KITCHEN TIP

The 1982 book “Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche” by Bruce Feirstein was probably the quiche of death for this much maligned dish. But as culinary historian Barbara Ketcham Wheaton says: “Real men never got a chance to eat real quiche. If they did, they’d still be eating it.”

Real quiche has a thin filling and a crispy crust. Here are some tips from pastry chef Nick Malgieri on how to achieve that:

* Don’t over-bake the filling. Over-baked custard loses its creamy texture and becomes coarse. Underbaking isn’t good either, but it’s easy to check for: A toothpick or knife tip inserted in the filling should come out clean.

* Most experts recommend prebaking the crust to keep it from getting soggy. Be sure that there are no cracks in the bottom of the crust, or the filling can leak through and produce exactly what you’re trying to avoid--a soggy crust.

* If you don’t prebake your crust, use a crust recipe that uses a lower proportion of butter plus a little baking powder to help the dough bake through. Bake the quiche on the bottom shelf of your oven so that the crust bakes completely. If you know your oven is very hot on the bottom, however, place the quiche on a baking sheet.

* Use a tart pan instead of a pie pan to produce a thinner filling, crisper crust and a lighter, more delicate-tasting dish.

* Keep the filling simple. Quiche should not be a dumping ground for leftovers; this just muddies the flavors. One or two vegetables and cheese or bacon or ham are plenty.