Precious Cargo

You wouldn't know it from the food blogs but we are in the throes of a pumpkin shortage.
Recent heavy rains in the Midwest are putting pumpkin pie in short supply this holiday season.

On Tuesday, food giant Nestle, which controls about 85% of the pumpkin crop for canning, issued a rare apology and said that rain appeared to have destroyed what remained of a small harvest this year and that it expected to stop shipping the holiday staple by Thanksgiving.
- Los Angeles Times, 11/18/2009

When I got my hands on 2 large cans of Libby's I planned to stash it in the back of my pantry to save for rainy day but it's just not Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie. I used one whole can to yield 2 pies, one for some cousins taking a trip up north, and one for us- because tomorrow is as much about being thankful as it is about giving.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

A Pie In The Hand Is Better Than A Pie In The Face

Work has really been picking up for me lately and I've been spending a lot more time on set these days. Even though there is always food around, in my position it's usually impossible to sit down for a meal so eating must be done while on the move if it's going to happen at all. That is why this week's TWD, Flaky Apple Turnovers, could be my new best friend. All the comfort and joy of your favorite apple pie in a handy dandy portable pocket- what could be better? I wonder if I could fit a turkey sandwich in there...

For more pocket pie fun, check out the blogroll.

Sunday School 3.14159265

While souffles, genoise and yule logs freak me out, there's nothing scary to me about pie. Even before I fell in love with all things culinary, I could always be counted on to at least bake a pie a every Thanksgiving (pumpkin of course). Pie making is so comforting, so intrinsically domestic that even once I started attempting more complicated pies I've never pie-phobic.


This week's baking class was all about my friend the pie and I was excited to learn crust making from an expert. Here are some important factors in achieving crust success:
1. Cold, but not frozen butter or lard.
2. Always refrigerate the dough, wrapped in plastic for at least one hour before rolling out.
3. For optimum results, only roll your dough out once.
4. Defrost frozen dough overnight in the fridge, not on the countertop.
5. Avoid big fluted edges on double crust pies, save them for single crust pies. Double crust bake longer than single which will result in very burned fluted edges.

From grandma's apple, chicken pot pie to quiches and galettes, mastery of a good, standby pie crust will take you a long way in your culinary adventures. Try the recipe below, and you might find yours.

Pie Dough
from New School of Cooking Curriculum
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
8 ounces cold unsalted butter
6 to 8 tbsp ice water

In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Use just your fingertips to cut butter into the dough until you reach "wet sand" consistency. Add water and using your hand like a paddle, mix until the dough just holds together. Divide in half and wrap in plastic, pressing down on dough through plastic to fully combine. Refrigerate one hour before using.

Southern Comfort

West Palm Beach Florida isn't exactly the south, what with the massive amounts of transplanted New Yorkers living there- my family included. Since we left Long Island when I was 6 months old, I consider myself a Floridian and identify with being a southern girl, if just a little on the Jimmy Buffet side. Now that I live in California I sometimes need to listen to the Margaritaville station on satellite radio so I can feel a little closer to my roots. And sometimes I bake pie.
Banana Cream Pie is this week's Tuesdays With Dorie and the perfect remedy for Southern Withdrawal (drawl?). I made tarlettes and gave them a sprinkling of toasted coconut for that added Florida/tiki vibe.


They are so good, you might just blow out a flip flop.

Cool Yule Pie

Even though the malls have been playing Jingle Bells for weeks, and Starbucks switched to holiday cups the day after Halloween, we have a strict rule in my house that no Christmas music will be played until Thanksgiving day. Then, its non-stop until New Years Eve! I love Christmas music and have quite a lot of it so picking a favorite song, that would also translate into pie form for December's You Want Pie's With That, was tough. Scanning my itunes library, today desperate for ideas, I started listening to Cool Yule by Louis Armstrong and inspiration finally struck- Cool Yule Chocolate Peppermint Pie! It starts with chocolate wafer cookie crust, a layer of mint chip ice cream, and then topped off with rich dark chocolate ganache. It's like a peppermint patty from your freezer!


Cool Yule Pie
1 package chocolate wafers
2 tbsp melted butter
1 pint mint chip ice cream, softened
5 oz semisweet chocolate pieces
1/4 cup heavy cream
pinch of salt

Using a food processor (or brute force) grind up chocolate wafers. In a medium bowl, combine with melted butter, then pat into a 9 inch tart pan. Carefully spread softened ice cream over the crust, filling the pan almost to the top. Freeze for at least an hour, until set.

In a medium saucepan, bring heavy cream and salt to a bowl, then pour over chocolate pieces and whisk until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Let cool to room temperature.

Using a spatula, spread the ganache over the tart and return to the freezer to set for at least another ten minutes before serving.