If It's July, It's Cherry Season

If you read this week's column, you'll learn that I had a HUGELY difficult time trying to find my beloved tart cherries here in Toledo. But, after all the mishigas, there was success! A lovely woman named Bonnie read my saga, told me of a farm market not too far away, even called the market to reserve two quarts of cherries for me (people are astoundingly nice here!), and thus ... before and after.

Eggnog Custard Pie for a Merry, Mary Christmas!

Christmas is here, and I'm sure you're feeling that panic of having too much to do, still, in too little time. Have no fear - I'm here to help! This is an easy but festive dessert, and you can even cheat by using a prepared pie crust to make your life a bit less stressful. The rich, luxurious filling more than compensates for it. And really - those who would judge you for being efficient deserve to have found coal in their stockings this morning!

This takes about 5 minutes of prep, followed by an hour of baking while you putter around wrapping gifts or brushing up the crumbs that Santa left or shoving clutter under the bed before guests arrive. And your house will smell of holiday happiness at the same time.

I want to wish every one of you a joyous Christmas filled with love and abundant blessings!

Look for my annual Top 10 (and more!) list next week ....


Eggnog Custard Pie
(modified from the recipe for Velvet Custard Pie in Marcia Adams' Cooking From Quilt Country)

1 9" prepared deep dish pie crust in a pie tin
2 cups eggnog
4 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon rum extract
pinch of kosher salt
pinch of nutmeg
whipped cream, for serving

Preheat oven to 350F. Place the pie crust onto a baking sheet, to catch any drips.

In a medium saucepan, scald the eggnog over medium heat just 'til it starts to form a film.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, extract, and salt. Slowly whisk in the eggnog, then pour the custard into the prepared pie crust. Sprinkle top of pie with a pinch of nutmeg.

Bake for 1 hour until the filling has puffed up a bit and wiggles slightly when jostled gently; it will deflate as it cools. Let cool completely to set (so it slices beautifully), then refrigerate. Serve chilled with whipped cream.

Makes 8-10 slices.

Raisin Streusel Pie and Going A.W.O.L. Again

On Facebook, there's been a shtick going 'round to be assigned a number and then come up with that many unknown tidbits about yourself. I was invited twice, and in the second round I noted this point:

My maternal grandmother was a wonderful home baker, and she used to make a fabulous raisin pie. The Amish call it "Funeral Pie," as they always have dried fruit on hand and the pies can then be made quickly when there's news of a death in the community. I haven't had raisin pie in probably more than 40 years … I should make one some time. I don't think any of my loved ones would eat it, which is just fine by me.

This tidbit got a lot of attention, as folks told me how unique the pie sounded; compared it to Japanese Fruit Pie (which I'd never heard of, but which apparently combines raisins, pecans, and coconut); and mentioned that they had relatives who loved raisin pie. So I offered a recipe from Marcia Adams, who included it in her classic cookbook Cooking From Quilt Country.

After the terrible windstorms that blew through the Midwest a couple of weeks ago (which, thankfully, didn't bring tornadoes to Michigan as they did in Illinois and Indiana), we had no power at work one day - a serendipitous day off! Well, needless to say, I spent it in the kitchen baking - you guessed it - Raisin Pie.

But I only had one pie crust on hand, so I prepared a streusel topping instead of the usual top crust. I didn't add rum, as my very dear friend Candace had brilliantly suggested, since there are folks 'round here whom I don't dare expose to alcohol when their sobriety is so seemingly solid now. But it's an inspired suggestion, so I highly recommend you try it and make a Rum Raisin Pie. How perfect would this treat be for Christmas???

I must say, though - as I twist my good arm to pat my own back - that this was absolutely wonderful even without the potent potable! It was sweet and spicy, with hints of crunch from the streusel. Not quite like the pie my grandmother made, but it certainly made me think of her again, which makes me happy ....

Update on my bad shoulder, whose illustrious history can be found in Cliff's Notes fashion here: I'm having outpatient surgery on Friday morning - yup, Friday the 13th! - to fix my shoulder. I'm definitely looking forward to ultimately feeling better and being able to move my arm properly again, though I'm hardly excited by the prospect of pain and of not being able to eat from midnight 'til whatever time I wake up and am semi-functional again.

So I've finished posts through January 1, and will come back in the new year whenever my discomfort, my mobility, my work and physical therapy schedules, and my ability to cook/bake/type make it possible to do so. I'm sufficiently optimistic that I'm already making post-surgery plans to try Thompson's Pizza, which recently won The Ann Arbor News' readers' poll for best pizza in the area; it's less than half-a-mile from the hospital where I'm having the procedure done, and I believe it's not unreasonable to pick up a take-out order on the way home ... :)


Raisin Streusel Pie
(adapted from the Raisin Pie recipe in Marcia Adams' Cooking From Quilt Country)

Pie:
1 pie crust for a 9" pie
2 cups raisins
2 cups water, divided
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of kosher salt
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon dark rum, optional

Streusel:
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup quick-cook oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
pinch of cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, melted

Make the pie: Preheat oven to 400F. Place the pie crust into a 9" pie pan and crimp the edges decoratively. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring the raisins and 2/3 cup water to a boil; turn heat down to "low" and cook for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, stir together the sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; whisk in the remaining 1-1/3 cups water.

When the raisins are done cooking, stir in the sugar mixture and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. When the mixture starts to thicken, stir constantly until translucent and dark. Stir in the vinegar and butter until the butter melts; stir in the rum, if using. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. When the raisin mixture is cool, pour it into the pie crust.

