Today's update is ... there's no more pie.
We done et it all.
Showing posts with label cooking with Phydeaux. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking with Phydeaux. Show all posts
16 March 2010
15 March 2010
4.1415927 or Pi Day Plus One
So we shared some of The Pie with the girls for dessert tonight (they were at their dad's last week), and a) they pronounced it The Best Pie Ever (can't really argue with that as it's always been the favorite of all the pies my mom makes, and b) they wanted to know why it's called "Chess Pie" (the chocolate part was self-apparent).
Turns out no one really knows why it's called Chess Pie. There are theories, including the possibility that it's a corruption of Cheese Pie, and that in the South, whence comest this culinary delight, pies used to be stored in a piece of furniture called a "pie safe":
But my favorite theory (which, as a native Southern speaker, makes total sense) is that the name derived from saying it was "just pie" ---> "jes' pie" in the vernacular, and that became chess pie.
Anyway, I also found (whilst searching for the why) this old recipe from Martha Washington's Booke of Cookery
Pretty cool ,eh?
Turns out no one really knows why it's called Chess Pie. There are theories, including the possibility that it's a corruption of Cheese Pie, and that in the South, whence comest this culinary delight, pies used to be stored in a piece of furniture called a "pie safe":
But my favorite theory (which, as a native Southern speaker, makes total sense) is that the name derived from saying it was "just pie" ---> "jes' pie" in the vernacular, and that became chess pie.
Anyway, I also found (whilst searching for the why) this old recipe from Martha Washington's Booke of Cookery
To make very good chee[secakes without] cheese curd
Take a quart of cream, & when it boyles take 14 eggs; If they be very yallow take out 2 or 3 of the youlks; put them into [the] cream when it boyles & keep it with continuall stirring till it be thick like curd. [Then] put into it sugar & currans, of each halfe a pound; ye currans must first be plumpt in faire water; then take a pound of butter & put into the curd a quarter of [that] butter; [then] take a quart of fine flowre, & put [the] resto of [the] butter to it in little bits, with 4 or 5 spoonsfulls of faire water, make [the] paste of it & when it is well mingled beat it on a table & soe roule it out.. Then put [the] curd into [the] paste, first putting therein 2 nutmeggs slyced, a little salt, & a little rosewater; [the] eggs must be well beaten before you put them in; & for [your] paste you may make them up into what fashion you please..."
Pretty cool ,eh?
14 March 2010
The Time Has Come, The Walrus Said
To speak of many things.... ...Of Broken Cats and Pi(es).
Happy Pi Day, everybody!!
In honor of this estimable day, I baked a Chocolate Chess Pie, using my Mom's recipe (which I've uploaded to AllRecipes.com, btw). When it came out of the oven, I got Jen to take a couple pictures (hers is the better camera for indoor close shots):
And here's a shot of Raxicoricofallapatorius ("Raxi", for short), in her usual "broken" sleep pose:
(click on the photos to enlarge them)18 November 2009
From The Request Line
I'm not sure whether Dr. Monkey Von Monkerstein meant this comment as "please share the pie" or as "please share the pie recipe", so, in the interest of fairness (and since the pie itself is all gone), herewith be the recipe....
I like to use a graham cracker crust, but you could use any type -- pastry, oreo cookie, 'Nilla wafer, whatever. The filling is made as follows:
Put 1½ cups of milk (whole is best, but at least 2% fat -- nonfat won't thicken) in a medium saucepan over low heat, until bubbles form around the edge. A low heat will keep the milk from burning as it heats, so be careful with the temperature!
Whilst that is happening, mix together:
After the dry ingredients are mixed, add ½cup of milk and whisk until blended.
Add this mixture to the scalded milk, and turn up the heat to medium. Whisk the mixture until it reaches a boil, then boil for one minute (whisking constantly, so it doesn't burn on the bottom).
Remove from heat, let cool to lukewarm and add 2t vanilla extract.
Chill and serve.
I like to use a graham cracker crust, but you could use any type -- pastry, oreo cookie, 'Nilla wafer, whatever. The filling is made as follows:
Put 1½ cups of milk (whole is best, but at least 2% fat -- nonfat won't thicken) in a medium saucepan over low heat, until bubbles form around the edge. A low heat will keep the milk from burning as it heats, so be careful with the temperature!
