Food as Art - A Friendly [Reflective] {Pie Making} Challenge

I mentioned at some point in my previous posts that although the original intention of this blog was to review recipes, I am unable to prevent myself from, at times, "free writing." I like to write. It is -arguably- the best way to extract the most honest answers from me. As such is this post: a subjective uttering of my inner contemplations.

Recently, a good friend of mine sent me a message, which suggested I take a look at a website called Pietopiacontest.com. The tag line for the blog is "What does your life taste like, in a pie." The concept seems pretty self explanatory, but continue reading to understand how I perceived the task or check out the actual website for a more complete answer.

As I interpreted the instructions, the author of the blog has offered a contest where individuals submit a recipe and a story to accompany it. The story links the pie to your present status/condition in this life. After looking over some of the past submissions and winners, it seems the assignment has very loose parameters allowing for true reflection. As you would expect with personal reflection, there is no right or wrong.

The idea was presented to me on May 22nd. My initial reaction was of dismissal. I don't remember the last time I baked a pie from scratch -or if I even have, for that matter. Frequently, I shy away from challenges where I am convinced I will not succeed. In itself, the idea has already has demonstrated something about my character that plays a big part in my life: lack of self-confidence. On occasion, I do rise to meet the challenge. I do not necessarily succeed in defeating the challenge but do give myself kudos for at least facing my fear. I respect my friend greatly and she has always encouraged my enthusiasm for cooking and was really the one that brought it to the forefront of my life. So, I felt a bit of obligation -of challenge, more so- to at least consider the Pietopia (TM) question, "What does [my] life taste like, in a pie?"

Up until the day of this post, I had signed no contract and had not even verbally committed to considering the aforementioned question. I still had an out. There was no reason for me to waste time and money on this project. There was no benefit to me. I will concede, however, that periodic reflection is a very health exercise. It can help to refocus our attention and direction on the things we want, or at least where we are right now.

For me, making the decision to complete this small project was relatively hard. However, deciding what to make was almost as difficult. The recipe developed as I began to answer the question and the answer to the question actually developed more as the recipe took shape.

When I really committed to figuring out how I could explain my life as a piece of pie I admitted to myself again that I am very indecisive. I have a passion for cooking, the mind of an analytical, and a heart for teaching. Currently, I am working in a laboratory using my mind for science 40 hours a week. However, I am also work in food service and do what I can to be close to good food. I cannot decide between my heart, my mind, and my passion. Ingredient #1: Indecision.

Even in my daily contemplations of my indecisiveness, I have to admit that I am blessed. I have a job, a home, and don't want for too much. Ingredient #2: Blessing/Sweetness.

But at the same time I can't help recognizing that there are things that are going on in my life that make things a little bit sour. A recent death in our family, legal troubles, problems at work. These are things that happen but are not typically welcomed. Ingredient #3: Sourness.

With these first three things in mind, I mulled over the idea mixing and matching flavors, textures, and preparations. I wasn't completely convinced that the combination I came up with would be profound or even turn out successfully, but it was somewhere to start...

The pie I put together was a blueberry lemon pie in a pecan graham crust. The flavor combination seemed reasonably complimentary and the crust simple enough. The pie I baked is shown below:

Blueberry Lemon Pie with Pecan Graham Crust with Soft Meringue

From the outside, everything looked perfect. The meringue was nicely browned. Had I left it at that, I would have been able to claim ignorance on how the pie looked and tasted. Yet, I couldn't help but be curious and cut into the pie anyway. The result was as follows...

The pie that I made really demonstrates how my life tastes right now. It is complete with indecision; this pie couldn't decide on one flavor profile so it compromised with being two different kinds with very little overlap. In my life, I can't seem to take the risk to be one thing or the other so I try to be more than one. There is not necessarily any particularly failings in flavor balance in this pie, but there are some questions about proportionality. Do I spend too much time working more than one job trying to figure out where to go and what to be? Is there too much meringue on this pie?

The texture and flavor are not great but they are not bad. Frequently I struggle with feeling that I am mediocre at a bunch of things and not really great at one thing. This was one of the attributes I gleaned from the finished pie rather than one of the ingredients used from the start.

Meringue was not especially necessary for this pie, just another example of making things harder or more complex than they need to be.

