Pi Day and Kimchi Cheddar Quiche

Pi Day and Kimchi Cheddar Quiche

Celebrating Pi Day
with
Kimchi Bacon Cheddar Quiche

In celebration of Pi Day, I’m sharing one interesting and tasty pie! My Kimchi Bacon Cheddar Quiche with a Quinoa Crust!

Napa cabbage kimchi and sharp cheddar cheese is one of my favorite combinations – kimchi’s zingy fermented flavors and rich full-bodied cheddar, together create an amazing food synergy.

Besides being gluten-free and high in protein and fiber, the quinoa crust has a delightful crunchy-chewy texture, counterbalancing the creamy cheesy custardy filling. In addition to kimchi and cheddar, I add bacon and scallions too. So there is no shortage of flavor in this savory pie!

Kimchi Cheddar Quiche

Larry Shaw worked at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, and he is credited with founding Pi Day in 1988. Shaw and his colleagues at the Exploratorium celebrated the mathematical constant π (pi) on March 14th (3/14) because the date matches the first three digits of π (3.14).

But why pie? 🥧
The connection is a pun—the word “pie” is pronounced the same as “pi,” making it the perfect food for a math celebration.

Plus, a pie is round, just like the circle that pi helps define. Pi represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, so eating pie on Pi Day is a fun, edible homage to this mathematical constant.

Although Pi is Irrational,
It’s Not Irrational to Eat Pie on Pi Day!
Join the Fun
Eat Pie Today!

Kimchi Cheddar Quiche

Kimchi Quiche with Quinoa Crust Recipe
And 5 Fun Facts About Pi

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Extra Smoky Eggplant Dip (Baba Ganoush)

Extra Smoky Eggplant Dip (Baba Ganoush)

🍆 Extra Smoky Eggplant Dip 🍆
Baba Ganoush

Baba ganoush is a beloved Middle Eastern dip that celebrates the smoky, earthy flavors of roasted eggplant.

At its core, baba ganoush is made from charred or roasted eggplant, which is blended with tahini (sesame seed paste), garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. The result is a creamy, slightly tangy, and nutty dip with a hint of smokiness, thanks to the roasted eggplant.

Here, the traditional ingredients are used but for extra smokiness a few drops of natural hickory liquid smoke are added. Fans of smoky foods will swoon over this recipe.

Served with pita, cucumber, radish, and gluten-free crackers, this is a terrific vegan appetizer to serve before Thanksgiving (or any) big dinner. With wide appeal, it has tons of flavor, color, and crunch and won’t fill up your guests before the main event.

Extra Smoky Eggplant Dip Recipe

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Socca (savory chickpea pancake)

Socca (savory chickpea pancakes)

Socca (savory chickpea pancake)

Topped with a Salad of Spring Lettuce
Egg, Feta, Radish, Chili, Olives, Dill, Lemon, Tahini Sauce

Socca, a savory chickpea pancake, is known as Nice’s original street food. Often served au naturel in Provence, cut into shards as snack, pleasantly with a glass of chilled rosé. Socca can also be served with all kinds of toppings for a delightful lunch. It is usually baked on a large round flat copper pan in a wood-burning oven.

In this recipe, nontraditional cumin and smoked paprika added to the batter mimic the smokiness of a wood-burning oven. And a non-stick skillet on the stovetop stands in for the copper pan and makes cooking the socca a breeze.

Socca As A Snack with Rosé

Socca as a snack with Rosé

Socca Recipe

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Not Your Usual “Leftover Turkey” Recipe

Turkey with Sweet Potato Noodles

Turkey with Sweet Potato Noodles
Chili Oil Sauce, Celery, Fresh Herbs, Peanuts

Wow. We were so impressed with a version of this edgy recipe for leftover turkey from San Francisco Chef Brandon Jew. It’s the opposite of everything one thinks of Thanksgiving leftovers:  spicy, cool, vinegary, vibrant, herby, even tingling…the Chef says it’s a nod to the Sichuan dish ma la ji pian that typically features chicken chunks in chili oil. Those looking for a leftover turkey recipe that is deliciously out-of-the-box will be extremely excited about this one.

Made only from sweet potato starch and water, sweet potato noodles are also known as Korean glass noodles. They do not contain wheat so these noodles are naturally gluten-free, and are slightly chewy and springy with a neutral flavor perfect for absorbing chili oil sauce.

My adaptation of Chef Jew’s recipe is below, using more readily available ingredients and it’s a bit less spicy to boot. If Sichuan peppercorns are not available, leaving them out will eliminate the tingling sensation, but this dish will still be worth making! His original recipe is here.

Turkey with Sweet Potato Noodles Recipe

Plus My “Do Nothing” Recipe for Cooking a  Perfect Turkey

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Black Bean Soup with Salsa Verde

Black Bean Soup with Salsa Verde

Fiesta in a Bowl
Black Bean Soup with Salsa Verde

This is one sassy black bean soup. It is easy to make and gets a kick of heat and smoky authentic flavor from the addition of fire-roasted salsa verde added at the end of cooking. Let each diner go crazy with the garnishes according to their own taste: pickled red onion, garlic crema, tomato, jalapeño, and cilantro all add to this fiesta in a bowl. The black bean canvas is artistically painted with a array of flavors, textures, and colors. 

With only 4 ingredients (tomatillos, jalapeños, salt, and water) –  our favorite Salsa de Molcajete Verde from the refrigerated section at the supermarket, adds robust Mexican taste without having to take the extra steps to roast chiles and tomatillos over an open flame. 

Black Bean Soup with Salsa Verde Recipe

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