My niece, Carrie, has been posting her favorite recipes. I tried a couple of them, and they are easy and delicious!
Whenever I can’t think of anything else to fix, I always
turn to a frittata.
The first time I ate this dish was in the late 1970s at Longhi’s restaurant in Lahaina, Maui,
Hawaii.
This was a favorite place where we always ate breakfast when
we were in Lahaina. Bob Longhi started the restaurant on Front Street a couple
of years before our first visit in 1978. He took verbal orders himself, and
there was no written menu.
Bob came to the table and told us what he was making that
day. He generally offered a couple of choices for breakfast, including eggs
benedict and his huge, yummy cinnamon rolls. (We usually ordered one to split.)
One morning, he offered a spinach/cheese frittata. Since I
had never had one, I asked him what it was.
Bob was never one to answer a question directly. (Actually,
he was often a bit surly—but funny.) “Just order it. You’ll like it.” (He
always sounded short and impatient.)
I decided to try it. I figured Larry would eat it if I
didn’t like it, and I’d at least have half a cinnamon roll…
“You want what?”
“Hot tea.”
Bob shook his head. “You mean you want me to go across the
street to the gas station and run the water in the restroom until it’s hot,
then carry it all the way back here, just so you can have hot tea?”
By this time, of course, I was laughing. “Uh…yes.”
He harrumphed and left the table.
Of course, the frittata was delicious, and the tea bag came
with a pot of steaming hot water.
Bob’s dog was always present inside the restaurant. He
usually wore a red cotton bandana. He lay in a corner and never bothered
anyone.
Bob never wore shoes.
For years, we always went to Longhi’s in Lahaina for
breakfast whenever we stayed there. I don’t remember if we ever ordered
frittata again, but after tasting it there the first time, I started making it
often.
One year we entered the restaurant, with its distinctive
black-and-white checked floor to find the dog missing.
When I asked where he was, Bob answered, “He retired
upcountry.” However, a painting of the dog graced one wall. It was still there
the last time we ate there.
When we attended the Maui Writers Conference in Kihei in
2005 and 2006, we ate at their location in the Kihei Mall. And yes, we ordered
a cinnamon roll. They were as good as we remembered.
We were sad when we learned that Bob had died in 2012.
For a couple of years, we stayed at a condo owned by a
friend of our friend, Bob Schwenck, in Kaanapali. We never got to Longhi’s for
breakfast, but on one of our last evenings, we ate dinner upstairs at Longhi’s
in Lahaina and watched the sunset. Bob painted a picture of the gorgeous view.
Easy Frittata
I made one of these whenever I have leftover meat and
veggies.
1.
Chop leftover meat and veggies
2.
Chop sweet peppers, tomatoes, spinach, and other
fresh veggies (These are my basics)
3.
Cook all the ingredients until tender in oil in a
medium skillet.
4.
Mix 4-8 eggs with a little milk or cream. (I use
my immersion blender.)
5.
Pour egg mixture over the other cooked
ingredients
6.
Top with shredded cheese. (There is never too
much for my taste!)
Turn heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. OR
place in a 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Cook until cheese is melted and
eggs are set.
Cut into wedges and serve.
Good for breakfast or brunch. Leftovers can be refrigerated
and reheated for another meal if there is any left.
Every time I make this dish I remember the first time I
tried it, and remembering always makes me smile.