The graham cracker crust was somewhat of a cop out. Although I can justify that it is the traditional crust used for key lime pie, it was really only used because I was too scared to make pie dough from scratch. I've tried doing this with pot pie before an manage a tough, dry crust. Ironically, even though the graham cracker crust with ground pecans was supposed to represent my hearty foundation, it ended up soggy from all the indecision.

At the end of the day, I have a pie that I'm not crazy about but can live with and will enjoy well enough. I enjoy my life but am still searching for something more. I can't complain because the pie that might as well be my life is sweeter than many other peoples' pies. With tenacity, diligence, and help I might someday have a better balanced pie to share. The beauty of pie is that it takes so many different forms and we can try and try again until it tastes just the way we want it to.

I will concede that this reflection is, perhaps, a bit narcissistic in that I really am not considering the larger world that I live in but assert that it is difficult to understand the world and our place in it if we don't understand who we are first.

All that said, the toughest part of the Pietopia (TM) assignment is reducing my entire monologue to a 300 word abstract...

Graham Cracker Crust:

8-9 whole graham crackers, finely ground

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar, granulated

1/3 cup pecans, finely ground

9-inch pie plate

In a food processor, grind graham crackers, pecans, and sugar until a fine consistency is obtained. Slowly add the melted butter until graham cracker mixture is moistened. Press firmly and evenly into pie plate. Blind bake crust at 350F for 10 minutes, or until golden. Cool completely.

Blueberry Filling: 

1.5 pints of fresh blueberries

1/2 cup sugar, granulated

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

Rinse the blueberries and remove any stems. Place the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a medium sauce pot. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Cool completely.

Lemon Filling*:

4 large eggs, separated

1 - 14oz. can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel  

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 cup sugar

Beat the egg whites until smooth and light in color. Slowly mix in the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and cream until smooth. Add lemon zest, if desired. In a separate clean, metal bowl whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until the volume increases significantly. Slowly add the sugar and beat until soft peaks are formed.

The pie is easily assembled. In the baked graham cracker crust, spread the blueberry filling evenly in the bottom. Cover the blueberry with the lemon and cream mixture. Bake the pie at 350F for about 25 minutes. Remove the pie and cover with soft meringue. Bake an additional 15 minutes until the meringue is lightly browned.

My life in a pie. Flavored with indecision with notes of sweet and sour and topped with imbalance. All-in-all a decent slice of pie.

In summary, just like most things in life, the beauty (or tastiness, as it were) of a pie is in the eye of the beholder. Our lives are what we bake of them...or not.

My reflection probably won't make me anymore decisive or view life much differently. But if I keep challenging myself to understand who I am and what I want, I might eventually make a change that is worthwhile. Just something to think about today.

*The lemon filling was based on the Key Lime Pie recipe from Eagle Brand(R). The original recipe can be located at the following link: http://www.eaglebrand.com/recipes/details/?RecipeId=3969&categoryIndex=7

Asian Chicken Salad

Date Prepared: 05/21/11

Source: Everday Food. March 2011, pp. 98.
Also available online: http://www.marthastewart.com/340687/asian-chicken-salad


Asian Chicken Salad

 *Recipe:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 3 limes)

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 jalapeno, minced

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon sugar

4 cups shredded red cabbage (about 1/2 medium head)

1 cup shredded carrots (about 2 large)

1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves

1 cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

To Serve:

In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, jalapeno, oil, and sugar until combined. Add cabbage, carrots, cilantro, mint, and chicken, and toss well to combine. Serve immediately. 

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Difficulty: Easy - This recipe is a prep-and-serve and requires very little culinary expertise. The most difficult part of this recipe is preparation of the cooked chicken. Rotisserie chicken could be used as a quick and easy substitute.

Accessibility: Common - There are very few ingredients required for this preparation, all of which can be obtained at a typical grocery store.

Visual Appeal:  Visually, the dish offers vibrant colors as well as different textures. The deep red of the cabbage is contrasted with brightness of the shredded carrot carrot and cilantro.

Overall Taste: The flavor is equally as important as the visual appeal. The dressing is the star in this dish. Fresh lime juice really brightens the dish. An additional jalapeno was added on a whim. The heat was a welcomed experience but was by no means overwhelming. The dressing was neither too sweet nor too salty and seemed well balanced (as best I know).

Overall Experience: The decision to prepare this recipe was based on the day's weather conditions and my afternoon plans. It was overcast, soggy, and humid. After a planned workout, I didn't want something too heavy. This salad was a great choice. It was light and bright with citrus. Not to mention, light in calories. The dish was good but not particularly exciting. I wanted to add something. Ironically, I wanted to add cheese. If I needed something quick and fresh, I might turn to this recipe.

