A traditional favorite: Quiche Lorraine

When I wrote about my new pie weights a few days ago, I didn't elaborate on how to make quiche. Quiche is not quite as in vogue as it was a few years back, but it is so worth the effort. It can be a main dish, or a wonderful side with a bowl of rich soup and a plate of salad. This dish is versatile-- you can add spinach, onions, chopped broccoli or peppers to make a veggie quiche; crab or shrimp for a seafood quiche; or stick to tradition to make Quiche Lorraine with bacon and Swiss cheese.

The traditional is my favorite. This recipe is loosely based on one I found in Julia Child's "The French Chef Cookbook," which features dishes from her first series of television shows broadcast in 1963:

Quiche Lorraine

1 baked 9-inch pie shell
6 to 8 pieces thick-sliced bacon, cooked to medium crispness
1 to 1-1/2 cups grated Swiss cheese
1-1/2 cups half-and-half
Pinch of nutmeg
4 large eggs

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Slice bacon into 1-inch slices. Spread evenly on bottom of pastry shell. Spread cheese evenly over bacon. Beat eggs, half-and-half and nutmeg in a bowl. Place pie shell on middle rack in oven, pull rack out so you can pour the egg mixture into the pie shell. Carefully slide rack back into place. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until knife inserted about an inch from the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.