I recently lost a dear friend. Gloria Pepin was the most elegant, funny, smart and lovely woman I have ever known. She was also a loyal friend. For those of us who knew her, life will never be the same.

When I heard the news, I went into my kitchen and cooked for her husband, Jacques, her daughter, Claudine, her husband, Rollie, and their granddaughter, Shorey. Over the next couple of weeks, I wanted comfort food. Here are two recipes that sustained me for a little while.

What’s-in-the-Fridge Quiche

From Lisa Marber-Rich of Madison

Lisa says this quiche can be frozen in case friends pop in, which happens fairly often at Lisa and Eric’s house. It will serve four to six for lunch, along with a green salad and tiny roasted potatoes touched with white truffle oil.

1 9-inch deep-dish frozen pie crust (she likes Marie Callender)

4 medium shallots, sliced

1 or 2 sweet sausages, thinly sliced (optional)

10 eggs

2 big dollops of crème fraiche (or cream or milk)

2 pinch of Herbes de Provence

1 teaspoon fleur de sel

a shake of freshly ground black pepper

Good handful of baby spinach, julienne (optional)

1 ½ cups (about 6 ounces) shredded cheddar

Egg wash for the crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute shallots until translucent; do not brown. Remove shallots and saute sausage for a few minutes on each side.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs with crème fraiche or cream. Add spices and salt and pepper to the egg mixture.

Layer bottom of pie crust with small amount of cheddar, all the spinach and some shallots.

Pour egg mixture into pie crust and add sausage so it floats down; finish with the rest of the cheese and shallots. Brush the crust with an egg wash and sprinkle a little salt on top. Bake for about 40 to 50 minutes or until it rises and browns without burning. Cool a bit before serving.

Mac and Cheese

From Darcy White of La Mirada, California

She makes this often; it makes 2 cups of mac and cheese. She keeps extras for broccoli and sometimes serves it with kielbasa.

8 ounces elbow or ditalini pasta, cooked as directed

4 tablespoons butter, cubed

½ cup milk (2 percent is fine)

8 ounces Velveeta, cubed (she gets Aldi’s brand)

4 slices pepper jack cheese, crumbled or shredded

1 teaspoon Penzey’s roasted garlic granules

1 teaspoon onions, minced

Melt butter and milk in saucepan. Add Velveeta and stir a few minutes. Sprinkle in garlic and onion. After draining pasta, pour in melted cheese mixture. Stir and serve.

On the Side

When a good friend recently said she is buying a cottage in New London, I realized that she will be walking distance to The Broken Yolk, one of my favorite breakfast/lunch places on the shoreline.

I had breakfast there earlier this month. I ate inside and I realized it had been not months, but maybe a year or more since my last visit. But the owner saw me and asked, "poached on hash browns? What kind of bread?" As always, it was luscious, but when you go there, try something much more exciting. She makes her own hash and huevos rancheros with her own arepas. One time it was donut pancakes. Or stuffed croissant. She does all the cooking and as I waited she handed me a little plate with two thin asparagus topped with her own béchamel. Don't wait. She is open from Thursday through Sunday.

The Broken Yolk

825 Montauk Ave., New London

(860) 437-0898

Lee White lives in Groton. She can be reached at leeawhite@aol.com.