A Tale of Two Women

My daughter, Shannan, and I are as different as any two people could be. It's funny too, because so many people think because our voices are similar and we both have the same mannerisms that we are alike, but nothing could be farther from the fact.

I am short, fair, all-American looking, and I remind everyone of someone they used to know. Shann is tall and tans beautifully. She has an exotic, European look to her that comes from her real dad, and only has my eyes to testify that she and I are related. I love the arts - all of them. I swoon at Italian operas, never miss a Carolina Ballet production in Winston Salem, adore jazz, history is my favorite pass time next to cooking and I am a loud, joyous singer. My idea of rest and relaxation is being trapped in a car with my real husband and driving 4 hours to Wilmington, North Carolina for a lunch at our favorite restaurant and coming right back home. All of the above would only be torture for my daughter.

Shannan does not live to cook; she cooks to live and would be just as happy to survive on a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee for the rest of her life. She has been bored with my attempts to initiate her into the world of the arts since she was a child. She likes country and western music, hates traveling in a car anywhere, and her idea of history is the last soccer game her youngest son was involved in.

Where I feel the most alive and the most "real me" is when I am singing a solo in my church. Shannan (although she has a lovely voice and enjoys singing) makes herself so sick at the prospect of getting up in front of other people, it just isn't worth it to her.

If you want to show me love, spend time with me and give me words of affirmation. I want to waste as much time as possible listening to every word you say, staring lovingly into your eyes. For Shannan, 25 word or less would be perfect. She, like my mother, would say, "Talk is cheap." And time means nothing to her unless she is being "productive." Yet she is my oldest and dearest friend. No one except my brother can make me laugh harder and louder than she does (I must admit though, that my brother can actually make me snort when I laugh).

I can only remember one time when food meant anything to her at all. She was 18 years old in her final year of high school and her life had completely turned upside down. She had lost 20 pounds from just not being able to eat anything and she was thin to begin with. I would have done anything, made any food to get her to eat. One dish and one dish only did the trick - my quiche Lorraine.

Recipe:
Maine Quiche Lorraine
Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Crust
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
7 tbs cold butter cut into pieces
1 to 2 tbs ice water, or more if needed

• In a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and butter and run the thing about 10 seconds or until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs .

• With the machine running, add the ice water through the tube and pulse 5 or 6 times, or until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the processor.

• Dump the dough onto a floured surface and roll into a ball, flatten it into a disk, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  

• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to an 11 inch circle and roll it onto your rolling pin to put into your pan. I use a 9-inch fluted tart pan but a 9-inch pie pan is perfect, trim the edges. Refrigerate for at least 30 more minutes.

• Line the the dough in the pan with parchment paper and fill with pie weights (I used dried beans). Bake 12 to 14 minutes. Take out the paper with the weights, and bake another 8 to 10 minutes. Take out of the oven and cool on a rack. Leave the oven on.

Egg Mixture:
6 ounces thick cut bacon, cut into narrow strips
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups half-and-half
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
Pinch nutmeg (the recipe calls for fresh - I use what I have)
1 cup grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese

• In a good size skillet, cook the bacon until crispy and the fat is gone, about 5 minutes and drain on paper towels. Arrange the bacon evenly over the bottom of the baked crust.
  

• In a bowl, beat the eggs, yolks, and half and half. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Pour into the baked crust and cook until it's golden and puffy. It should be set but still a little wiggly in the center, 30 to 35 minutes.

• Take it out of the oven and let cool on a rack for 15 minutes before eating, or else you'll be calling the paramedics for your blistered and burning tongue.

Thought:
I don't make this very often anymore. For one thing Shannan has never needed it again, and neither my real husband or my son-in-law (and I cook mainly for my son-in-law) likes cheese. I will make it anytime it is wanted. I hope I never have to make it again because it is needed.