All five of my children and my grandchildren cook the same way that I do – by watching and observing, and they’ve been helping me cook all of their lives. There’s always something for them to do when we’re in the kitchen, whether it’s chopping and dicing, washing or seasoning. There can never be too many hands when making dinner. Often, I find that kids love to experiment in the kitchen, and I am all for letting them, as long as they stay within range.

Some of the first lessons I ever taught them about cooking was to use their sense of smell and to be brave, bold and not afraid of making mistakes with their creativity. Sometimes, a simple kitchen gaffe can turn into something fantastic if you’re brave and confident enough to fix it.

When they were infants, my kids were securely packed on my chest in Snugglies while I worked in the kitchen. As toddlers I carefully balanced them on one hip while I stirred my pots. They all started learning how to cook when they were as young as 5, and over the years have developed their own versions of the foods that they’ve tasted and like. The two older ones who long ago moved out still call me whenever they get stuck on a recipe.

I love eating food almost as much as I do preparing it. So, whenever I eat something delightful, I use my taste buds to discern the flavorings and come up with my own version of it. Whether I’m eating out in a restaurant,  at some one’s house or remembering the foods that my grandmothers and parents made, I’ve taken copious mental notes to draw from when I’m back in my kitchen.

Back in 1993 I had landed an anchoring gig at 1010 WINS News Radio in New York City. I was desperately looking for a house in Teaneck, N.J., when we stumbled upon a small café’ called Classic Quiche. We’d stopped there to get directions and, also hungry, were delighted to find that the restaurant’s menu was based entirely around quiche, salad and cream of mushroom soup with spinach – all favorites of  ours. The place was tiny, the kind that two people could easily manage. It seemed to be a franchise and the owner, a delightful woman named Sandra, immediately befriended us. Turns out the house we were looking for and eventually moved into was right around the corner, and Classic Quiche became a regular treat for us.

Ever since then, quiche has been a household staple for my family. Although Sandra long ago sold her restaurant, new owners have maintained its simple format  and it remains located in Teaneck.  Although I never asked Sandra to share her recipes, I’ve since become an avid quiche student.

My brother-in-law Bill, who will whip up a quiche on a moment’s notice, has taught me that it’s the perfect comfort food. One, because it’s simple to make, and two, because it can serve as a whole meal in one or as a side dish. I love quiche for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and it’s great either all by itself or with a salad. Quiche is also good as an appetizer, and can be served either right from the oven or cold for lunch the next day. Best yet, it’s simple to make as well as nourishing, and  it has all of the essential nutrients that we need in our diets.

Quiche can include virtually any type of food that you want it to. You can make an entire pie-sized quiche or tiny ones to serve as appetizers. Every time I make quiche my children help develop new combinations. They came up with this one quite by accident when they added soy crumbles.

Spinach/Soy Quiche

Pre-heat oven to 375°F

6 eggs

1 cup mild cheddar cheese (grated)

1 cup Gouda cheese (grated)

¼ cup freshly shaved Parmesan cheese

1 box frozen chopped or whole-leaf spinach, thawed and drained completely

1 pint light cream

1/4 cup 2% milk

2 prepared pie crusts

(Read ingredients on the crust to avoid lard and use prepared crusts made with 100% vegetable oil)

¼ cup soy crumbles

5 button mushrooms, capped and sliced

1/2 vine-ripe tomato (sliced)

Directions

• Beat the eggs and mix with light cream, milk, Gouda and cheddar cheese, and set aside
• Place pie crust in the oven for seven minutes  and then remove them (this takes out the moisture)
• Line the bottom of the crust with soy crumbles
• Whip spinach with eggs, milk and cheese mixture. Bake for 40 minutes until the center is almost firm
• Carefully place mushrooms and sliced tomatoes on the top (they’ll burn if you cook them the entire time)
• Sprinkle with shaved Parmesan and lower heat to 325° F
• Bake for another 20 minutes until cheese is melted and the center is firm.

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