You say tortilla, I say fritatta...

A couple months back, my co-worker Christine went home for lunch. When she came back, she brought me a delectable slice of the spanish tortilla that she had just made. It was such a wonderful treat - tender, thin slices of potato and velvety red peppers sauteed with lots of garlic, served in an egg pancake of sorts. The flavor seemed so complex and the texture so perfect that it was hard to believe it was made with so few ingredients. The recipe that I've linked to here is from Dean Derhak Xmission.com, and it is very similar to Christine's recipe.

BUT...the musician in me likes to improvise sometimes, and on Sunday I couldn't quite remember the recipe, so mine was a bit more like a frittata. But wait, are tortilla and frittata just two different ways of saying the same thing? Aren't they both essentially diced or sliced sauteed bits of goodness held together by eggs? Never mind; I'll just call it delicious and leave it at that. But not until I tell you how I made it:

I cheated a bit by steaming the potatoes first so they got a head start on becoming tender. I used about 4 yellow fin potatoes. I didn't peel them, and after I steamed them, I sliced them very thin. Then I sauteed them slowly in lots of olive oil. While this was happening, I roasted a red pepper, because why not spend all morning in the kitchen when you're avoiding doing other things like trying to manage the overwhelmingness of life? Cooking is so much more satisfying.

I happened to have some leftover roasted garlic in the fridge, so I sliced it up and added it to the potatoes. When the potatoes were tender, I turned off the heat and added the sliced roasted pepper to the pan. Then I added about 6 beaten eggs, and cooked it on low heat till it was just slightly set on top.

Next I put it into the oven which was preheated to 300. I took it out after about 15 minutes and flipped it onto a plate. It would've been a good idea if I'd remembered to use a pot holder upon removing the pan from the oven but oh well, if I can't remember the recipe, how would one expect me to remember to use potholders?

After flipping it, I used my un-burnt hand to sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese on top, and popped it back into the oven for another 10 minutes or so. Call it whatever you want, but it sure was good.

I'll have to save my music rant for tomorrow; I told you my weekend included lots of good music, and I can't wait to tell you about Bob Wiseman. Until then, don't forget to use your potholders!