Where Did The Pie Go?

Thought you would all enjoy this ;-)

And The Pies Are Made!

L1010451pies by libbystack on Zooomr

Well looks like the months of practice at pie crusts did pay off. One Pumpkin and one Pecan, and they are both beauties. And now that I know my dough, I know that they'll be good too. I'll have no surprises like a soggy crust. Seems I got "over the hump" this past weekend when I tried an old fashioned work method. But I won't get into that now - that deserves its own post.

If you're reading this right now it means that your night before Thanksgiving prep work is done and you're relaxing a little, or you're making one last ditch effort looking for recipes ;-) In my house, the work for tonite is done, but I'll be up early doing a Cranberry Walnut Loaf for Thanksgiving dinner.

I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. It's time to be grateful for for family, friends, and the comfort we find at home.

If you get a chance, please call an Armed Forces Veteran and thank them for their service.

Coming Soon To A Dinner Table Near You

pie2005_DSC4477 by libbystack on Zooomr

A nice little image to get you in the mood for the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday. This shot is from my photo archives from Thanksgiving 2005. That whipped cream dollop hung there for a long time ;-) It's a Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie. It's pretty basic stuff. Softened cream cheese was added to the canned pumpkin, spices, and milk. It was quite good, but I've gone back to the traditional mix for the most part and only do this version when someone requests it.

In Case Of Pie Emergency, Please Call

Yes, I've been cruising pie stuff on the web again. I'll tell you, once you get the hang of pie crusts you just can't stop. But what happens if you have a Pie Emergency? You can call the Crisco Pie Hotline at 1-877-367-7438.

I've been doing some Crisco Pie Crusts and the results is pleasing. I especially like them for savory pies. Anyway, if you are still Pie Crust Challenged, be sure to visit the Crisco Pie Central Page. There is a nice little pie crust video there, some nice recipes, beautiful perfect pies, and a link to a Pie Troubleshooting page. The Pie Hotline is open year round, and they'll have extended hours for the Holidays.

I wonder if you can call them if your emergency is that you've run out of pie? ;-)

The Great Stuffing War Of 2009

Things were going along just fine. I was making my little practice pies and baking the occassional tasty bread loaf, and then it happened. Family members realized that Thanksgiving was only 2 weeks away, and thus the Great Stuffing War of 2009. I had it all planned out in my head. I was going to make up some quick crusty Baguettes and do a nice fresh herb stuffing. Well someone in the house got wind of this, and I was vetoed. It seems the popular majority wants "Grandma Betty's Stuffing". And there's nothing wrong with that. It's soft, moist but with hints of golden brown, and nicely spiced with the requisite celery and onions. The main objection to the Baguette stuffing seemed to be the overly crusty bread.

Fast forward three days, and one family member now says he wants Cranberries in the stuffing. I explain that there will already be a Cranberry Walnut Bread (from Peter Reinhardt's Bread Baker's Apprentice) and Cranberry Sauce. Really, how many Cranberry things do you need? The day after, someone wants Chestnut stuffing. At the very mention of this, one of the junior family members grabs his throat and makes hacking and choking sounds. Honest to Pete, there was less debate on whether to get a TurDucken or not.

How do you win? You don't, you just do the best you can. So what's on the menu for Thanksgiving? We're doing a fresh rolled boneless Turkey Breast with extra Drumsticks. The local butcher does it up special for me. The meats will be roasted up in the traditional fashion. Brussels Sprouts will make an appearance. We are an odd household. Everyone loves Brussels Sprouts. Same for Turnip, it's a hit here. I guess we won't have to worry about wayward 5 year olds crashing our Thanksgiving Dinner.

Over the summer one goal I had was to improve my pie making skills, and I've succeeded there. So two pies will go into the oven on Wednesday evening, one Pecan and one traditional Pumpkin. The aforementioned Cranberry Walnut Bread will also be baked on Wednesday evening, and just before dinner I'll pop some dinner rolls or biscuits into the oven.If I do the dinner rolls, the dough will likely be made the night before, but biscuits can be mixed up in just a couple of minutes.

