aaahhh... Food!!

Food... I could never hide my love for food... I love to cook and love to eat! :) But before showing you the delicious dinner I prepared for my family tonight, I want to introduce to you {for those who don't know her} a great polimer clay artist: Valentina from Minibonbons on Etsy. She specializes in miniature food {mostly Italian.. he he}. I admire her creativity and the precision she uses in making her little tiny creations.. so perfect and beautiful!! See for yourselves!! I'll share with you some of my favorite :


French Baguette earrings

Blueberry & Lemon Cake and Cookies

 Sicilian Cassata

Aren't they adorable?? I'm a big fan of Valentina!! I hope you all go visit her shop.. there's much more to see! ♥

And now I'll show you what I ate tonight.. La Quiche Lorraine!!  {I think Valentina should make a mini quiche!!}.. here's what is left of mine.. even the children loved it!

It was very easy to make, I want to share the recipe with you: Enjoy!!!

Quiche Lorraine

Crust:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cold, cut into small pieces
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Filling:
4 ounces thick-sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used Italian pancetta)
3 eggs
1½ cups heavy cream
4 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded (about 1 cup shredded)
Salt and pepper

1. Make the Crust: Whisk together the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Cut the butter and the shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Using a rubber spatula, stir in just enough water to bind. Gather into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 20 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Carefully transfer the dough to a 9-inch tart pan. Gently fit the dough into the tart pan and trim any excess off the edge by rolling the rolling pin over top of the pan. Prick the bottom all over with a fork. Line with parchment paper and fill the tart pan with pie weights. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and pie weights and continue baking until the crust is golden brown, 5 to 10 more minutes.

4. Make the Filling: While the crust bakes prepare the filling. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, eggs, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. When the crust comes out of the oven, immediately sprinkle the bacon over the bottom crust, and then slowly pour the egg mixture over the bacon to fill the crust. Bake until the quiche is puffed and brown, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator.

{recipe taken from The Brown Eyed Baker newsletter: www.browneyedbaker.com}