Clobbered by Camembert

cheese. Cook until the underside of the pancake is desired color of golden brown.

Set the pancakes on two plates. Top with sliced figs. Drizzle with warm maple syrup.

* * *

Grandmother’s Pancake Mix

1 ? cups flour

3 ? teaspoons baking powder

? teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 ? cups milk

1 egg

4 tablespoons butter, melted

Mix together the milk, egg, salt, baking powder, sugar, and butter. Blend in the flour until smooth.

Heat a frying pan or griddle over medium heat. Pour about ? cup pancake mix, using large spoon or ladle, onto the griddle. Let pancake heat to warm brown and flip with a spatula. Brown the other side. Serve hot.

* * *

San Simon Frittata

4 eggs

? cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

? teaspoon salt

? teaspoon white pepper

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons of olive oil

1 turkey sausage, about 4 ounces, diced

2 teaspoons rosemary

? cup red onion, diced

? cup scallions, diced

? cup chopped Roma tomatoes

3 ounces San Simon cheese, sliced [may substitute other     cow’s milk cheese]

Preheat oven on broil.

Mix eggs and Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper in a bowl and set aside.

In 8-inch skillet, saute 1 tablespoon of oil. Toss in diced turkey sausage and rosemary. Saute on medium high for 3-4 minutes. Drain.

Wipe skillet. Add 1 teaspoon of oil. Toss in onion and scallions. Saute on medium high for 3-4 minutes until tender.

Add turkey sausage and egg mixture.

Cook, using spatula to lift cooked edges and allow uncooked eggs to ooze underneath, 3-5 minutes.

In separate 8-inch skillet (that can be safely put into the oven), saute 1 teaspoon of oil. Place hot-oiled skillet upside-down on top of egg mixture skillet. Flip. Cook eggs in new skillet for 2 more minutes.

Pour chopped Roma tomatoes in center of the frittata; spread to edges.

Arrange San Simon on top.

Broil frittata in oven for 3-5 minutes. (Be careful not to burn the cheese.)

Remove from oven (remembering to use a POTHOLDER for hot handle).

Slide frittata onto serving plate.

* * *

Sweet Potato–Nutmeg Quiche

(SERVES 4-6)

1 cup sweet potatoes (canned, or 2 sweet potatoes cooked     to tender*)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon nutmeg, plus a dash

6 ounces (3?4 cup) whipping cream

2 eggs

1 pie shell (home baked or frozen)

4 ounces shredded Swiss cheese

Put cooled sweet potatoes in bowl.* Sprinkle with brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of nutmeg.

Mix in cream and eggs. Pour mixture into pie shell.

Sprinkle with Swiss cheese. Dash with more nutmeg.

Bake 35 minutes at 375 until quiche is firm and lightly brown on top.

* * *

Torpedo Sandwich

Urso’s favorite

(MAKES 2)

Torpedo-shaped rolls, 6 each

4 tablespoons mayonnaise (plain; not salad dressing style)

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon ground pepper

1 teaspoon salt

2 green onions, white tips only (or scallions)

8 1-ounce slices maple-infused ham

8 1-ounce slices Jarlsburg cheese

Slice the torpedo-shaped rolls lengthwise.

In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, syrup, pepper, salt, and green onion tips.

Slather each side of the torpedo-shaped rolls with the mayonnaise mixture. Top the bottom half with 4 slices of ham and 4 slices of cheese. (At this point, you might desire to heat the bottom half. Place under broiler for 2-3 minutes until cheese is bubbling.)

Place the top half on the sandwich and cut the roll on the diagonal.

Serve with crispy potato chips

*More cheese may be added, to your liking. After all, it is a grilled cheese sandwich.

*Note this recipe is not gluten-free. To make it gluten-free, substitute 1 ? cups gluten-free flour of your choice and keep the rest of the ingredients the same.

*To cook fresh sweet potatoes: Peel two sweet potatoes. Cut sweet potatoes into quarters. Fill a 6-quart pot three-quarters full of water. Bring to boiling. Set the sweet potatoes into the pot. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until a fork slips into the potatoes easily and comes out. Remove the potatoes and let cool. Mash for quiche.

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from Berkley Prime Crime!

A blissful moan escaped my lips. Had I died and gone to heaven? I took another bite of the ciabatta, spinach, and goat cheese crostini—one of many appetizers sitting on the granite counter in The Cheese Shop kitchen—and sighed again. Adding minced sun-dried tomatoes to the recipe had done the trick.