Make the streusel: In a small bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Blend in the melted butter with a fork, then sprinkle streusel mixture over the top of the pie.

Bake for 15 minutes, then turn heat down to 350F and bake 15 more minutes until the crust is golden and the filling bubbles. Let cool completely, then slice and serve with generous helpings of whipped cream.

Makes 8 servings.

How I Spent My Summer Non-Vacation

Brisket sandwich and Disco Fries at Meat in Lansing, MI.

Well, I think I'm back!

Rosh Hashanah - the Jewish New Year - has passed, as have the 3 subsequent holidays (Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah) which follow it. August and September were chaotic at my day job, filled with 6-day work weeks, some 10-hour days, a 7-day stretch at one point ... oy! Throw in my gig emcee-ing the Girl Scout Cookie Bake-Off on September 19; the reception for "American Foodways: The Jewish Contribution" - the cookbook exhibit I'd been working on since December - on September 24; and finishing work on the dessert buffet for "Gimme Shelter" - the fundraiser for Alpha House, which cares for homeless families - on September 28 ... well, you can see that my plans to be back in early September kinda got thrown off, just a bit. Only a fool would've thought it possible; but I've missed everyone, so I had high hopes!

Pumpkin Torte by Cheryl Hanewich - winner of the
2013 Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan
Cookie Bake-off that I emcee-ed.

And these little diversions don't even take into consideration writing 3 posts/week for AnnArbor.com, which has been absorbed by MLive.com and has returned to being called The Ann Arbor News in print on Thursdays and Sundays ... writing 3 articles for the Washtenaw Jewish News' September issue (the one about the exhibit not only made the front page, but it was above the fold!), and my usual cookbook piece for the October issue ... my parents both being in the hospital this summer, even overlapping one day: my mother fell down the stairs, my father's congestive heart failure is increasingly creeping toward end-stage ... somehow managing to damage my left shoulder: woke up, thought I'd slept on it oddly, didn't resolve, negative x-ray, 4 sessions of physical therapy made it far worse, MRI shows rotator cuff tendinitis but symptoms indicate more, seeing an orthopedic surgeon on Thursday ... sigh. And, of course, I tried to spend time with loved ones so they wouldn't feel neglected - that was mandatory!

Why be bored and twiddle your thumbs, when you can have this much fun, right???

Rather than writing a seemingly endless post that will make everyone groan as they see the unwieldy length of it, let me give you the highlights of "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" ... or, rather, how I spent Food Floozie's vacation since I've personally been workin' my little tuckus off.

- Craig's birthday was June 15. We went thrift shopping and antiquing in Lansing, an hour away. And we ate at Meat, a barbecue restaurant that needs to open an outlet in Ann Arbor. Just a few weeks into my hiatus, and I was longing to wax rhapsodic about this place! Disco Fries - OMG!!! French fries topped with bacon gravy - yes, bacon gravy! - and then topped with cheese ... gasp! It could very possibly be one's last meal, but you'd certainly die happy. Good eater that I am, I still couldn't eat all of this; Craig happily finished the sandwich while I greedily devoured the fries. And since they don't serve dessert, they were completely endearing by cobbling together a birthday "cake" for Craig by offering a honey bun topped with a Pop Tart ... :)

- I was a judge at the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre's 1st Annual Pie Bake-Off. Is there anything better than eating pie on a summer afternoon??? Rhubarb ... peach ... cherry ... sigh.

- I found out that the world is a very small and haymish (warm, welcoming) place, when the grandson of a woman I'd mentioned in an article back in 2009 wrote to me; this turned into a story about food, family, and friendship ... and we all know that these are a few of my favorite things: Frances Maggin's Applesauce Cake and a Great Story.

- The Tigers are in the play-offs against the Red Sox. And last night's game, with that game-tying grand slam by Big Papi, is still reverberating here in Michigan! If you'd like to cheer on the Tigers in tomorrow's game, here are a couple of recent recipes to help you in your mission: Maurice Salad Subs and Greektown Sliders. We could've come back to Detroit 2-0, but now we're tied at 1-1 ... :(

- I have continued my twisted little mission to document thrift shops all trying to sell copies of In the Kitchen with Rosie. Craig at first thought it was a bit perverse, but has realized that this is a gift that keeps on giving; he now points out copies to me as we go to various stores!

- Oh, and before I forget: please vote for my Chocolate Cherry Kugl!!! I'm a finalist in the National Yiddish Book Center's contest to find the best recipes for traditional Jewish foods. A friend of Jeremy's once said it was "like eating crack" ... :)

So, I'm aiming to be back here on Mondays, and may offer some Wordless Wednesdays, too; Frugal Fridays can be found on MLive.com. I'll likely serve up recipes, for the most part, but every so often there needs to be a rant or an amusing anecdote ... something to liven things up a bit! I'm hoping to be able to catch up with all my friends, and just recalibrate a bit after all the nonsense of the past couple of months. Then we'll see where it goes from there!

Frugal Floozie Friday - Uptown Coney Island

After a day of thrift shopping, Craig and I needed a bit of sustenance. We were near Uptown Coney Island, so decided to stop there for dinner; a bit of comfort food, and a menu with a great deal of variety, sounded ideal.

