Across the Kitchen Table:

The Secrets of Perfect Quiche

How to Make Your Own Cheese and Be Whey Cool

Easter Breads Around the World

Try These
Authentic Recipes

Danish Easter Bread (Paskefestbrod)

Greek Easter Bread (Tsourekia)

Hot Cross Buns

Italian Easter Bread

Polish Easter Bread

Beautiful yeast breads are part of this rich Easter tradition in many cultures. In a quick study of cookbooks and the Web, I found Russian, Greek, Polish, Danish, Italian, Ukrainian, English, and Austrian Easter breads. Usually braided or baked in a mold, they are often studded with raisins, nuts, and fruit and are lavish in their post-Lenten use of butter, eggs, spices, and sugar.

Hot cross buns, originally served on Good Friday in the British Isles, date back to the Middle Ages. In fact, they became so wildly popular as everyday fare during the reign of Elizabeth I of England that in order to regulate their size and weight she decreed in 1592 that bakeries could not make "spice buns" except for funerals, Christmas, and Good Friday gatherings.

Because sweet dough by its nature has larger proportions of sugar, fat, and eggs than plain bread dough, the "lifting power" of the yeast is weakened. To adjust for this, recipes often call for up to twice as much yeast as in an equivalent amount of plain dough. Bakers should expect sweet dough to rise more slowly.

Another way to compensate for the rich ingredients is to start with a sponge: dissolve the yeast in about 1 cup of the warm liquid (water or milk) called for in the recipe, along with 1 tablespoon of the sweetener and 1 cup of the flour. Let this mixture foam and bubble for about 1/2 hour to give the yeast extra oomph, then add the remaining liquid, sweetener, salt, shortening, flour, and other ingredients specified in the recipe. Toss any dried fruit or nuts with the last cup of flour before adding them to the dough.

Although it is tempting to make huge celebratory loaves, they can be disappointing if they spread out too much or fail to bake in the center. When shaping these batches of sweet dough, keep in mind that the finished product will be at least double the size of the raw dough. Since most of the sweet doughs are not as firm as bread dough, they tend to slump when baked free-form. To counter this, braid the loaves tightly, or use pans or aluminum foil "walls" to maintain the shape. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the center of the loaf tests done when a toothpick is inserted. If the center isn't done but the crust is already browned, cover the loaf with aluminum foil and continue baking until done.

The recipe links at the beginning of this article are a sampling of centuries-old Easter foodways from northern Europe, Russia, and the Mediterranean basin. Perhaps one of them, or a variation, is already part of your Easter celebration. If not, there's no time like the present to start a new family tradition.

In Search of Apple Pie Recipes

Cook and food writer Ken Haedrich is working on a book devoted exclusively to apple pie. If you have a family recipe, especially one that's a bit unusual or has some history, Ken will consider it for publication in his book. He'd also like to know what particular kind of apple you prefer for pie, especially if it's an antique or uncommon variety. E-mail kenhaedrich@hotmail.com, and put "Apple Pie" in the subject field. Thank you for your help!

The Secrets of Perfect Quiche: An Interview with Ken Haedrich

I called Ken Haedrich, one of the best pastry handlers and cooks around, to unearth a few professional secrets. Hard at work on a new book about soup and yet another on apple pie, Ken was glad to take a break and think about quiche.

He started with the pastry. "I use butter exclusively," he said, explaining that he thinks vegetable shortening interferes with the taste of the quiche. He rarely uses lard. "For tender pastry," he continued, "one trick is to use about one-third cake flour in the crust, the rest all-purpose flour. The low-gluten cake flour helps give the crust a tender texture." Ken makes his crust in a food processor, where the secret is not to over-process. He uses the machine to combine the ingredients, but stops before the dough forms a ball and does the rest by hand.

"I chill the dough for 45 minutes to an hour, then roll it directly onto wax paper, invert it over a tart pan, and simply lift off the paper." He likes to sculpt a half-inch rim that will help contain the filling when it puffs up.

Ken always "blind bakes" (pre-bakes) a quiche crust so that it won't get soggy once the filling is added. To do this, he pricks the bottom of the crust with a fork, puts pie weights or dry beans in the crust to keep it from puffing up, and puts it in a hot (400°F) oven for about 20 minutes.

The crust can be made ahead and filled later. If fork-holes still show in the bottom of the baked crust, Ken either lays thin shavings of cheddar cheese over the holes, or makes a slurry of flour and water and spackles the holes so that the filling won't leak through and make the crust soggy.

Quiche filling is basically a simple custard—a combination of eggs and either cream or milk in the ratio of 1 egg to each 1/2 cup milk or cream, with optional additions of grated cheese, fresh or cooked vegetables, meat, seafood, and seasonings. Although we think of cheese as an integral part of quiche, you won't find it in classic quiche Lorraine. (See Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking for a great explanation of quiche and variations.)

