There were far too many mushrooms for the amount of egg filling holding the quiche together. The original recipe calls for 1 pound of mushrooms, but I used a 12-oz. package of sliced cremini mushrooms, and that was still too many. The recipe didn't work until I reduced the amount of mushrooms by one-half. Once the balance between mushrooms and egg custard was better, the quiche was quite tasty. If you can find wild mushrooms (chanterelles, lobster, oyster, etc.) give them a try.

I usually don't bother to make pastry crust for quiche, preferring to use a quick and easy premade shell from Trader Joe's. I increased the oven temperature from 350 degrees in the original recipe to 400 degrees, and had better results with the texture of the quiche. I also cooked the mushrooms longer than the 3 minutes originally called for, since they weren't tender enough. 8 to 10 minutes of sautéing was necessary to fully cook the mushrooms.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 35 to 40 minutes
Yield: 8 slices

9-inch pie shell
2 Tbsp butter
2 medium shallots, minced
8 oz. mushrooms (white or wild, or a combination), trimmed and sliced
3 Tbsp dry white wine, dry sherry, or dry vermouth
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Par-bake the pie shell until set but not brown, about 7 minutes. Remove and let cool on a rack.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add shallots and mushrooms and sauté until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add wine, sherry, or vermouth and sauté until liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, salt, pepper, thyme, and parsley. Arrange mushroom mixture in the bottom of the pie shell. Pour the egg mixture over, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake until puffed and golden, and the center looks set when the pan is gently shaken, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.