You don't go to a diner for healthy options, so I didn't even bother looking at the array of salads. I ordered the Grilled Ham and Cheese pictured above, which came with pickles and chips for $4.99. A plain grilled cheese - triple stacked with your choice of American. Swiss, or Cheddar - costs $3.99. Or you could indulge in the classic BLT for $4.99.

A small order of the Chili Cheese Fries costs $3.29; a large costs $3.99. These were really good, as the fries were nice and crispy and held up to the chili. Often the fries are neglected in this dish (yes, I've tried enough samples to be able to discuss this!), since they're just getting buried anyway. But it's infinitely better when the fries are sturdy instead of soggy.

Craig ordered the Coney Island because, of course, it's what these places do best! A single costs $1.99, and the Coney Special - topped with seasoned ground beef, chili, mustard, and onions - can be enjoyed for $2.99. Add fries, cole slaw, or soup for $1.59, or add cheese for 39 cents. The onion rings cost $3.49, ordered separately.

There are other options at Uptown Coney Island that qualify for our mandatory $5 per person Frugal Floozie Friday budget: a Cheese Quesadilla costs $4.99; soup is available for $1.99 (cup) or $2.99 (bowl); and chili for $2.29 (cup) or $3.09 (bowl). A cheeseburger costs $4.99.

Breakfast also offers many inexpensive choices: a cheese omelette for $4.79; a cinnamon roll for $2.39; a bagel with cream cheese for $2.29; or a short stack of pancakes with either blueberries or pecans for $4.49. The Bagel Breakfast - two eggs with bacon or ham or sausage, a choice of cheese, and hash browns - costs only $3.99. And Donna's Biscuits & Sausage Gravy with hash browns or two eggs is only $4.99.

And, of course, don't forget dessert; options range from baklava for $1.99 to slices of pie ($2.99-3.99), homemade Rice Pudding for $2.29 to the Brownie Delight (a sundae) for $3.59.

A very friendly, welcoming place with good food for good prices, Uptown Coney Island is definitely worth a visit!

Uptown Coney Island
3917 Jackson Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
734-665-5909
Monday - Saturday: 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Sunday: 7 a.m. - 4 p.m.



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Brown Sugar Apple Pie for Inauguration Day

What dessert could possibly be better for Inauguration Day than one that's as American as apple pie?

It's even being served at today's official post-Inaugural lunch, which is offering the following dishes on its menu:

Steamed lobster with a New England clam chowder sauce

Grilled bison with a potato horseradish cake and a wild huckleberry reduction

Apple pie with sour cream ice cream

Cheese and honey

Whether your candidate won or not, it's time to move beyond partisanship and show up for the food. And to remember that, even if our favorites don't always win, we still have the privilege of being able to make a choice. That alone is worthy of a celebration!

And so, here's a simple pie sweetened with brown sugar and a bit of cinnamon - traditional and delicious. You, too, can eat like the dignitaries who have been invited to the party in Washington, D.C.!

Brown Sugar Apple Pie

Filling:

• 5 pounds Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1-1/2" chunks
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons butter

Place all ingredients into a large saucepan, stir to combine well, and bring just to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 10 minutes 'til just tender, stirring once halfway through. Let cool while preparing crust.

Crust (slightly adapted from a recipe on Epicurious.com):

• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup shortening, at room temperature
• 5-6 tablespoons (or more) ice water

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter and shortening, mixing with a fork until the mixture resembles meal. Add 5 tablespoons ice water, mixing until the dough starts to adhere and form a ball, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if still dry. Gather dough together; divide into 2 pieces, one a bit larger than the other. Form each piece into a ball; flatten into disks and wrap in plastic. Chill for 30 minutes.

Pie:

• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 425F.

Take one portion of crust and roll to a 12" circle. Place into a 9" pie pan.

Pour filling into crust.

Roll remaining portion of crust into a 12" circle. Lay over pie filling, trim edges (leave a 1" overhang), fold edges of top crust under bottom crust, then crimp to seal. Cut small slits into the top of the pie.

Combine egg and water, and brush egg wash over the top pie crust. Sprinkle with the sugar.

Bake pie for 30 minutes, then lower heat to 350F and bake for 10-15 more minutes until filling is starting to bubble and crust is golden. Remove from oven and let cool.

Makes 1 pie.

Frugal Floozie Friday - Old Town Tavern

Craig recently joined me for dinner at a restaurant that neither of us had been to in ages: Old Town Tavern, today's Frugal Floozie Friday feature. Good ol'-fashioned comfort food just sounded like the right choice that evening, and the cozy, friendly atmosphere at the Old Town was the perfect place to go.

I'd first thought of having a burger, which Craig then ordered and enjoyed thoroughly although it exceeds our mandatory $5 per person budget; it was a platter large enough to share, if we'd felt so inclined. We were very hungry, though, so we decided to each get our own meal.

The burger is made with nearly a half-pound of exceptional ground beef from Knight's Market, plus toppings and a generous side order of thick-cut fries. (Craig couldn't even finish the fries, so I happily snagged a few.) A perfect meal!

As I started to peruse the menu, I heard the gumbo ... no, the Curried Pumpkin Soup (that day's special offering) ... no, the hummus with fresh vegetables ... no, the .... Oh, everything was tugging at my heartstrings!

There was one stand-out, though, that was calling more loudly than any of the others: the chili. Rich, thick, hearty, and with a bit of a kick, it showcased beef, beans, tomatoes, and a nice gooey topping of cheese and green onions. At only $4.50 for a bowl, it was a good value. I also ordered a house salad for a mere $3.95, which brought an entire plateful of greens, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrot shreds, and an exceptional thick, garlicky blue cheese dressing so good that I've even written to the restaurant to see if they might share the recipe with me.

