#csabox

I am not a technical baker. I am a firm believer that nothing needs to be exact, and that everything will at least kinda-sorta turn out. My father on the other hand, the former Executive Pastry Chef for the Four Seasons Hotel wholeheartedly disagreed. So much so, that he informed 8-year-old-me that I would never make it in a professional kitchen because my chocolate chip cookies were not the same size. 

YIKES. It’s fine. I got over it. 

Lately, I have been very successful with making brunch foods, because they are 100% inexact. You can put whatever you want in it, and it generally turns out OK. I have never followed a recipe for quiche, but here is one that I wrote, and then illustrated during a virtual hand lettering session with SS Letters. 

You can use this as a guide in your own quiche-making adventures. I generally use 1 egg per person and eyeball the milk (remember, not exact!), but if it seems too liquidy, or not liquidy enough you can either add more cheese, or add another egg. 

Remember, quiche is made from the heart, not from the head.

This is a gluten-free crust recipe, but you can use any crust recipe. My favorite for quiche is 50% AP flour and 50% whole wheat flour. With the gluten free crust, make sure that you give it enough tie to chill. It is very delicate, and will stick to everything if you try to roll it out at room temperature. You also don’t need to leave any hanging off the side of your pie-tin. It will melt off, burn at the bottom of your oven, and cause the smoke alarm to go off. 

When I was little, I would run around the backyard eating tomatoes as if they were apples. The seeds would drip down my chin, onto my clothes, and get all over the place. Shockingly, my mother did not share my level of enthusiasm for tomato tag. However, on the bright side, we always had some surprise tomato plants the next year. 

While Tomatoes are still my favorite fruit-vegetable, and I do still eat them raw while running around the backyard, I have also discovered tomato toast. 

Step 1: Heat up some olive oil in a small frying pan 

Step 2: Smash a garlic clove and add it to the pan. (If you really like onions, you can also use a few onion slices) 

Step 3: Slice up some tomatoes and throw them in the pan as well. 

Step 4: Season with salt, pepper, and basil. 

Step 5: Cook for about 2 minutes, or until it looks “jammy” 

Step 6: Add ~1 tsp of apple cider vinegar and ~1TB of butter 

Step 7: Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, toast a piece of bead. 

Step 8: Put your lovely tomato jam on your toast. 

Enjoy! 

In March, my sister and I decided to splurge and sign up for a weekly CSA box. Now we get fresh fruits and vegetables every week, and we don’t have to go to the grocery store as often. Now I have to practice what I preach, and actually eat my vegetables. 

Step 1: sauté some of your favorite veggies and flavor with salt and pepper. For this recipe, I used onions, peppers, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, and corn.  

Step 2: Follow the directions on the Korean Pancake Flour of your choice to make the batter. I use Beksul Korean Pancake Mix. I generally only make 1/3 of the suggested amount. 

Step 3: Add the vegetables to the pancake mix. 

Step 4: In the same vegetable pan, heat up ~2TB of vegetable oil. 

Step 4: Take ~1C of your batter and plop it in the pan. Use an offset spatula or a wooden spoon to spread it as thinly as possible. 

Step 5: Run away or duck  to avoid getting sprayed by hot oil

Step 6: After about 2 minutes, or until you think it might be cripsy, slip the pancake using a spatula. 

Repeat Step 5.Cook until both sides are crispy, flipping again if needed.