"I encourage people to play with quiche filling, be inventive, and use a variety of cheeses," Ken says. "For instance, I like to use Brie with roasted or sun-dried tomatoes, bleu cheese with mushrooms or walnuts, and smoked cheddar and broccoli. Sometimes I make a Mediterranean style, with sautéed zucchini and cubes of eggplant. And don't skimp on salt: for a 9-inch quiche, you'll need half a teaspoon of salt."

Although quiche is most often baked in a straight-sided tart pan, Ken also uses odd size pans that he simply likes the looks of. "I have a 4-inch by 14-inch pan that is wonderful for quiche, and an 8-inch by 12-inch shallow casserole dish that works. Sometimes I use little individual pans for something different," he says.

Ken bakes quiche on a center oven rack, moving it to the top rack for the last few minutes of baking to brown the top if needed. He likes to serve quiche at room temperature, which brings out the most flavor.

Ken's book Country Baking (Bantam Books, 1990; available in bookstores or online) has several recipes for quiche and savory pies. He offers the following recipe just for Another Bite readers. It's an unusual broccoli-polenta quiche that is baked in a pie pan rather than a tart pan. Add a salad or a loaf of French bread, plus that glass of white wine, and you'll be all set.

Broccoli Polenta Quiche

Combine the flours and salt in a food processor; pulse briefly to mix. Scatter butter over dry ingredients. Process in short bursts for about 8 seconds, until butter is in fine bits.

Whisk egg yolk and water in a small bowl and pour over the flour mixture. Pulse the machine in 3-second bursts until the mixture starts to form large clumps of crumbs; do not process until it forms a ball. Dump out onto your work surface and pack together like a snowball. Knead 2 or 3 times to distribute butter. Place on a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into a 3/4" disk. Wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes (or for up to 2 days; if longer than 45 minutes, let stand at room temperature for 5 or 10 minutes before rolling).

On a sheet of wax paper, roll dough into a 12" circle. Invert over a 9" deep-dish pie pan, center, then peel paper off. Tuck pastry into pan, sculpting into an upstanding ridge. Place in freezer for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F.

To pre-bake, press a large piece of aluminum foil into the pan and weight it down with 1 pound of dry beans or pie weights. Bake pastry for 15 minutes; remove foil and weights. With a fork, poke the bottom pastry in 4 or 5 places, and bake it for another 7 or 8 minutes. Cool on a rack before filling.

Broccoli-Polenta Filling:
2-1/2 cups broccoli florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1-3/4 cups milk
1/3 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1-1/2 cups loosely packed grated sharp Cheddar cheese
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil

Steam broccoli until just tender; cool. Heat oil in a medium skillet and sauté onion until translucent. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375°F.

Combine milk and cornmeal in a small saucepan. Gradually bring to a boil, whisking often. Once it starts to thicken, cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat and stir in cheese, half at a time. Cool for several minutes, then whisk in eggs, mustard, and seasonings. Stir in onions.

Arrange broccoli in pie shell. Scrape polenta mixture on top, wiggling it with a spoon so it settles. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until set and browned on top. Cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes before serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Quiche Bicyclette

Filling:
8 spears of asparagus, steamed or blanched for 2 minutes
1-1/2 cups whole milk or light cream (or a combination)
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated Havarti or other cheese
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Trim the steamed asparagus spears to about 4" long. Set the 4" tips aside and cut the ends of the stalks into 1/2" pieces. Distribute the 1/2" pieces on the pie shell. Beat the milk, eggs, salt, and pepper together and pour gently over the asparagus pieces. Sprinkle evenly with the grated cheese. Arrange the 4" tips so that they radiate from the center of the quiche like spokes of a wheel. Dust with paprika. Bake at 375°F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until custard is set. Serve at room temperature. Makes 8 slices.

How to Make Your Own Cheese and Be Whey Cool

Web Resources for the Novice Cheese Maker

Writer Clifton Fadiman called cheese "milk's leap to immortality." He'd no doubt be pleased at the popularity of specialized "artisan" cheeses on the market, and perhaps bemused by the prices consumers are willing to pay.

We too often lose sight of the fact that simple cheeses can be made at home in the kitchen. For starters, you don't need a herd of cows, a flock of sheep, a barn, or stainless steel vats the size of your living room to make your own cheese. You just need milk, a coagulating agent (rennet or an acid), and simple equipment you probably already own, such as a thermometer, large sieve or colander, tightly woven cheesecloth, and non-reactive pans and bowls.

