I have admitted before on this blog that I have always been a huge fan of Batman and all of his different movie/tv incarnations. When the TV show Gotham popped up on the scene in 2014 I knew this was something I had to check out; I immediately liked the look of the show and I felt that the casting was spot on. I also really enjoy these origin stories and gap fillers for the characters not just Bruce Wayne/Batman.

If you haven’t seen this show, it centers around James Gordon and how he rises through the ranks of the Gotham PD to eventually become Commissioner Gordon, long before there was a Batman. The show also briefs us on the beginnings of several of the Batman story’s favorite characters like Selina Kyle/CatWoman, Edward Nigma/The Riddler, and Ivy Pepper/Poison Ivy. It is interesting to see some of these characters when they are just children, or as regular people before going mad, or their lives prior to becoming heroes; through this series we see an orphaned Ivy, Penguin elected mayor of Gotham and a younger Alfred.

I was pleasantly surprised to see how Alfred cares for the young Bruce Wayne. As Bruce’s guardian after the death of the Waynes it is touching to see how Alfred may have shaped the young man behind the Bat mask. We see Alfred teach Bruce to defend himself, to stand up for himself and to take control of the Wayne empire; we begin to understand the role he plays in Bruce’s life as ultimate confidante and advisor. We also see him perform some of his butler tasks like cleaning up, driving Bruce around and cooking. Nevertheless, the show gives great insight into their relationship and the impact it has on Bruce in his later years as Batman.

We get a good glimpse of Alfred’s cooking skills in the episode, “Time Bomb” when he presents Bruce and Selina with his Pennyworth Signature Frittata. During the scene, when Alfred puts the frittata in front of Selina she asks him what it is and a frustrated Alfred breaks it down for her and asks her to eat it. It is at this point that Selina claims she has to leave the house in order to run errands, which Alfred immediately says no to due to them all possibly being followed by the Court of Owls. The two argue until Bruce finally intervenes and sides with Alfred.

This scene has a lot of complexity to it even though at first glimpse it appears to be just a squabble over breakfast. First, we realize that Selena’s restlessness alludes to her future identity as Catwoman; she doesn’t like to be caged up.  We also see that despite how much she likes Bruce, his financial situation makes her uncomfortable. Unlike Bruce, she has never lived a luxurious life; the things she has are only due to the fact that she stole them. In this scene, it becomes clear that wealth achieved through any other means besides that which falls outside the law makes her uncomfortable and disdainful. This would explain her overall attitude toward Alfred,the jokes she often makes at Bruce’s expense even though she likes him, and also why she aligns herself with powerful criminals. She is attracted to Bruce as a person but is repelled by his wealthy status; these mixed emotions are also present as Selina grows to become Catwoman. This is why we see Catwoman sometimes as an ally and sometimes as a super villain.

This scene also demonstrates how Alfred feels about Selina’s influence on Bruce. The Reggie incident aside, it is clear that Alfred does not accept Selina as an acceptable match for Bruce. A girl that lives on the streets and associates with known criminals is not the girlfriend he pictured for his ward.

I also think that Alfred has contempt for Selina because he sees her making fun of Bruce’s lifestyle and understands that this is her rejection of his way of life. Alfred understands that Selina is only keen on Bruce when he comes down to her level, not the other way around. Alfred picks up on the fact that when she rejects Bruce’s affluence she is rejecting him; he knows their relationship is doomed even though Bruce remains struck by her. This explains Alfred’s anger at her for wanting to leave the Manor, asking if it’s the food or the sheets that bother her; he knows it’s the affluence associated with both. He also knows that since she cannot accept Bruce’s lifestyle they will never be a true couple despite Bruce’s infatuations; Alfred knows that Selina will break Bruce’s heart and it angers him.

Bruce’s lack of interference in the matter is indicative of how he is torn between the two. He didn’t want to upset his guardian or his potential girlfriend, he eventually sided with Alfred because his bond with Alfred is stronger and also because siding with Alfred would keep Selena close to him.

I have made a few frittatas in my time but I took a lot of care selecting the ingredients for this one. I didn’t get into spinach and stuff because this recipe is one life long bachelor cooking for another, so I wanted to keep any frills to a minimum. Also, when we look at the frittata on screen it doesn’t appear to have much color to it; spinach, tomatoes etc. wouldn’t have fit the look for this dish, so I left all the more colorful veggies out.  I chose a peppered bacon because it seemed more masculine than a maple bacon and fancier than a regular smoked bacon. I paired it with some onions because they would compliment the bacon nicely and would contribute some flavor while not messing with the look of the dish. I rounded it all out with some cheddar cheese because I believe everyone loves cheese, even the future Batman.

The actual process was simple. You just cook the bacon and then the onions on the stovetop one at a time. Then, I put both in a pie plate and added the liquids in to bake. This can also be made in an oven proof skillet if you have one; making it a one pot meal. This was delicious served right away and it was still delicious warmed up as leftovers. I highly suggest binge watching Gotham over breakfast with this one!

Pennyworth Frittata:

6 eggs

4 slices of Bacon diced

1/4 Onion diced

1 cup Cheddar Cheese

1/4 cup of Heavy Cream

1. Cook bacon, remove from pan and set aside.
2. Cook onions on medium high heat in bacon fat until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Put bacon and onions in a 9 inch pie plate. Whisk eggs and cream. Add cheddar cheese . Pour mixture into pie plate.
4. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees 20-25 minutes until knife inserted near the center comes out clean.