Back in the eighties, it was bad to be a quiche-eater. Being secure in my manliness, I never paid much attention to the opprobrium heaped on consumers of egg pie. While in France during the late 1970s, I came to appreciate the essential yumminess of Quiche as well as the bewildering array of possible variations. We ate it a lot, and so did the French, because it was cheap and delicious.

Its not a lot of work to put one together, but you will need about 90 minutes to fully cook it. Its worth it though, because quiche can be put in the fridge and eaten the next day and the day after, warmed or cold--I make it on Sunday so I have a couple of meals during the week that I can simply go into the fridge and have something ready to eat

Quiche Lorraine isn't named after a housewife whose specialty it was, but the Lorraine region of France, which used to be the border area between France and Germany before the Alsace was awarded to France after the first world war. It features bacon or ham and Gruyère cheese. Gruyère is a Swiss cheese, not to be confused with "Swiss cheese" which is more properly called Emmental (the one with the big holes). Gruyère is a great cooking cheese that adds savory complexity to any dish. In the past, Its been difficult to find, but Costco seems to be carrying it with some regularity these days.

Its expensive, about 8-10 bucks for a block which will make two large 10" pies. Should you substitute something cheaper?

Nope.

In my view, if you can't use Gruyère, make something besides quiche because it just going to produce a disappointing result.

Pie Crust

1 c. flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. butter flavored shortening
1/4 c. cold water

Mix the salt and flour and add shortening. Cut-in until you achieve a consistent texture, then add cold water all at once and stir a few strokes. Dump onto a floured surface and turn the dough over a couple of times until coated with flour. Roll out a little and continue flouring until the dough is large enough to cover a 10 in pie plate. Roll onto the pin and then onto the pie pan and adjust so it fills all the corners.

Poke the pie shell liberally with a fork and place in a preheated 450 degree oven for about five minutes or so to cook the shell so that it sets and browns very slightly.

Quiche Lorraine

1 - 10 in. pie shell, pre-cooked
4 strips of bacon fried by not crispy. Cut into lardons. Alternatively, about 4 oz chopped good quality ham (not water-added ham...)
4 eggs
2 c. half-and-half cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh-ground pepper
pinch nutmeg
4 oz finely shredded Gruyère cheese
4 oz sliced mushrooms (optional)

Over the bottom of the shell, distribute the bacon or ham evenly. Place mushrooms (if applicable) over the ham/bacon. Spread grated cheese evenly over the entire pie. Carefully pour in the egg mixture.

Place on cookie sheet to catch any spill, and put into a 375 degree oven for one hour, or until a knife inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

UPDATE: Instapundit has an uncharacteristically long post on non-stick cookware. I really only use non-stick for omelets and other egg variations. Last year I bought an enameled cast-iron dutch oven made by Le Creuset in France and I find I use this pot for almost everything these days. I've seen some similar products for less money, but I can't vouch for their quality (and they don't come in the pretty orange color...)