I'll also do Gramma Bert's famous Cherry Apple Jello Salad. It's very simple.

Gramma Bert's Cherry Apple Jello Salad

Cherry Flavored Gelatin
Cinnamon
Chopped Apples
Chopped Walnuts

Use one or two boxes Cherry Gelatin (like Royal or Jell-O brand) depending on the final amount you want. Prepare according to package directions. While your water is boiling in the first step, sprinkle in some cinnamon and stir to mix it in. I generally use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon or so. Finish off the package directions, and put the gelatin into the refrigerator to thicken. Remove when partially set and add chopped apples and walnuts. Pour into suitable fancy bowl, casserole, or use your favorite mold. Let set at least a few hours. For one box of gelatin, I do about 1 cup of fruit and nuts. For two boxes I do about 1 3/4 to 2 cups.

But what about that stuffing? Well there may still be another flareup or minor skirmish here before the holiday. Someone will mention Oysters or some other exotic ingredient and the choking and gagging noises will again be heard. On Wednesday evening, someone will mention something like sausage and apple. The odd man out may blurt out something insane like Shitake Mushrooms. But guess what? On Thursday morning, there will be a holiday ceasefire, and once the familiar Thanksgiving aromas start wafting through the house, it will bring back memories, and everyone will be at peace. Yes I'll rely on Grandma Betty's stuffing and save the more exotic mixes for another time. Because there are some traditions you just leave alone.

Grandma Betty's Stuffing

Plain White Bread Cubed - Day Old and left out for awhile
Beaten Eggs
Milk
Butter
Salt Pepper
Sugar
Celery - 3 or 4 large ribs
Onions - 2 medium or one large, white or yellow
Fresh Parsley - chopped small to fine, 1 to 2 Tbsp
Celery Seed
Powdered Sage

In very large pan saute chopped celery and onions in about 1/4 cup butter. Sprinkle in salt, pepper, sage and celery seed, and chopped parsley. Let this go on a low heat for 10-15 minutes. You want the vegetables softened but not overcooked.

Combine milk and beaten eggs. Add a pinch of sugar to the liquid. Add to dry bread to soften. Mix with big spoon or hands. Use enough milk and egg mixture to address all of the bread but not make things too wet. For a very large bread loaf I usually use 2 eggs plus some milk.

Take a look at your celery and onion mixture looks. You'll need enough "butter liquid" to "fry up" your stuffing. Add a 2 or more tablespoons in if you feel you need it. Add your bread mixture to pan in stages, like 2 cups at a time, not all at once. Cook it up a bit, mix in with celery and onions, then add some more in. Once your stuffing "lumps" start to brown a little and become more solid, turn them to brown up on the other side a little. As you progress add more butter as needed. After all of your bread is added and the cooking is done, smash any large compacted lumps up a bit with a fork, add a little water (about 1/4 cup or so) around the pan edge, cover the pan and let it cook gently over a low heat about 20 minutes or even a little more. You want the browning to continue a bit but the steam will help in the cooking. If things become to dry add a little more water. Move your stuffing around maybe about every 7 minutes.

What is so appealing to us about this old stuffing is the very gentle and subtle browning you can get on some of the bread masses. I've tried to cook this mix in the oven and the family didn't like it. They wanted it "Fried like Grandmas's". As stated previously, there are some things you just leave alone.

Seasoning is to taste, but we think there's no substitute for Fresh Parley here. On the browning of the stuffing - you're just looking for a very slight golden, not a deep brown at all. I don't know how many web recipes there are with a "fried" method for stuffing but give it a try sometime. We think it beats the oven baked stuffing.

Whatever recipe or method you choose, remember that the Thanksgiving Holiday is not all about the food. It's about home, family, peace, and goodwill. I wish you all the best this Thanksgiving!