerry! Then come back here and share your creations. I’ll be anxiously waiting here. In the shade. Fanning the heat away with one hand while the other hand holds an ice cream cone.