ABRAMS Dinner Party Spotlight: In Praise of Home Cooking...Featuring a Simple Frittata Template #InPraseofHomeCooking #abramsdinnerparty #frittatahowto #weekendbrunch #essentialeggs

The next cookbook I'm featuring as part of the ABRAMS Dinner Party blogging group is Liana Krissoff's encyclopedic In Prase of Home Cooking -- Reasons and Recipes. This cookbook is a must-have resource for learning classic home cooking techniques and recipes. It's perfect for both newer cooks who want to learn no-fail ways to create classic comfort home cooking...and for seasoned cooks who want to perfect cooking methods/techniques. From how to cook a pot of perfectly fluffy rice...to searing a juicy steak...and even perfectly cooking eggs in a variety of ways.

Krissoff offers readers proven cooking techniques that result in perfect fried eggs, fluffy scrambled eggs, and hard-cooked eggs that have a creamy yolk and a tender white. Then, there's her easy-to-master Frittata Template. Instead of being a set recipe, it's a versatile template that can easily be adapted to whatever veggies, cheese, and other proteins that are on hand in your kitchen. Last weekend, I made a brunch frittata with leftover roasted zucchini and yellow squash, sliced cooked potatoes, sauteed mushrooms and onions, and a bit of mozzarella. It came together quickly and baked up tender and delicious. Simply cut the cooked frittata in wedges and serve! 

Frittata Template

from In Praise of Home Cooking

Template Technique:

For the Baking Vessel: A glass baking dish -- a pie plate for example -- works great, because it you can determine doneness by looking at the bottom of your frittata. Coat your baking dish with olive oil, butter, or even nonstick spray. If you like, feel free to sprinkle some breadcrumbs on the bottom and up the sides of your baking dish before filling.

For the Bulk: Leftover cooked veggies are perfect here! Good choices include braised kale or spinach drained of any liquid -- or even thawed frozen spinach, steamed or roasted squash, sliced cooked potatoes, etc. For my frittata, I used sliced potatoes, roasted zucchini and yellow squash, and sauteed mushrooms and onion.

For a pie plate-sized frittata, you will need about 2 cups of veggies -- or enough to fill your baking dish halfway. Evenly distribute the veggies inside the prepped baking dish.

For the Binding Agents: Use 5-6 eggs -- I used an even 6 for my frittata. Crack them into a bowl and whisk well until frothy and evenly combined. NOTE: I added 1/4 cup of milk to my mixture, but the instructions don't call for it. Add some shredded semi-firm cheese like cheddar, Monterey Jack, Swiss, or Gruyere...along with a bit of grated hard cheese like parmesan or cotija. I used mozzarella and parmesan in my frittata. Add black pepper...and also a bit of nutmeg if you like. Chopped fresh herbs are another nice addition.

Pour the egg mixture over the veggies and cheese in the baking dish, nudging the veggies with a fork to let the egg mixture run underneath.

To Bake: Bake frittata at 400℉ for about 25 minutes -- until browned at the edges and set in the center. Cook baked frittata for at least 5 minutes before slicing into wedges and serving.

If you like, garnish each frittata wedge with toppings that pair well with the ingredients inside. Since my frittata contained zucchini, mozzarella, and parmesan, I topped with a bit of marinara and shredded mozzarella.

I am happy that I now have a foolproof method to cook a perfect frittata! I love that it's easily duplicated using whatever leftover veggies, cheeses, and meats I have on hand in my kitchen. That means I can now create endless variations for weekend brunch, weeknight brinner, etc. I hope you will give Krissoff's Frittata a try in your kitchen very soon. It's a keeper for sure!

Disclosure: I received a copy of In Praise of Home Cooking as part of the ABRAMS Dinner Party blogging group. All opinions shared are solely my own.