Of course, I still ordered dessert because I'd seen the day's special written on a chalkboard and simply couldn't resist. I had given very serious consideration to ordering the cherry pie as my dinner, but had determined that perhaps some vegetables and protein might make a better meal, with pie as a reward.

Craig is not a huge fan of fruit pies - and especially doesn't worship at the altar of cherry pie, as I do - but this was so exceptional that he happily enjoyed it with me. And because I'm a nice person, I shared with him rather than hoarding it just for myself. But the pie really is good enough that you'll want your own slice. And at $3.95, that's a deal you can't refuse!

The Old Town Tavern has been "a part of downtown Ann Arbor for over 40 years," and takes "pride in serving quality food and drinks at reasonable prices. It’s also important to us to support other Southeast Michigan businesses; we buy local as much as possible. We serve Michigan products like Faygo pop, Better Maid potato chips and four draft selections from Bell’s Brewery. Our sandwiches are made on bread from Ed’s Bread in Saline and Metro Bakery in Detroit. Nearly everything that comes from our kitchen is made from scratch."

And when they say "reasonable prices," they really mean it. The Soup of the Day can be had for $3.50 (cup) or $4.50 (bowl); gumbo costs only $3.35 or $4.35, depending upon the serving size; and chowder, available only on weekends, costs $3.50 or $4.50. Appetizers - from corn chips served with either salsa or guacamole, to sweet potato fries, to hummus served with your choice of pita bread or fresh vegetables - are all within our $5 budget per person. And nachos, found on the late night menu, cost only $4.95. Other appetizers can easily be shared, as can the generous sandwiches (because remember, you must leave room for dessert!).

For comfort food and a comfortable atmosphere, all at great prices, be sure to eat at the Old Town Tavern sometime soon.

I'm hosting a giveaway: go check it out, and maybe you could win a $25 gift card from Whole Foods Market!

Old Town Tavern
122 West Liberty Street
Ann Arbor MI 48104
734-662-9291
Monday - Friday: 11:30 a.m. - 2 a.m.
Saturday: 4 p.m. - 2 a.m.
Sunday: 4 p.m. - 12 a.m.



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Applesauce Pie

My friend Marcy Bishop Kates, of Incu-Bake - her commercial kitchen which rents space, and provides love and support, to an extended family of fabulous food producers - posted on Facebook recently about an applesauce pie. She thought it looked intriguing for fall.

I love applesauce pie, just love it! Sweet, spicy, fragrant, delicious ... I hadn't made it in ages, and had practically forgotten about it. For shame!

This is a deceptively simple recipe that appears to be fairly ordinary; but it is so lovely, so perfect for the season. This pie can be made on the spur of the moment when a craving strikes, or would make an ideal treat during Sukkot (which began last night), for Thanksgiving, or "just 'cause" ....

Applesauce Pie
(slightly adapted from Marcia Adams' New Recipes from Quilt Country)

• crust for a 9" pie
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• pinch of kosher salt
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F.  Place the crust into a 9" pie pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk in the butter, applesauce, and vanilla. Pour filling into crust, and bake pie for 40 minutes until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. The filling will puff up while cooking, then deflate upon cooling.

Serves 12.

Frugal Floozie Friday - Palio

Palio is the restaurant my BFF Wendy chose for our celebratory dinner in honor of her recent birthday. She hadn't been there for a long time, and I had remarkably never eaten there. (So many restaurants, so little time! And I like to cook, of course, so I don't eat out as often as people think I do.) Wendy had offered to go anyplace I might want to write up for a Frugal Floozie Friday feature, and I'd offered to take her anywhere she wanted to go for our party of two. Turns out, we each won!

Now, a girls' night is a fabulous thing even if you're sitting on the sofa in sweatpants, only eating popcorn and ice cream. But it's an even more wonderful time if you can look out over Main Street on a gorgeous Friday night as the sun is setting, and spend hours talking, hoping, and dreaming while enjoying wonderful food. We were thrilled to find that the rooftop - Palio del Sole, with its own menu differing a bit from that of the restaurant downstairs - had a table for two just waiting for us.

Wendy ordered her favorite dish, the Cannelloni di Funghi [cahn-eh-LOH-nee dee FOON-ghee]; it was a tremendously generous portion, enough to feed at least two people, but the pricing puts it out of our mandatory budget of $5 or less per person. (Worth every penny, but ....) Should you not be striving for budget consciousness, it is a stellar feast of pasta with mushrooms, cheeses, and a Florentine tomato sauce.

I, however, found two ideal frugal options, though one would never know they were inexpensive to see or taste them. I started with a simple Insalata Verde [een-sah-LAH-tah VAYR-day], expecting a small-ish bowl the size of a side salad. As you can see, there was a full dinner plate of gorgeous fresh greens, luscious ripe tomatoes, and my beloved Gorgonzola. This was lightly dressed with good green extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, in a subtle vinaigrette that just coated the vegetables.

I also ordered the exceptional assortment of tapenades pictured above: Roasted Garlic with Olives, Artichoke Lemon Herb, and Goat Cheese with Sun-dried Tomatoes. For a mere $7.95, I received generous portions of each spread, which could easily have been split by two to average out at less-than-$4 per person. I was able to take about two-thirds of this home (having started with the salad, of course), and thoroughly enjoyed them all again the next evening. These are delicious treats that are a tremendous deal!