Whilst that is happening, mix together:
- 3T (that's Tablespoon) cornstarch
- 4T sugar
- ¼t (teaspoon) salt
- 5T unsweetened cocoa (or less, if you're afraid of real chocolate taste)
After the dry ingredients are mixed, add ½cup of milk and whisk until blended.
Add this mixture to the scalded milk, and turn up the heat to medium. Whisk the mixture until it reaches a boil, then boil for one minute (whisking constantly, so it doesn't burn on the bottom).
Remove from heat, let cool to lukewarm and add 2t vanilla extract.
Chill and serve.
17 November 2009
+pie.JPG)
15 November 2009
Food, Glorious Food!
Tonight's dinner:
Steamed green beans, tuna casserole, and made-from-scratch chocolate pie w/(sorta)graham cracker crust*. As my Siamese cousin Ralph would say.... 'twas guuuuud!**
* - "Graham Crackers" aren't available (that we've found) here in Costa Rica, so we used "Fibra Miel", or "Fiber Honey", cookies.
** - And we haven't actually cut into the pie yet, but the "leavings" in the bowl were yuu-mmy!
Steamed green beans, tuna casserole, and made-from-scratch chocolate pie w/(sorta)graham cracker crust*. As my Siamese cousin Ralph would say.... 'twas guuuuud!**
* - "Graham Crackers" aren't available (that we've found) here in Costa Rica, so we used "Fibra Miel", or "Fiber Honey", cookies.
** - And we haven't actually cut into the pie yet, but the "leavings" in the bowl were yuu-mmy!
24 August 2009
Be Careful What You Wish For
(or, grammatically correct, "Be Careful For What You Wish")
When Jen's dad was getting ready to come down for his recent visit, Jen and I came up with a list of things that aren't readily available or exorbitantly expensive here in Costa Rica to request that he bring.
I had discovered that corn meal is unheard of here. There's corn everything else, but not corn meal. So I asked for some, and he brought a 5# bag of it for me.
Today I tried a new recipe for hush puppies, using the corn meal. They were really good, light and not dense like you will find a lot of times, and I enjoyed them a bunch... at first. Then the oil in which they were fried asserted itself and my tum-tum got all queasy. For several hours.
Next time I'll try something different.
When Jen's dad was getting ready to come down for his recent visit, Jen and I came up with a list of things that aren't readily available or exorbitantly expensive here in Costa Rica to request that he bring.
I had discovered that corn meal is unheard of here. There's corn everything else, but not corn meal. So I asked for some, and he brought a 5# bag of it for me.
Today I tried a new recipe for hush puppies, using the corn meal. They were really good, light and not dense like you will find a lot of times, and I enjoyed them a bunch... at first. Then the oil in which they were fried asserted itself and my tum-tum got all queasy. For several hours.
Next time I'll try something different.
16 August 2009
In Case You Want To Try It
I fixed dinner tonight for all of us (including Jen's dad, who's in town for a visit), preparing one of my favorite dishes, tuna casserole.
Now, I suspect many of you have had tuna casserole (or "hot dish", for some of you), but I doubt you've had it the way I fix it -- which I learned from my mom. So here you go....
(Bob's) Mom's Tuna Casserole
1 medium onion
2 T butter
1 1½ cups uncooked rice
3 cups water
1 cube (or equivalent) bouillon -- I use beef, but others would work
1 can Cream o' Mushroom soup
2 cans tuna, drained (save "juice")
As much Colby Cheddar as you can stand (or a 12 oz. package)
Preheat oven to 325°F (170°C)
Melt butter in sauce pot, chop onion and lightly sauté in the butter. Add rice and stir. Add water, tuna "juice" and bouillon and bring to a boil. Cook rice until done (approx 15-20 minutes, depending on location and altitude).
In casserole dish, layer rice, tuna, cream o' mushroom and cheese -- twice. I like to mix the tuna and cream o' together for ease of layering.
Bake for 30 minutes*, serve, and enjoy.
*You want to have a lightly browned top layer of cheese in the final product, so in an electric oven, place rack at bottom of oven, and use both top and bottom element. In a gas stove, put dish in broiler for a couple of minutes at the end -- but make sure you don't burn the cheese.
I would have included a photo of the finished product, but I didn't think about it before we ate.
Now, I suspect many of you have had tuna casserole (or "hot dish", for some of you), but I doubt you've had it the way I fix it -- which I learned from my mom. So here you go....
