The high yesterday was only around 80, and that's good enough for me. To some people fall means leaves and football; to me, it means winter squash. I love the stuff; few things excite me more than the sight of a big pile of different kinds at the market. One of my favorite things to do with it is make pie, which is less work than it seems like it would be, and good for a week's worth of breakfast and dessert. I follow the recipe in The Joy of Cooking, and use an ultra-simple butter crust (one stick of butter, 1.5C of flour, one T ice water). Before I die I'd like to be good at pie crust, but for now my solution is not to worry about it too much. This particular pie was good, but I made two crucial errors: 1) I forgot to put a pinch of salt in the filling, so the whole thing tastes a wee bit flat to me. 2) I roasted an actual pumpkin. The pumpkin was so little and cute that I overlooked a key rule of winter squash: any of them is better than pumpkin. Butternut, for example, makes a terrific pie. That said, it wasn't until I'd had thirds that I was able to adequately refine my criticisms. For actual dinner we had salmon, brown rice, and spinach.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Happy Fall!
The high yesterday was only around 80, and that's good enough for me. To some people fall means leaves and football; to me, it means winter squash. I love the stuff; few things excite me more than the sight of a big pile of different kinds at the market. One of my favorite things to do with it is make pie, which is less work than it seems like it would be, and good for a week's worth of breakfast and dessert. I follow the recipe in The Joy of Cooking, and use an ultra-simple butter crust (one stick of butter, 1.5C of flour, one T ice water). Before I die I'd like to be good at pie crust, but for now my solution is not to worry about it too much. This particular pie was good, but I made two crucial errors: 1) I forgot to put a pinch of salt in the filling, so the whole thing tastes a wee bit flat to me. 2) I roasted an actual pumpkin. The pumpkin was so little and cute that I overlooked a key rule of winter squash: any of them is better than pumpkin. Butternut, for example, makes a terrific pie. That said, it wasn't until I'd had thirds that I was able to adequately refine my criticisms. For actual dinner we had salmon, brown rice, and spinach.
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8 comments:
It's down to 45 or even 40 here at night. Fall is coming too quickly. With the latter half of fall the sun vanishes, with only a few hours of sunlight from Thanksgiving through past Valentines day. It really is dreary. And sometimes bitter cold to boot. Would prefer your climes.
Yes, the one unarguable thing about Southern weather is the fall; lasts a long time, and comes just when you really think summer will kill you.
I am in fact enjoying our 40s at night. But, give me a few months when the white stuff starts coming and I will be sure that snow is the spawn of the anti-Christ. On another note....I think three pieces of pie is exactly enough. One for you, one for the one kicking in the face, and one for the one being kicked in the face!
It was damn near winter here today...the high was only 98, and it actually rained. Hallelujah, the end is near.
Oh, and a quick question: Do you use a food processor for the pie crust, or do you do it all by hand?
I use my hands for the pie crust. I have nothing against a food processor, but it's quicker and less cleanup by hand, and I can't tell that it makes a big difference in my final product.
That is just what I wanted to hear! Because although I own a food processor, it lives in the bowels of my cupboard, and getting to it almost always involves me climbing nearly inside the cabinet and dragging it out...an experience that I'd just as soon forgo. And now I shall, sans guilt.
Oh my god, I think I've just been inspired to make a pie. This has never been done before by these hands, but I do have "The Joy of Cooking", so it can't be impossible, right?
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