I realize this dish doesn't showcase much technique or even very deep flavors. But sometimes simply is good enough.

Additional Notes: The recipe calls for shredded carrots and cabbage. I managed to shred about half of the cabbage and was concerned that it would not have enough variety in texture. I finely sliced the remaining half of cabbage. This technique provided some variety in texture but made the dish somewhat clunky to eat.

*The recipe and instructions for this recipe have been reported to maintain the original instruction and is not an original recipe and belongs to the source indicated. This post has been prepared as a review only and with no intention to take credit for this recipe. This recipe has been reviewed without instruction or influence by the parties or companies mentioned therein.

Dark Chocolate Cardamon Ice Cream

Date Prepared: 05/15/11

Source: Epicurious.com

 *Recipe:

4 1/2 oz dark (70% cocoa solids) chocolate

Seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean

2 cardamom pods

3/4 cup whole milk

1/3 cup superfine sugar

3/4 cup heavy cream

To Serve:

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water.

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the back of a knife. Then crush the cardamom pods with the flat of the blade of the knife.

Place the milk in a separate pan and heat to just under boiling point, then add the sugar, vanilla seeds, and cardamom pods. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Using a strainer to catch the crushed cardamom pods, pour the milk into the melted chocolate and stir. Add the cream, stir well, and leave to cool at room temperature.

Once cool, pour into an ice-cream maker and churn following the manufacturer's instructions. Keep in the freezer until required.

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Difficulty: Easy - There are no advanced techniques required for this preparation. However, an ice cream maker is required for easy preparation.

Accessibility: Common to Limited Specialty - Generally, the ingredients in this preparation can be located at a grocery store. However, whole cardamon pods and vanilla beans and 70% chocolate might need to be procured from a specialty store.

The Ghirardeli brand chocolate used for this preparation was available at the grocery store in the baking aisle.

Visual Appeal:  There is nothing especially appealing about the look of this dish. It looks like chocolate ice cream. For some people, I'm sure, just the sight of chocolate ice cream makes them drool. It looked creamy enough, which was all I really cared about for this dish.

Overall Taste: The final dessert is not cloyingly sweet and is borderline bitter. With respect to taste, the chocolate flavor was pleasing. Unfortunately, neither the cardamon nor the vanilla is particularly pronounced. Three white cardamon pods were used in the recipe, which was more than required for the dish. Unfortunately, neither the aroma or the taste really came through in the final sorbet.

Overall Experience: Ice cream is not my favorite dessert. Cakes, cookies, and pastries are my sweets of choice. However, my girl friend really likes ice cream, especially chocolate. Unfortunately, we were both disappointed by this ice cream. The texture was almost gritty and the flavor ordinary.

I will concede that the disappointment might be my own fault. I tried to freeze the ice cream before the bowl for the ice cream maker was completely frozen. As a result, the ice cream only partially frozen. Realizing that the ice cream was still soupy, the ice cream base was removed from the bowl and placed back in the refrigerator overnight while the bowl was freezing completely. Crystals could have formed undermining any creaminess that might have been achieved if done correctly.

Additional Notes: If you know anything about ice cream making, please let me know.

*The recipe and instructions for this recipe have been reported to maintain the original instruction and is not an original recipe and belongs to the source indicated. This post has been prepared as a review only and with no intention to take credit for this recipe. This recipe has been reviewed without instruction or influence by the parties or companies mentioned therein.

Spicy Lamb Stew

Date Prepared: 05/14/11

Source: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/spicy_lamb_stew/ 

Spicy Lamb Stew with Thyme over Couscous

*Recipe:

2-3 lbs of lamb shoulder stew meat, cut into 1½-inch cubes

Olive oil

2 yellow onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 red bell peppers, chopped

2 dry pasilla chiles, chopped, stems and most seeds removed

1 Tbsp hot Hungarian paprika*

1½ teaspoon ground cumin

Pinch of ground cardamon

1½ cups chicken stock (use gluten-free stock for gluten-free version)

14 oz of canned whole tomatoes, put through a food mill, or puréed

8-10 sprigs fresh flat leaf parsley

4-5 sprigs of thyme

1 bay leaf

2/3 cup raisins

Salt and pepper

To Serve:

Pat the lamb dry with a paper towel. Drying the lamb this way first will help the lamb pieces brown. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy, high-sided pot, such as a Dutch oven, over medium high heat. When the pot is hot, add the lamb pieces in batches, being careful not to crowd them. Cook, turning as needed so that the lamb pieces brown evenly on all sides, for 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Return the pot to medium-high heat. Add the onions, dried peppers and red bell peppers and stir to coat with the oil in the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute.
Make a bouquet garni by placing the parley, thyme and bay leaf in the center of a doubled over cheesecloth square. Gather the ends and secure with kitchen string.