The olive tapenade was my favorite, with a vivid flavor that let hints of the garlic shine through. The artichoke spread was wonderful, with a chunky texture. It was great to find true artichoke flavor, rather than having it diluted with the ubiquitous spinach. (Not that I haven't eaten my fair share of that famous dip!) The sharpness of the goat cheese shone through in the tomato variety, and it was so rich and creamy.

Now, a birthday party isn't a real celebration without sweets. So, of course, we asked our fabulously charming waitress, Erin, to bring the dessert tray 'round for a perusal. Never underestimate the skinny girl with the sweet tooth or her amazing BFF who runs half-marathons: I ordered an obscenely decadent, brandy-laced tiramisu and Wendy ordered the rich and spicy carrot cake ... and yup, we chose a third dessert and split the unbelievably seductive chocolate-drizzled peanut butter pie.

I think Erin was both appalled and yet rooting for us. But she's also a distance runner, so we all bonded over celebratory eating as a great motivation for either runs (Wendy) or long walks and free weights (me) since one must burn off the calories. Desserts are $5.95 each, but are so large that they are easily split by people who are less ... let's be polite, and say "indulgent." (Yes, we finished every extraordinary bite.) So they can easily come in under the $5 per person budget, and would make a lovely treat after a movie or a concert, or "just 'cause."

So, whether you want a perfect summery salad all to yourself, or whether you want to split a distinctive appetizer or luscious desserts, Palio has a variety of frugal options to choose from. Go! Enjoy!

Palio
347 S. Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-930-6100
Monday - Thursday: 5 - 10 p.m.
Friday - Saturday: 5 - 11 p.m.
Sunday: 4 - 9 p.m.



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"Tribute to Michigan" Cherry Blueberry Pie

Pie is one of the great foods in the universe, and it's overtaking cupcakes and macarons as the sweet food of the moment. (Sliders of all varieties and banh mi seem to have jointly claimed the savory category.)

Whereas culinary trends usually start at the east and west coasts and then find their way to the center, in this instance it's going in reverse. Pie - comfort food classic that it is - is working its magic upon those who disparage the middle of the country as a hotbed of hotdishes. The cool kids are all jumping on the bandwagon, but they're actually behind the times. Pie has never lost its popularity here in the Midwest, but those on the farthest edges now seem to have been won over by its charm.  That's okay - the pie clique welcomes everyone.

This pie is a tribute to Michigan, featuring two of my state's finest fruits. It's sweet, it's tart, it's bright, it's intense, it's fabulous. Pie can't solve all of life's problems, but it can certainly provide a great deal of joy!

Cherry Blueberry Pie

Crust (slightly adapted from a recipe on Epicurious.com):
2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 cup shortening, softened, cut into 1/2" pieces
5 tablespoons (or more) ice water

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter and shortening, mixing with a fork until the mixture resembles meal. Add 5 tablespoons ice water, mixing until the dough starts to adhere and form a ball, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather dough together; divide into 2 pieces, one a bit larger than the other. Form each piece into ball; flatten into disks and wrap in plastic. Chill for 30 minutes.

Filling:
3 cups pitted tart cherries
2 cups blueberries
3/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons butter, melted

In a large bowl, combine all filling ingredients; mix well.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Roll out the larger piece of dough on a floured countertop to about 14" in diameter; gently fold in half and then in half again to help in transporting the crust, place it into a 9" glass pie pan, then unfold. Pour the filling into the crust.

Roll out the remaining piece of dough to about a 12" diameter. Cut into 3/4" strips, and weave into a lattice top over the filling.

(Lay down 5 strips, then fold back two; lay a perpendicular strip, then fold all of the vertical strips back down. Fold back the alternate three strips; lay down a perpendicular strip, then fold all of the vertical strips back down again. Repeat until you have 4 perpendicular strips lying across the original five, all woven together.)

Trim excess dough, then use a fork to press crusts together around the edge of the pie.

Pie:
2 tablespoons half-and-half
1 tablespoon caster sugar

Brush half-and-half over the top of the pie, then sprinkle with sugar.

Place pie onto a larger baking sheet to catch drips, then bake for 55-60 minutes until top is golden and filling is bubbly.

Remove to a rack and let cool. Serves 8-12, depending upon generosity of slices.

Piepalooza - The Perry Pi Day Party

I ate very, very well last week!

My social butterfly-dom was in stellar form, with fabulous friends, good causes to support, and great food ... :)  Coffee dates on Monday and Thursday, Piepalooza to support the Perry Nursery School for at-risk children on Wednesday, Temple Beth Emeth's Brisket Bake-Off on Saturday, and the Zingerman's Tour de Food Gatherers on Sunday - wow.  Boy, have I had fun!

Today, I'll tell you how great it was to have pie at dinner and to start my meal with dessert.

I was one of two judges for the Cream/Custard/Meringue category at Piepalooza, so I was the giddy taster of chocolate, coconut, lemon, pumpkin, peanut butter, and cream pies ... sigh.  So much love and care had gone into the entries!  Each was delicious in its own way, truly - I was a very happy camper, and seriously challenged in weighing each offering against the others.

When the points were tallied for my division of the competition, the charming picnic basket pie carrier - emblazoned with a tag announcing that it was the prize for "Best Tasting Pie" in its category - was awarded to the beautiful, rich, decadent Chocolate Cream Pie (above) prepared by June Geise (left). Her sorority sisters - who were wonderful, welcoming volunteers at the event - were so thrilled for her!

