Tag: pie

Pie is the best food ever.

Carmelized Onion Pie

I took this recipe for a carmelized onion tart from The Pie and Pastry Bible and modified it a bit to make it a bit easier. I don’t own a tart shell, so I just used a shallow pie plate. I also didn’t use any of the fancier pie crust recipes the author suggested. Just a plain old whole wheat pastry flour, unsalted butter, and chilled water pie crust. As always, recipe below is what I did, not exactly what’s in the cookbook.

  • Single shell pie crust
  • 1 egg white
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 6 medium sweet onions
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
  • ½ ounce Gruyère cheese
  • pitted Manzanilla olives
  1. Pre-bake the pie crust
  2. Lightly beat egg white
  3. While still warm, brush the crust with egg white
  4. Peel and thinly slice onions
  5. In skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over low heat
  6. Add onions
  7. Sprinkle onions with sugar, salt, and pepper
  8. Cover and cook without stirring on lowest possible heat 45 minutes
  9. Shred Gruyère cheese finely
  10. Preheat oven to 400°
  11. Raise heat on onions to medium
  12. Stir and cook onions until all liquid has evaporated and they are golden
  13. Turn heat to low
  14. Add garlic and thyme
  15. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes
  16. Fill pie shell with onion mixture
  17. Sprinkle with Gruyère cheese
  18. Place olives on top
  19. Bake for 20 minutes or so (until cheese is melted and top is brown)

The result was heavenly. Several folks told me it was the best of the 20 or so pies we had at the last Pie Night. It might become one of my staple pies. Easy to make and so very very tasty.



Pietoberfest! October 17th!

I’ve been remiss in not posting some promotional/reminder stuff for the upcoming Pie Night. So here’s the scoop:

Long Slice of Pie Ala Mode
Doesn't pie look tasty?

Pietoberfest, the next Pie Night is October 17th, officially from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.

What is Pie Night? It is a celebration of pie! People come over, and then we eat pie. Sometimes before the sugar crash hits, we converse. There are fruit pies, cream pies, chocolate pies, and meat pies. There are all sorts of pies.

This time I am going to post the rules in the the form of frequently asked questions, because people never seem to read them if they are rules.

Do I have to bring pie?
No. You do not have to bring a pie. I will make enough pie.
Can I bring pie?
Yes, you can bring pie.
Can I bring a cake?
No.
What about cookies? What about cake-pie?
The concept is Pie Night. Every time there’s some joker who thinks it’s funny to ask these questions. It’s about as funny as Jay Leno. If you ask these questions I will revoke your license to breed.
My pie didn’t turn out. I forgot. I ran out of time. What’s the nearest store so I can pick up a pie?
The nearest store for approved Pie Night store-purchased pies is in Chaiten, Chile, which is currently evacuated due to volcano eruption. In other words, do not bring a pie from a store! This is to encourage people to attempt their own pies. If you don’t make a pie, just come and eat pie.
Can I bring anything?
Ice cream and beverages are always welcome, particularly alcoholic beverages. I do not drink, so you don’t want me picking out your alcohol.
Can I bring friends?
Yes.
Can I bring my kids?
If you don’t mind your kids hearing ribald discussion, yes.
Should I R.S.V.P.?
Yes yes yes! Please let me know in the comments or on the Pietoberfest Facebook event if you intend to come, how many friends you plan to bring, and whether you intend to bring pie. I need to know how much pie to make. I don’t mind a few last minute additions or cancellations, but if I end up with 50 people when I expected 25, you may not get pie.
When is it again?
Saturday, October 17th, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. (come early if you want, though)
Where is it?
My condo. It’s small but we’re all friends, right? 2301 Fairview Ave E. Ring WEISS on the call box out front.

Image Long Slice of Pie Ala Mode 4 of 4 by cobalt123 used under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 2.0 license.

Pietoberfest is October 3rd!

Before I forget, the next Pie Night will be October 3rd. Save the date!

Update: Due to a schedule conflict, Pie Night will be October 17th.

Except it won’t be Pie Night. It’ll be Pietoberfest!

Location: 2301 Fairview Ave E Apt 107, Seattle (my place).