Stir in the paprika, cumin, and cardamom and cook for a minute. Add the puréed (or cooked tomatoes put through a food mill) tomatoes, lamb, chicken stock, raisins and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil over high heat, decrease heat to low. Cook, partially covered, for about 3 hours, or until lamb is tender.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve over couscous or rice (gluten-free option).

Yield: Serves 4-6.

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Difficulty: Easy - The techniques used in this preparation are not complicated and should be able to be accomplished by even the novice cook without much difficulty. In fact, the lamb that was purchased at the grocery store was already cut into pieces that were 1-1 1/2in. in size.

Accessibility: Common to Limited Specialty - Most of the ingredients for this recipe can be found in a typical grocery store. The pasilla peppers were the only ingredient that took some searching and were found at a Latin American grocery store. In addition, I was unable to locate hot Hungarian paprika. The original recipe offered a substitution for this ingredient, which was much more accessible than the hot paprika.

Visual Appeal:  Visual appeal is a subjective criteria by which to judge a dish. Beef stew is not all that aesthetically pleasing, however soulfully pleasing it might be. In a similar fashion, this preparation does not result in the most dynamic looking meal. In defensive of the Spicy Lamb Stew, the colors are deep and rich. If a dish were to look like you spent a lot of time developing flavors, this would be the quintessential example. The slow cooking of the tomato, peppers, onions, and raisins yield a hearty sauce, almost chutney like. In summary, this dish does hold some visual appeal for me because of the deep earthy richness that is offered.

Overall Taste: This preparation did not include much additional salt, which allows the natural sweetness of the cooked vegetables and raisins to be prominently displayed. The recipe calls for hot Hungarian paprika. Unfortunately, I was unable find this ingredient and followed the recipe author's suggestion,

"* Hot Hungarian paprika is not the regular Hungarian paprika which is sweet and mild. It is even hotter than cayenne. If you don't have access to hot paprika, I would substitute 1/2 with sweet paprika and 1/2 with chili powder."

Spicy food, ironically, is not my favorite. Cayenne is a spice I use very sparingly. I read the suggested substitution and questioned what was missing. I don't agree that a 1:1 mix of chili powder and paprika is hotter than cayenne! The taste of this dish was enjoyable but not particularly exciting or unique. In fact, I wouldn't have minded it to actually have more heat.

On the topic of heat, I didn't find the pasilla chiles to provide much in the way of heat, compounding my disappointment over the expected amount of heat.

I don't cook with lamb meat much but have really been in the mood for some nice juicy, flavorful lamb. Unfortunately, this dish did not deliver all I was hoping for. The lamb meat I purchased was quite lean with very little marbling. After stewing in the tomato mixture for a few hours, the lamb was certainly tenderized and was easy to cut apart with just a fork. However, the meat was somewhat dry and lacked the succulence I have been looking for lately. But again, not altogether unenjoyable.

Overall Experience: Unfortunately, I didn't have the luxury of time on this occasion and couldn't let the dish simmer all day. However, I always enjoy spending all day slowly cooking a dish. I was pleased to find the pasilla peppers but slightly disappointed that I failed to find the hot paprika. It was good to cook again, even if it was for myself.

Additional Notes: Don't take the aforementioned critiques too seriously. If the dish sounds interesting or looks good, I would encourage you to try it. Although it was not my favorite dish as of late, I am always an advocate of trying new things. Read more about Pasilla chiles:

• http://www.tasteoftx.com/recipes/chiles/pasilla.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasilla
• http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Dictionary/P/Pasilla-negro-chile-5609.aspx

*The recipe and instructions for this recipe have been reported to maintain the original instruction and is not an original recipe and belongs to the source indicated. This post has been prepared as a review only and with no intention to take credit for this recipe. This recipe has been reviewed without instruction or influence by the parties or companies mentioned therein.