(Bob's) Mom's Tuna Casserole
1 medium onion
2 T butter
1 1½ cups uncooked rice
3 cups water
1 cube (or equivalent) bouillon -- I use beef, but others would work
1 can Cream o' Mushroom soup
2 cans tuna, drained (save "juice")
As much Colby Cheddar as you can stand (or a 12 oz. package)
Preheat oven to 325°F (170°C)
Melt butter in sauce pot, chop onion and lightly sauté in the butter. Add rice and stir. Add water, tuna "juice" and bouillon and bring to a boil. Cook rice until done (approx 15-20 minutes, depending on location and altitude).
In casserole dish, layer rice, tuna, cream o' mushroom and cheese -- twice. I like to mix the tuna and cream o' together for ease of layering.
Bake for 30 minutes*, serve, and enjoy.
*You want to have a lightly browned top layer of cheese in the final product, so in an electric oven, place rack at bottom of oven, and use both top and bottom element. In a gas stove, put dish in broiler for a couple of minutes at the end -- but make sure you don't burn the cheese.
I would have included a photo of the finished product, but I didn't think about it before we ate.
28 June 2009
Owww!! I Broke My Fast
Toast français... Tostada francesa... Франция Тост... however you say it, the correct response is yumm!
05 June 2009
The Shortbread Protocol
..Jen's new status message - So we're sitting there watching TV and Bob turns to me and says, "you want cookies?" And I was like, "duh," and so we paused the show and now he's in there making cookies for me. Well, some of them will be for him too. 62:45.63 PM*
...Jen's new status message - It's here (but scaled down). Three ingredients -- bout as easy as it comes. e:42 PM*
*timestamps changed to pertek the innocent
...Jen's new status message - It's here (but scaled down). Three ingredients -- bout as easy as it comes. e:42 PM*
*timestamps changed to pertek the innocent
23 May 2009
Home Cookin'
This was dinner last night. Mashed potatoes, hamburger steak and sweet peas... a meal of which my mom would be proud!
To quote the inimitable Cunning Runt...
'Twas guuuud!!!
To quote the inimitable Cunning Runt...
'Twas guuuud!!!
30 April 2009
Hot Dish* Dinner
Fixin' to go upstairs for dinner... made my Mom's famous tuna casserole (maybe if y'all are real nice I'll post the recipe -- I bet it's different from what you've had before) and we're gonna see how the girls like it.
Have a good evening everybody!
*no, I'm not from Minnesota, but I've been a fan of A Prairie Home Companion since the early 1980s.
Have a good evening everybody!
*no, I'm not from Minnesota, but I've been a fan of A Prairie Home Companion since the early 1980s.
30 January 2009
Haute Cuisine du Maison Phydeaux
Since everyone else is posting their gastronomic creativity, I decided I should do the same.
So, for your viewing/reading pleasure, I present to you.... my breakfast:
First, one must find the proper ingredients. Only the freshest and best-tasting will do. Ordinarily, one would need a garden and/or access to a farm to get the best -- and I have, at present, neither. Luckily for me, there is a Food Coop just down the street from where I am currently residing, and I was able to procure some wonderful makings....
Ingredients -- Organic whole milk (with cream still in) and cereal (bowl and spoon courtesy of Sister One):
Step One -- carefully add cereal to bowl:
Step Two -- add the milk (note the proper height from which to pour the milk):
The Final Presentation -- place the bowl in front of the monitor and keyboard, so you can catch up on the latest the InterWebs Tubes have to offer while you eat:
Bon Appetit!
So, for your viewing/reading pleasure, I present to you.... my breakfast:
First, one must find the proper ingredients. Only the freshest and best-tasting will do. Ordinarily, one would need a garden and/or access to a farm to get the best -- and I have, at present, neither. Luckily for me, there is a Food Coop just down the street from where I am currently residing, and I was able to procure some wonderful makings....
Ingredients -- Organic whole milk (with cream still in) and cereal (bowl and spoon courtesy of Sister One):
Step One -- carefully add cereal to bowl:
Step Two -- add the milk (note the proper height from which to pour the milk):
The Final Presentation -- place the bowl in front of the monitor and keyboard, so you can catch up on the latest the InterWebs Tubes have to offer while you eat:
Bon Appetit!
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