A fresh raspberry pie won in the Fruit category, while a Toll House pie won the "catch-all" Other category. And yes, despite my feet hurting in brand new gorgeous red pumps, I boogied over to try both of those fabulous achievements ... as well as a divine pie baked by Lia Dykstra (whose mom, Marcia, is on the Perry Board of Directors and is responsible for my invitation to the party - thank you!), which had a shortbread crust, a marzipan-like layer of almond filling, and a topping of raspberry jam ... and a creamy, peanut buttery pie prepared by fabulous teacher Sheila Metz (whose class of little ones prepared individual cherry cheesecake tarts for the competition) ... and a luscious rhubarb pie (I adore rhubarb!) ... and a rich pecan pie ....  Oh, I think I sampled a good 75% of the 20 entries, once they were divvied up to serve to all the guests!

And then there was dinner!!!

Dinner consisted of lovely finger foods and hors d'oeuvres ... here, let me show you:

Zingerman's donated some beautiful pies for the Pie Walk:

And I even won my chosen auction item: a beautiful basket with a birdhouse that has a chili pepper decor (perfect for a Food Floozie's yard!), a tiered tea candle holder, a membership to English Gardens, and flower seeds to spiff up my back yard this summer ... yay!

Now I'm going to run a marathon and do a wheat grass fast to recover from the week's hedonism ... yeah, pffft!  I'm already looking forward to next year's Perry Nursery School fundraiser - a celebration of cakes and cupcakes!

Pi Day - Ooey Gooey Peanut Butter Cream Pie

Today is Pi Day - a cause for celebration!

If you can count off even a few digits of pi beyond the standard 3.14 that we mere mortals remember, today is your day.  If you're a nerdy chick like me - who watches the National Spelling Bee, who actually read (and loved!) a book about a man who read the entire Oxford English Dictionary, and who can still recite the Lord's Prayer in Old English after learning it decades ago - then you're in good company with other folks who are celebrating the cerebral.  And if you like pie - and who doesn't? - then we're all having fun today!

There are savory pies, sweet pies, pot pies, hand-held pies, double-crusted pies, graham cracker crust pies ... an entire array.  And they're all welcome to come to the party!

In honor of this auspicious occasion, I concocted a new recipe cobbled together after looking through many old ones.  I mulled over the possibilities, but then simply worked with what I had in my pantry rather than schlepping to the grocery store for new and different ingredients.  Sometimes the path of least resistance is the one to follow.

This pie is rich and gooey, sweet and crunchy ... it isn't particularly beautiful to look at, and yet it's simply sublime.  Served with ice cream, it's a bit reminiscent of a sundae topped with thick caramel sauce, then made more decadent with peanut butter cookies and marshmallow rice cereal treats crumbled into the mix ... oh, yeah!

This Ooey Gooey Peanut Butter Cream Pie is an ideal treat for Pi Day.  But if you're looking for a variety of temptations to serve, here are some other offerings for today's festivities:

Molly Goldberg's Lemon Meringue Pie

Pork Pie

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Indiana Cream Pie

Brownie Ice Cream Pie

Peanut Butter Pie

Ooey Gooey Peanut Butter Cream Pie

Crust:
1-1/2 cups sugar cookie crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup peanut butter-flavored Multi Grain Cheerios, lightly crushed (a fabulous marketing gift to play with!)
1 miniature Butterfinger candy bar, crushed
ice cream or whipped cream for serving, optional

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine the cookie crumbs, sugar and butter; press into a greased 10" pie plate, then refrigerate while making the filling.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, peanut butter, and condensed milk.  Stir in the flour, Cheerios and candy bar.  Pour into the prepared crust and bake for 25 minutes until the filling is golden but still a bit wobbly when the pie is gently shaken.  Let cool completely.

Cut into 12 slices and serve with ice cream.

"Chopped Challenge" - Spiced Potato and Bacon Pasties

My very good blogging buddy Angela - who features lovely simple but sophisticated recipes on Seasonal and Savory - offered the following for my "Chopped" challenge, in which I had asked readers to suggest ingredients that I would then have to use in creating dishes:

"Hmmmm...how about harissa, oranges, and bacon"? 

Since no course was mandated, I thought about making an appetizer of roasted chickpeas with crumbled bacon in a coating of orange and harissa ([hah-RIH-suh] = a very spicy, vibrantly colored North African pepper sauce).  I gave serious consideration to making a sweet, spicy and salty dessert.  But then I had a new idea ....

Angela spent some time in Michigan's Upper Peninsula ("da U.P., eh?" as they say up there with their quaint Finn-Canadian-ish accents).  Thus, she is well acquainted with the requisite Northern dietary mainstay: the pasty [PASS-tee], a hand-held pie that miners could bring with them for lunch.

Now, no self-respecting Yooper would serve a pasty flavored with harissa - it would be a sacrilege.  Chopped beef, potatoes, onions, rutabaga, salt, and pepper - that's it for the filling.  But I'm a troll: someone who lives under the bridge - south of the Mackinac Bridge, that is - in the state's Lower Peninsula.  No one expects me to know how to make a proper pasty anyway, so why not have some fun with it?

Pasties are dry ... very dry.  You'll note that the above listing of essential ingredients doesn't include any kind of liquid to bind them together.  And those starchy vegetables are served in a crust.  This serves a practical purpose, of course, to make them more transportable.  But "dry" is an understatement when talking about pasties, as is "bland."  The harissa was very welcome for livening things up a bit.