Time: Afternoon through late.

As always, all that’s required to attend is that you like pie. RSVP is requested, however so I can have a head count.

Further promotional posts to follow.

Coconut Pie

This recipe comes from Farm Journal’s Complete Pie Cookbook, which I picked up for free outside Michael’s Books in Bellingham. It worked out pretty good, though I might do something slightly different next time. Instead of coconut flakes, I might use shredded coconut. Since coconut doesn’t soften too much during the cooking, it resulted in kind of a crunchy/fibrous texture. That was minor though. Turned out to be an excellent pie, and pretty easy to make.

As always, recipe is how I made it, not exactly how it appears in the cookbook.

  • unbaked 9 inch pie shell
  • 4 egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
  • 1½ cups flaked coconut
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  1. Combine 2 egg whites, nutmeg, salt, vanilla, sugar, coconut, milk, and butter.
  2. Cook over hot (not boiling) water in a double boiler for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly.
  3. Let cool to room temperature.
  4. Beat 2 egg whites just until stiff (but not too stiff). I’ve never been able to beat egg whites to stiffness anyway, so this wasn’t a problem.
  5. Fold beaten egg whites into coconut mixture.
  6. Pour into pie shell.
  7. Bake at 450° for 30 to 40 minutes, or until filling is firm in the center.
  8. Cool and let it set.
  9. Put pie in refrigerator overnight and serve cold.

No pictures of my finished work this time.

Poolside Pie Night

Saturday was Pie Night. It also was my birthday, though I didn’t post that. I haven’t been particularly enamored of making a big deal of my birthday for a few years. I’m not a particularly holiday-ish kind of person, and I only like being the center of attention in special circumstances. I scheduled Pie Night for my birthday mostly because it was a convenient weekend; the 4th would have sucked to host Pie Night. A few people noted it was my birthday and brought gifts, which was very thoughtful of them.

Pies I made were a coconut pie, apple-cranberry pie, pear-ginger pie (with lots of fresh ginger), cherry pie, a pork-cranberry pie, and corn pie. All of them turned out to be tasty. I didn’t like the corn pie so much, but that was more that I like corn tasting somewhat different than it turned out.

Ellen brought a raspberry custard pie. Mike made a key lime pie. And Carrie brought a crab pie and another savory pie, which I forget the contents of. Very tasty all of them.

People who came by, that I remember: Erin, Walter, Ellen, Nisi, Jason, Kim, Mike, Allyson, Darren, Sara, Ron, Sara (a different Sara), Daidre, Keenan, Katie, Carrie, Amanda, Jeri, Gord, Chris, and Michael. Dawn and Manda didn’t make it but stopped by in the morning to hang out and help me clean up.

I’ll post a couple of the pie recipes later.

Pie Night Reminder!

For those who are the type who need reminding, Pie Night is this Saturday at 5pm at my place, 2301 Fairview Ave E in Seattle. If you haven’t already committed to coming, now is the time. I do need to know an approximate head count so I can make enough pie.

If the weather is nice, Pie Night will be held in the pool area overlooking Lake Union. You are welcome to take a dip if you are so inclined.

If you are an alcohol imbibing type, bring something of that sort. Since I am a non-drinker, I hate to pick out the alcohol for the drinkers. Pie is welcome, but not required; I will make enough. Cake is not welcome.

Summer Pie Night

Pie lovers! Your time has arrived. Or will in a month, because the next Pie Night will be Saturday, July 11th, at 5 p.m. (2301 Fairview Ave E Apt 107, Seattle – Ring WEISS on the call board)

What is Pie Night? It’s pretty much what it sounds like: all pie, all night long. No cake. No cookies. Now, it’s not just dessert pies; we have a few savory pies as well in case your mother would get upset for skipping straight to dessert.

Up Close With a Lovely Lemon Pecan Pie
Up Close With a Lovely Lemon Pecan Pie

Is it required to bring a pie? No. If you’d like to bring pie, please do, but it’s not required. If you do decide to bring pie, please take the effort to make it yourself. No store bought pies. Buy the crust; buy the filling. But assemble and bake it yourself, please.

