Pie Berry Pie Any kind of Pie

Well It has been a long time since I have written anything; exactly what was said from the blogging experts not to do...

I know that it is now not summer but pies are always great to think about for all seasons. It wasn't a great summer in Maine until August and September but the berries were fantastic as well as the new Harry Potter movie. While both my girls have jobs and are moving forward with their exciting lives, I am grateful to be sitting in a lovely place at our lake, good weather or not. Since the berries seem to be so good it was time to make those pies and freeze them or eat them. Pies. I love pie although cake is good too, but there is nothing like pie. No matter how or what is in them; I love pie. for the most part two kinds of pie filling cooked in the pie crust or filling cooked on the stove. What ever it is all about the crust. Now my feelings are it is all in the crust. There are many kinds of pie crust however my thoughts on crust is fast and effortless is best. I still stand by the fact that it takes less time to make pie crust from scratch than it does to use frozen and it taste so much better. I also stand by the fact that the more you make it the better you get at it. I do believe that like most of cooking it is a process of doing and feeling food and filling the senses that makes a person a good cook.I have been making pie crusts since I was about nine years old; my mom taught me one Thanks Giving out of necessity. She broke her ankle. After that, she said mine was better than hers so there was no need for her to make it any more, I would be the designated pie maker. For those last minute desserts I like to make a fresh berry pie which is a one crust pie where you cook the crust and then place some fresh berries in the bottom and then cook in a pot a mixture of berries sugar corn starch until it thickens pouring this on top of the berries in the pie shell topping it off with whipped cream after it cools. To Die for! You can use any kind of berries, however the amount of sugar depends on the type of berry.

my basic pie crust:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon of salt

2/3 cup shortening

2 tables spoons butter (salted or not)

iced water small amounts until it comes together as a dough.

The first thing I do is set the oven to 400˚next in glass that hold 2 cups fill with ice and put in water and set aside. Place in a bowl the flour and salt fork it in. (this is an important tool to have I have a

couple nice old wooden handled one just to make crust with. It feels good in the hand) You can use other things that works for you.

Scoop out about 2/3 cups of shortening and cut 2 tables spoons of butter into little pieces and fork or cut with what ever implement use until it looks grainy. Add the iced water a little at a time until it starts to come together in a ball. Makes three individual crusts. Roll it out on a surface and place in a pie dish. You will need some pie waits. These can be dried beans or rice or the ceramic or metal ones that you buy. I usually place a piece of foil in the shell and lightly push it in on the edges forming it to the pie shell and then put the waits on top of the foil so as not to dirty the shell. Cook at 400˚ for about 15 min. or until it is lightly browned. Do not over cook.

Now there are all kinds of things that I have changed to wholeness to be better for you and I have tried to go with whole wheat flour and looked for something other than shortening that works but have yet to be satisfied, so my motto is if it works keep it until it doesn't.

Fresh Berry Filling:

Depending on the berries start with 2/3rd or 1 cup sugar in a pot and three tablespoons of corn starch and a pinch of salt. whisk together add about a quart of berries table spoon of lemon juice. When using blue berries I put in a little cinnamon. Cook until it thickens. In the cooked pie shell put the other quart of fresh berries in the bottom and cover with the cooked berries let cool and top with whipped cream. You can use any kinds of berries combine different ones knock yourself out. If they are sour berries you may have to add as much as a cup of sugar total in the pot.

Cooked Berry filling:

In a bowl two quarts of berries and cover with about 2/3 cup of sugar depending on the berries you may need up to a cup

1/4 cup of instant tapioca

if blue berries a little lemon juice this brightens and helps to thicken

1/4 tea spoon cinnamon

if it is a peach pie nutmeg place in an uncooked shell and top

with another uncooked shell slit for air holes.

