Pie

...has been achieved. I meant to bake it yesterday, but ran out of gas. So.

Mixed 3 pounds Gala and 1.5 pounds Granny Smith. Used a corer/slicer for the first time, and OK, maybe it's a pathetic kitchen aid, but I'm a convert. Lovely, thick uniform slices of apple. Followed Ina Garten's recipe to an extent. Added cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, sugar, salt, flour, and the juice and zest of one lemon. Made the pie crust with half water/half vodka, which is supposed to promote flakiness and tenderness. It worked with the pumpkin pie, so I tried it again.

I forgot the sugar/egg wash for the shiny crust, and oh well. The house smells good.



Later, pork loin roast with fennel, onion, and carrots. Sautéed red cabbage. Cranberry relish leftover from T-giving--yes, it will last for a couple of months in the fridge.

Hope you're doing something today that you enjoy, with those you love.

Pie

...has been achieved. I meant to bake it yesterday, but ran out of gas. So.

Mixed 3 pounds Gala and 1.5 pounds Granny Smith. Used a corer/slicer for the first time, and OK, maybe it's a pathetic kitchen aid, but I'm a convert. Lovely, thick uniform slices of apple. Followed Ina Garten's recipe to an extent. Added cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, sugar, salt, flour, and the juice and zest of one lemon. Made the pie crust with half water/half vodka, which is supposed to promote flakiness and tenderness. It worked with the pumpkin pie, so I tried it again.

I forgot the sugar/egg wash for the shiny crust, and oh well. The house smells good.



Later, pork loin roast with fennel, onion, and carrots. Sautéed red cabbage. Cranberry relish leftover from T-giving--yes, it will last for a couple of months in the fridge.

Hope you're doing something today that you enjoy, with those you love.

Lake effect

Lake effect snow moving south from Wisconsin. We could get pounded overnight, which means I will be shoveling sometime tomorrow. Oh well. It will give me a chance to work off holiday calories.

The pie proved...OK. I should have used brandy or liqueur in the crust instead of vodka, something that would have imparted some flavor. The filling is decent, and I expect that as with anything containing fruit and spices, it will taste better tomorrow. But it needs something, and I'm not sure what. The next time, I will try the additives that Alton Brown used. Applejack, apple cider, and apple jelly.

I will say that the filling does taste fresh and not at all oversweet. I find many pie fillings inedible because they contain way too much sugar and nothing in way of flavor--this goes for better bakery pies as well as the cheaper frozen varieties.

That's one problem when you start making things from scratch. Even if they only come out halfway decent, they still taste better than anything from a shop. And then you're stuck spending more time in the kitchen than you can afford to at times, because you're hooked.

Lake effect

Lake effect snow moving south from Wisconsin. We could get pounded overnight, which means I will be shoveling sometime tomorrow. Oh well. It will give me a chance to work off holiday calories.

The pie proved...OK. I should have used brandy or liqueur in the crust instead of vodka, something that would have imparted some flavor. The filling is decent, and I expect that as with anything containing fruit and spices, it will taste better tomorrow. But it needs something, and I'm not sure what. The next time, I will try the additives that Alton Brown used. Applejack, apple cider, and apple jelly.

I will say that the filling does taste fresh and not at all oversweet. I find many pie fillings inedible because they contain way too much sugar and nothing in way of flavor--this goes for better bakery pies as well as the cheaper frozen varieties.

That's one problem when you start making things from scratch. Even if they only come out halfway decent, they still taste better than anything from a shop. And then you're stuck spending more time in the kitchen than you can afford to at times, because you're hooked.