Food historians figure that the first cheese was made eons ago when someone—a shepherd, perhaps—poured milk into a skin bag made from a calf's stomach (the first thermos bottle?) and was surprised to find hours later that the liquid had turned into a solid. Rennet, an enzyme in the lining of the calf's stomach, had worked its magic in transforming milk into cheese.

In many parts of the world—especially India, Russia, and the Middle East—people on farms still make cheese daily on a small scale. It's a smart way of preserving the fat and protein in milk by making it into a less perishable, more portable food. Since 10 pounds of milk yields roughly 1 pound of cheese, it's also a way to cope with large amounts of fluid milk.

The recipes that follow will make manageable amounts of fresh, soft cheese that can be sliced or spread onto bagels, bread, and crackers; used to top pizza and foccacia; incorporated into tart, cake, and quiche recipes; enhanced with chopped fresh herbs, olives, or nuts for dips; or blended into a smooth and creamy sauce.

To make aged hard cheese such as Parmesan or Cheddar, or mold-bathed cheese such as Roquefort or Stilton, you will need a major upgrade of your methods, equipment, livestock, and patience. But for the joy of eating fresh mozzarella the day it is made or offering a friend a bowl of homemade cottage cheese and fruit, try one or more of the following recipes. Although farmstead cheese is traditionally made with raw milk, all of these recipes will work with pasteurized milk. Whole milk will give a better yield and richer flavor than low-fat milk.

Queso Blanco

Queso Blanco ("white cheese") is a South American cheese similar to Indian Panir. It is an excellent cooking cheese.

Warm one gallon of milk to 195°F. Stir the milk often to keep it from scorching. When the milk is at 195°F, stir in 1/4-1/2 cup vinegar (this can be cider, grain, or herb vinegar.) Turn the heat off and let the hot milk set for 10 minutes. The milk will quickly coagulate into solid white curd particles and clear green liquid whey.

Line a colander with fine cheesecloth and pour in the curds and whey. Hang the bag of curd to drain for one hour or until it has stopped dripping. Remove the cheese from the cloth. It will be a solid mass of curd and may be wrapped in plastic and stored in the refrigerator until ready for use.

Queso Blanco can be cut into 1/2-inch cubes and used in a variety of dishes. It is uniquely suited for cooking because it will not melt. In fact, it is the only cheese that can be deep fried without melting. Added to such dishes as spaghetti, soup, or stir-fried vegetables, the cheese will take on the flavor of the surrounding food. By itself the cheese has a mild and distinctly sweet taste.

www.cheesemaking.com: best source we found for the home-based cheese maker, including supplies, recipes, workshops, and loads of encouragement. Web site for New England Cheesemaking Supply Co. in Ashfield, Mass., a reliable source for the home cheesehead. Owners Ricki and Robert Carroll are authors of "Cheesemaking Made Easy," which demystifies the process. Try their recipes for Lemon Cheese and Queso Blanco. They sell an inexpensive "kit" for making mozzarella.

www.cheese.com: general resource with fruitful links and recipes for Paneer and other ethnic cheeses to make at home.

www.cheesesociety.org: explains the issue of raw vs. pasteurized milk; good resource list.

www.countrylife.net: helpful section on farmstead cheese making.

www.fiascofarm.com: one family's adventures in the dairy business.

Lemon Cheese

This is a quick and easy introduction to cheese making.

Warm 1/2 gallon of milk to 165°F. Stir often to avoid scorching. Add the juice of two lemons to the milk. Stir and allow to set off the stove for 15 minutes.

The warm milk will separate into a stringy curd and a greenish liquid whey. Line a colander with cheesecloth and pour the curds and whey into the colander. Save the whey for baking bread if desired. Tie four corners of the cheesecloth into a knot and hang the bag of curds to drain for an hour or until it stops dripping.

Remove the cheese from the cloth and place it in a bowl. Add salt to taste—usually about 1/4 teaspoon. You may mix in herbs. Fresh dill is delicious. Place the cheese in a covered container and store in the refrigerator. This cheese will keep up to a week. It is a moist spreadable cheese with a hint of lemon taste.

Tip: spread Lemon Cheese on a warm corn muffin.

Yogurt Cheese

The only ingredient is 32 ounces of plain whole-milk yogurt.

Pour the yogurt into the cheesecloth and lay the fabric over the yogurt. Let the whey drain from the solids. When most of the dripping has stopped, tie the corners of the cheesecloth like a kerchief and suspend the bundle with a wooden spoon or chopstick above the bowl, making sure the bundle does not touch the whey. (The whey may be poured off as it accumulates and used in breadmaking, fed to a pig, or discarded.) Move the bowl and bundle to the refrigerator and let it drain overnight, or for up to 48 hours. Unwrap the cheese and enjoy it as a sandwich or bagel spread or as a base for dips.

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