Since it is almost Thanks giving, it is now time to make those loved pumpkin and pecan chocolate cream. I try however to have berries frozen so to have that taste of summer in the fall

Pumpkin pie filling:

I always use pumpkin in a can because it is consistent in color and thickness

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar (if you like a dark pie use dark sugar )

1/4 cup molasses

1 can 12 oz. evaporated milk or 1 cup heavy cream or 1 1/2 cups milk

2 eggs beaten

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1 tablespoon melted butter

Place in an uncooked pie shell bake at 450˚ for 20 min reduce heat to 350˚ until middle is knife clean.

New York New York what a wonderful town?

After being up very late cleaning up from that fabulous party, the girls and I hit the road to New York City.  If I didn't think about that lengthy highway run, I actually was looking forward to going to see Jocelyn's apartment and meet her friends. Just the girls and me, how fun can that be? Well, it was fun. Her apartment is so terrific and her friends are marvelous.  It is always the best feeling to get to see your children get to a place that you have dreamed for them, and that was what this trip was about. 

The three of us pulled off another party for her friends.  It was a pretty good feat considering I had to create salmon, salad, roast veggies,  couscous, and lemon sponge without the equipment that I am used to, not to mention a small apartment kitchen.  Alas, Jocelyn and Ashley were their usual selves, confident that we could again produce a dinner for ten with no problem. They were right, again, and as incredibly helpful. I really got the feel for what it takes to live in the city. The functionality of life, and how much energy that it takes. 

If you need to make a great dessert that people will love,  make lemon sponge:

set oven to 350˚ butter ramekins or 7 inch high baking dish

zest one lemon,  juice  1/3 cup of lemon juice set aside

separate three eggs and beat the whites to be stiff but not dry set aside

cream 2 tablespoons of butter

3/4 cup of sugar and lemon zest

add the egg yolks one at a time until mixture is light and fluffy

add 3 tablespoons flour alternately

lemon juice  and 1 cup of whole milk

add 1/4 of the egg whites and hand stir.  The batter should be light. then add the rest of the whites (fold in with a spatula until all whites are incorporated into the batter). 

Place in the cups or dish and place in water bath or you can just do in a dry oven but watch it. Bake for about 45 min. for single dish or shorter in smaller cups. It should be done like a cake  light browned on the top. This dessert can be served warm or cold.  Bump it up with  raspberries puree´ or just whole berries and whipped cream on the side.

Obviously I am not a city person, or I would have chosen to live in one.  Instead, I live in a small community of like-minded people for the most part, not much diversity. When we chose this place, when the children were small, the lack of racial diversity was a big con on the list of pros and cons. Being in New York certainly makes me realize the greatness of diversity.  It occurred to me, however, that New York too has medium- sized communities made up of people of like-mindedness as well.  Just in the process of riding the subway we would go down in one community which had its own culture and come up in an entirely different one.  This was comforting in a way.  However, there are a few things that I had such a hard time with. 

The city person spends so much time creating his or her own space that you miss what is your space. being plugged in with ear phones, not looking at people, closing their eyes on the subway train.  Not that I don't get it. I understand the constant bombardment of humanity; it is exhausting.  I was good for about four days. Then there is the  smoking on the streets outside every building. Really, people! I am so tired of walking through someone else's dirty habit.  I know that this is a problem everywhere, not just New York, and I applaud  New York for raising the tax so now they are ten dollars a pack.  It is time for people to stop smoking. 

Then you can not forget the cost of things. My line is just take your wallet and bank account and empty them on the street.  My dream was to get some real pizza (a cheaper meal I thought). We went to this new place call Co.  a pizza place coming from a bakery background. They described their pizza as small individual size.  My cheap meal ended as a$250. meal for four. I must say that the pizza was good, but not that good. I have yet to find a pizza that compares to Pizza Shoals in Portland, OR.  I would even say that Flatbread Company is better. With all that being said I would still say it is a great place to visit and hats off to those who choose to live there. The best thing and most important to remember is I was there with my two girls and had a great time just being with them and their friends.  And that is, as they say, priceless!