Are children welcome? Yes, if you don’t mind them hearing naughty words and discussions.

What can you bring besides pie? Ice cream. Beverages. Friends. I have a large supply of plates and utensils, so those are not needed.

Is an R.S.V.P. necessary? Please don’t be flaky. I need to know how many pies to make, so do please let me know if you’ll be attending. Commenting on this entry is sufficient, or add yourself to the Pie Night event on Facebook.

Image Up close with a lovely lemon pecan pie by kat selvocki used under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial No Derivatives 2.0 license.

Sausage, leek and apple pie

On a whim, I decided to search for sausage pie on Flickr. I wanted to see how high up the list the photos of my sausage pie would be. I was kinda surprised at how many sausage pie photos appeared. My sausage pie photos appear fairly high in the list now. Score! Anyhoo, I saw a photo of a Sausage, apple and leek pie in the list and said to myself, I must have this pie!. Fortunately, the photographer linked to the recipe at Making Light. This morning, I attempted to make it myself. It is good.

So here’s the recipe as I’ve adapted it. In particular, I left out the saffron because that stuff is expensive. For the original, follow the link. Pictures follow.

Ingredients
  • 2 large leeks
  • 2 large Granny Smith apples
  • ¼ pound celery root
  • 1½ pounds bulk sausage (mixture of bulk breakfast sausage and leftover mild Italian bulk)
  • 4 tablespoons fine gauge tapioca
  • dry sherry
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • all purpose flour
  • salt
  • top and bottom crusts for pie (however you like to make/buy these)
Prep work
  • Peel and core apples
  • Slice apples to even ¼ inch thickness
  • Wash leeks (I actually found it easier to wash the leek after cutting lengthwise in next steps)
  • Cut leeks lengthwise, then into ⅓ inch pieces
  • Pare celery root
  • Slice finely
Cooking
  1. Preheat oven to 425 °
  2. Brown sausage, breaking it apart into small pieces
  3. Set aside
  4. Put leek and celery root in just enough water to cover the vegetables
  5. Bring to a boil and cook just until vegetables are wilted
  6. Drain, reserving broth
  7. Toss 3 tablespoons of tapioca with vegetables
  8. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan
  9. Add 4 tablespoons flour
  10. Stir until thick/done (i.e., make a roux)
  11. Add in vegetable broth, a splash of sherry, and salt to taste
  12. Give it a quick stir
  13. Add in vegetables
  14. Set aside to cool a bit
Assembling the pie
  1. Lay bottom crust in pie plate
  2. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons tapioca on bottom crust
  3. Dredge apples in flour
  4. Layer apples in compact circles, two levels for my deep pie
  5. Layer half the leek mixture on top
  6. Put in the sausage next
  7. Put remaining leek mixture on top
  8. Add top crust
  9. Vent the crust
Baking
  1. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes
  2. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or it appears done
  3. Let cool to solidify a bit

Π Night

i-heart-pie

Who doesn’t like pie? Two weeks from now will be the seventh anniversary Pie Night! Come celebrate seven years of pie with… more pie!

Where? My place. 2301 Fairview Ave E Apt 107, Seattle.

When? Saturday, March 14th at 3 pm. Get it? 3-14? Hahahah… Anyway.

The schtick: I make pie. A lot of pie. Attendees are welcome to bring homemade pies, but this is not required. Anyone may attend so long as they like to eat pie. It officially starts at 3 p.m., but really folks are welcome to come by any time. Children are also welcome if you don’t mind them being exposed to whatever licentiousness may come (last time folks were comparing bras, for instance). What are not welcome are cakes, cookies, latkes, or other non-pie items. Those are fine things, but they belong on cake night, or cookie night.

I am expecting a fairly large turnout, so I am requesting that folks who plan to come please so indicate (along with the number of guests coming with them and if they plan to bring a pie). This way I know how much pie I need to make. I would not want to run out of pie prematurely. To let me know, just comment here, or add yourself to the Π Night Facebook event. For last minute directions if you get lost, call 206-501-5831.

I heart pie image by Flickr user cobalt, used under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 2.0 license.