Comfort food

 this post is written with love and 

dedicated to the memory of a very special girl

who left us too soon,

and to her friends and family who will always remember her.

Shed a little light. Stand it on up. Walk it on down.

We each have a unique creative outlet. Painting, writing, talking, playing music. I cook (which isn't to say I don't do all those other things, too…).

Comfort food derives from comforting cooking and a comforted cook.

the music and shoes*

James Taylor Live with bare feet

the damages

10" nonstick skillet or CAST IRON PAN

large mixing bowl

cutting board

chef's knife

whisk

spatula

hot pad (invest in a handle-shaped silicone hot pad) 

kitchen timer

the ingredients

pat of butter

4" of zucchini

3-4 mushrooms

2 roasted red peppers

6 eggs

1 T parsley

salt, pepper, crushed red chili flakes

the preparation

Preheat your oven to broil. Melt butter over low heat in the skillet. Since you'll next cook eggs in this pan, you want to avoid overheating the pan itself, which causes eggs to burn.

Meanwhile, slice the mushrooms and zucchini into 1/4" rounds and then quarter each slice. Veg pieces of approximately the same size ensures everything cooks at the same rate. Dice the roasted red peppers. Finely chop the parsley and set aside (it's not going in the skillet). Drop the veg into the skillet and sauté for about 5 minutes or until cooked through and still firm.

While the veg sautés, crack the eggs into your mixing bowl. Add about 3/4 of the chopped parsley, a healthy dash of salt, and a regular dash each of crushed red chili flakes and pepper. Whisk together.

Make sure your burner heat is on low. Pour the egg mixture into your sauté pan and slowly stir for about five minutes or until the bottom has set up and the mixture has thickened noticeably. Top the mixture with the remaining roasted red pepper and parsley.

USE A HOT PAD to transfer the sauté pan to your oven. (Thought the handle is not yet hot, using a hot pad at this juncture ensures you establish a habit of ALWAYS think to grab one when combining sauté pans and hot ovens.) Set your timer for 3 minutes.

Complete one quick chore (like wiping down the bathroom mirror or wrapping a gift).

When the timer goes off, check your frittata by USING A HOT PAD to jiggle the sauté pan. Has the mixture set completely? Probably not at this point. Set the timer for another 2-3 minutes, complete another quick chore, and USE A HOT PAD to check the mixture again. When the top of the mixture has turned a golden brown and appears firm, remove your frittata from your oven.

To avoid scratching the bottom of your saute pan, use the spatula to slice the frittata into six wedges.

SERVES SIX pajama'ed loved ones WITH MIMOSAS AND FRUIT SALAD

tips and techniques

while you have the cutting board and knife handy, dice the remaining zucchini and store in a zip-top baggie for use in a pasta dish (either sautéed with pasta drizzled with olive oil and garlic salt, or stewed with a can of tomato sauce for a traditional marinara)

* this new section addresses an interesting request I've gotten separately from several blog followers who want to know what shoes I wear and music I listen to while cooking. Ask and you shall receive. Weirdos.