Ketchup is the usual accompaniment to pasties, though sometimes gravy is served.  Rather than incorporating the required oranges into the main course itself, as I was doing with the harissa and the bacon, I thought they would lend a brightness to a sauce which, as far as I'm concerned, is a mandatory condiment for this dish.

So for my 500th post (wow!), I offer you a hearty winter meal with a nod to Michigan's history but featuring a unique flair!  Everything turned out perfectly, with great flavor.  I like to call these "Troll Pasties," with love and affection for both the Upper and Lower Peninsulas!

 

Troll Pasties

Filling:
1 large baking potato, cut into 3/4" dice
1 large rutabaga, cut into 3/4" dice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon harissa powder (or use 1 tablespoon prepared harissa and eliminate the water)
2 tablespoons water
6 strips bacon
1 small onion, chopped


Preheat the oven to 400F.  Stir the potato, rutabaga, oil, and salt together in an 8"x8" baking dish.  Stir together the harissa powder and water; pour over the vegetables and stir to coat.  Bake for 1 hour or more until the vegetables are golden and very tender.


Cook the bacon in a large skillet; dry bacon on paper towels and crumble.  Drain most of the fat from the skillet and saute the onion just until translucent.  Stir the bacon and the onion into the potato mixture; cool to room temperature.

Crust:
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 cup shortening, at room temperature
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon cold water
1 egg


Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Mix in the shortening until the mixture resembles meal.  Add the 1/2 cup of water bit by bit; mix with your hands until the dough holds together well and forms a ball, using more or less water as needed.  Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest for 30 minutes.


Preheat the oven to 350F.


Divide the dough into 6 portions.  One by one, roll a portion into a 10" circle.  Place 2/3 cup of the filling onto half of the dough.

Lightly dampen the dough around the filling, then fold dough over to form a semi-circle.  Trim the rough edges, then crimp the edge of the dough; press the edge with a fork to seal the pasty.

Place onto a greased baking sheet.  Repeat to make the remaining 5 pasties.  Combine the egg and 1 tablespoon water; brush over the pasties.


Bake the pasties for 50-55 minutes until lightly golden brown.


Gravy:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1-1/2 cups chicken stock

juice and zest of 1 orange
juice and zest of 1 lemon

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour and salt; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Slowly add the stock, incorporating each addition before pouring more.  Add the juices and zest; bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes until thickened.

To serve: Place 1 pasty onto a dinner plate and serve with gravy.

Makes 6 generous servings.

"Piepalooza" to Benefit Perry Nursery School

The Perry Nursery School is hosting its annual fundraising party and silent auction - "Piepalooza" this year, complete with a contest for "best tasting pie" - on March 14 at Washtenaw Community College.  And I am thrilled to announce that I've been invited to be a judge at the competition!  As they say, it's a tough job but somebody's gotta do it.  Happily, one of those somebodies is lil' ol' me.

Perry has been serving at-risk preschoolers since 1934, offering these adorable kids "future academic and social success while providing their parents opportunities for professional, personal, and parental growth."  In other words, they don't just teach the kids the letters of the alphabet and how to play well with others; at Perry the entire family is welcomed and cared for, served in a variety of ways to help ease the stresses that they face from low incomes, single parenthood, and other factors.

Now, of course, we all know that March 14 is Pi Day because it's 3.14!  Could this be a more perfect day to celebrate both the beauty of pie and the fabulous work that Perry does in taking care of its students and their families?

There are three categories in the "Best Tasting Pie" contest, if you want to submit an entry for my fellow judges and me to taste at the competition.  (You can click here for more information about how to do this, because pre-registration is required.)

- Best Tasting Fruit Pie
- Best Tasting Cream/Custard/Meringue/Chiffon Pie
- Best Tasting "Other" Pie - any pie that doesn't fit into the first two categories. No meat pies, please.

In addition to the pie competition that you - yes, you! - can enter, there will also be lots of other entertainment at the party: delicious appetizers and finger foods provided by the culinary arts students at Washtenaw Community College, beer and wine, Perry's famous silent auction (everything from antiques to entertainment to gift baskets and more), a tag team pie eating competition, a pie walk featuring Zingerman's pies as prizes, a baking demonstration by French pie expert Brigitte Romero, raffles ... an entire evening of festivity!

When I went to visit the school recently, a beautiful little blonde girl came up to hug me for no reason other than sweetness; she didn't say one word, but she did smile and show me the gap where she'd just lost her first tooth.  Perry provides her, and all of her friends at the school, with so many benefits: year-round education with extended childcare hours, a 1:8 teacher-to-student ratio, sliding scale tuition, family support services, two meals and an afternoon snack each day, an emergency pantry, assistance with English as a second language (many students speak Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and other languages at home), a social worker and speech therapist on-site, and so much more.  It is an amazing place with such dedicated staff!  Whether you buy a ticket or bring a pie, just be sure to join me in supporting such a good cause.

Since I'll be tasting all the pies rather than competing with my own entry, I thought I'd at least offer some inspiration for everyone else.  I baked this for my parents awhile ago, and my father said it was the best pie he'd ever eaten; considering that he's had nearly 85 years in which to sample the competition, I'd say he's a pretty good authority.

But if you think you've got a pie that's even better, be sure to register for the contest at Piepalooza and let me try it!

