My first post!

I should explain the story behind the name of my blog.  In my family, when you do something very well you are the Bitch.  My mom is the Gumbo Bitch, my sister's mother-in-law is the Pie Bitch, and so on and so forth.  I've been called the Gravy Bitch for years, it's a running joke in my family.  I come from a long line of good cooks.  Sometimes, I think my life began in the kitchen.  I don't remember a time when I wasn't in the kitchen with my Grandmothers, Mom, or my Aunts.  I have very early memories of shelling pecans at Memaw's kitchen table, or picking crabmeat from the shell at Mamaw's table. My first job was babysitting in Mauriceville, Texas.  I would cook while at other people's homes! This blog is for all the funny, smart and very capable women in my life! My daughters have been asking me for years to document some of the food they love.

Today I am making a frittata.  I usually don't plan too far ahead when I cook, mainly because I don't like to shop for groceries.  I crank up the music ( today Maroon 5), look in the fridge and pantry for inspiration.

Basically, a frittata is a quiche without the crust and I like lots of stuff in mine.

Ingredients:

9 large eggs
1 small bunch green onions, chopped, about 1 cup
3 small hothouse or locally grown tomatoes (plum tomatoes will also work), sliced in half - lengthwise, seeded and chopped, about 1 cup
1 lb. fresh pan sausage, browned in non-stick skillet
3 oz. Pepper Jack cheese
3 oz. Baby Swiss cheese
3 Tbl. half and half
Freshly grated black pepper

Equipment:

10" non-stick skillet, oven-proof (no plastic or wooden handles)
large bowl
whisk
silicon spatula

Saute fresh pan sausage in non-stick skillet over medium high heat until browned and cooked through. You don't need any oil if using a non-stick skillet.  Remove cooked sausage from pan and pour off excess fat from sausage. Just leave a slight coating on pan.  Chop green onions and tomatoes, grate cheese.  Whisk eggs in large bowl, add all other ingredients including some freshly grated pepper. I used about 1/4 teaspoon. You don't need to add any salt to this dish, the cheese and sausage have plenty. 

Move oven rack to about 6 - 8 inches from top broiler elements.

Turn on broiler in oven to High, close door and let oven warm.

Heat skillet over medium heat, add egg mixture to pan and spread evenly.  Let cook about 10 -12 minutes without stirring until edges start to brown and mixture is firm at sides, but center is still runny. If you gently use spatula to move edge away from pan, it should be lightly brown at this point.

Turn broiler to Low and place skillet in oven.  Leave under broiler for about 5 minutes.  Top of frittata should be lightly browned and puffed.  Remove and cool in pan for 5 minutes on a rack.

Loosen edges from pan and slide onto plate.  If it doesn't slide out, tap pan on counter to loosen. Makes 8 generous portions.