Cherry Almond Streusel Pie

1 9" deep dish pie crust in pan

Filling:
4 cups tart cherries
1/8 cup reserved cherry juice or water
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons butter

Streusel:
3/4 cup cookie crumbs (I used Nilla wafers)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F. Place pie pan on a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, combine cherries, cherry juice, sugar, cornstarch, and almond extract; pour into the pie crust. Dot with butter.

In the same bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, brown sugar, ground almonds, cinnamon, and sliced almonds; stir in the melted butter and spread over the cherries.

Bake for 1 hour, until the topping is golden and the filling is starting to bubble up.

Serves 10-12.

Molly Goldberg's Lemon Meringue Pie

I've started work on my very exciting assignment to write about The Molly Goldberg Jewish Cookbook for Repast, the newsletter of the Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor.  I'm doing research to place the work into its historical context among other Jewish cookbooks.  And I'm watching DVDs of the "The Goldbergs" - the t.v. show featuring the character of Molly - to get a feel for the Goldberg family whose matriarch is the "author" I'll be writing about.

I'm also making some recipes from the cookbook.  As they say, "It's a tough job ...."

In its earlier episodes, The Goldbergs began with the exceptionally friendly (and somewhat meddlesome, but in a kind-hearted way) Molly calling out, "Yoo hoo" - a phrase which caught on with viewers who then called that out to their friends and neighbors, as well, when greeting each other.

In later seasons, though, the show's opening was changed to feature this introduction:

"There she is, folks - that's Molly Goldberg, a woman with a place in every heart and a finger in every pie."

So, of course, when perusing the cookbook and trying to determine what to sample from it, it only made sense to bake a pie.  And what better option than the Lemon Meringue Pie that Molly herself was so proud of?

"This pie is my specialty.  Not by me, but by Simon.  When My Rich Cousin was just struggling, he used to eat with us, and his favorite dessert was this pie.  He said that if he ever got rich he would have a cook and the only thing the cook had to know was how to make this pie.  So when Simon got rich he hired a cook and he had her make a lemon meringue pie.  It didn't turn out so so-so, and he sent the cook to me for lessons.  I showed her this recipe and she's been with Simon for fifteen years now, and would you believe it, Simon still says mine is better.  It's the exact same recipe as this one.  Some people are just stubborn.  The Passover lemon filling is so good that I use a pastry crust the rest of the year with the same filling."

Since it isn't Passover, I decided to simply use a standard pie crust rather than the matzah meal crust that the recipe gives instructions for.  But the filling really is so good that this could definitely overcome the very bad reputation that Passover desserts have!  (The prohibition against leavened products has traditionally led to very heavy, dense dishes that are not known for their allure.)

The pie has a wonderfully vivid flavor, and the filling is almost pudding-like rather than being a somewhat translucent gel that seems to be more common now.  It's not a "mile high" pie as we've grown accustomed to these days, thanks to super-sizing and "kicking it up a notch"; it's just a simple dessert showcasing both the vibrancy of the lemon and the secret ingredients - love and care - with which Molly would have made the pie for her family.

The recipe isn't difficult to follow at all, but it presumes some knowledge of baking rather than giving very specific step-by-step instructions.  For example, there is no explanation of a critical technique specific to meringue pies: spreading the egg whites over the edge of the crust to keep the meringue from shrinking while the pie bakes.

Also, the recipe calls for 3 whole eggs in the filling and 3 egg whites for the meringue.  But in whisking the filling as it cooked, I found that it simply wasn't thickening.  I was tempted to add some cornstarch, but instead added the leftover yolks.  The filling set up very quickly after that, so I included the yolks in the recipe below even though that isn't precisely Molly's version.  (Don't think about your cholesterol levels, just enjoy the treat!)

This pie is very easy to make and is a really lovely dessert to brighten a cold, dreary winter day.  I'm tempted to say "Yoo hoo, Mrs. Goldberg!  Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipe!"

Don't forget to read about my "Chopped" challenge: dare me to use ingredients you suggest, and I'll post about my creations!  Click here for the terms ....


 Lemon Meringue Pie (slightly adapted from The Molly Goldberg Jewish Cookbook)

1 crust for a 9" pie

Filling:
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
7/8 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
grated zest from 1 lemon

Meringue:
3 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350F.

Place the crust into a 9" pie pan.  Line the crust with a sheet of foil and fill with dry beans to help the crust keep its shape and not shrink while pre-baking.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden.  Remove foil and beans and set aside.

Prepare filling: Place 1" water into the bottom of a double boiler and set the double boiler onto a burner.  Bring water to a boil, then turn heat down to simmer.

Place the filling ingredients into the top of the double boiler and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens - 10 minutes or so.  When it's ready, the mixture will coat the back of a spoon: you can dip the spoon into the filling and run your finger through the coating, but the mixture won't seep back in to fill the space.  Pour the filling into the prepared crust and set aside while making the meringue.

Too thin - doesn't coat the spoon well, and the filling bleeds into the space

Perfect - filling is thickened and the space remains clear

Prepare meringue: Place the egg whites into a large mixing bowl.  With an electric mixer, beat until the whites hold soft peaks.  Add the sugar slowly and continue beating until the whites hold stiff peaks.  Spread the meringue over the lemon filling, being sure that the meringue adheres to the crust or else the meringue will shrink and not cover the filling.  Bake for 5-10 minutes until lightly golden.

Let the pie cool to room temperature before serving.  Store in the refrigerator.

Makes 1 pie.