February 24, 2019

We met at Mary's house for a Mardi Gras theme!
Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!

Our appetizer was courtesy of Angelica.  These crab cakes with aioli were a delicious starter.  Pan frying crisps the outside without making the little cakes greasy.

Michelle brought her "A" (alcoholic) game with these Mardi Gras Carnival Queen cocktails.  Good grief!  These went down very smooth.  Too smooth! There is a drop of lemon juice so it would be a lie to say these are all alcohol.

The salad recipe I picked also has Mardi Gras in the name. The colors of purple (cabbage), green (parsley) and gold (oranges) represent justice, faith and power, respectively. Emeril Lagasse concocted this salad and the most complicated component is the poppy seed dressing.  Also, toasting the pecans is a must because it really changes the flavor.  You can either do this in the oven or in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant.

Our guest chef, Carol, prepared a beautiful, savory crawfish pie.  Using an egg wash on a store bought pie crust is an easy way to make it look not only homemade but also elegant.  This pie was one of my favorite things we have ever had at cooking group.  The filling comes together quickly and simply and when sandwiched between two pie crusts is a culinary masterpiece.  

Mary picked Shrimp and Grits Dressing as our main dish.  I admit, I did not know what this was going to turn out to be!  I know what cornbread dressing is as it is a staple at my Thanksgiving table.  In this recipe the grits are the "corn bread" and binder for all the other deliciousness.  It is important that you use old fashioned or regular grits and not quick or instant.  Walmart is a good place to find these.  I loved this rich, shrimp dish. 

Our Mardi Gras feast was concluded with Tonya's King Cake. She used the cinnamon roll recipe on the box of Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix. After you roll it into a log, you connect the ends to make a ring. For the filling, she used 8 ounces of cream cheese and mixed it with 1 teaspoon vanilla and powdered sugar to taste, about 1/2 a cup. She also put in blueberries, and you can use whatever fruit or addition that you want. For the icing she mixed 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons soft butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and enough milk to get the right consistency like the icing that comes in a tube of cinnamon rolls.  Then of course on top were sprinkles in the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold. 

Turkey and Pie!

I found my go-to turkey recipe for Thanksgivings to come.  It was easy, flavorful and moist.  I bought the least expensive type of turkey (HEB $0.97 a pound) because the store was swarming with zombies and I had to get in and get out as quick as possible so I grabbed the first one I saw.  Later I found $6 a pound turkeys in a specialty store and I started regretting my less than a dollar a pound turkey.  But not after I tasted mine! While the Bon Appetit recipe is partly responsible for my delicious turkey, the most important step was a meat thermometer in the thigh while cooking so I could remove it at 165 degrees.  I then let it rest for 45 minutes before carving.  The turkey skin browned in the first 30 minutes and after that I kept it tented in foil and it stayed brown.  I love cooking with fresh herbs and citrus and that is what this recipe used.  I prepped the turkey the night before - herb butter on the skin and cavity and onion, orange and lemons inside the cavity.  I tucked the wings under the bird and tied the legs together.  In the morning, I added the water to the roasting pan and cooking began!

I did need more cooking time than the recipe stated but that is where the thermometer came in to play.  Do not judge by time, judge by temperature!  I think it took about 3 1/2 hours.

A lemon meringue pie was requested so I baked my first one EVER.  What a stressful experience.   The recipe was not that complicated but it does involve many steps.   First, I made this pie crust a few days in advance.  I stored in the refrigerator and then set on the counter about 30 minutes before I needed to use them.  I blind baked the shell (almost forgetting to use my pie weights!) and then let it cool while I made the filling.  The pie crust was incredibly easy and the only thing I would do differently is not pulse too many times (my butter blobs were a little too small) and then roll out thinner when putting into the pie pan.

As far as the filling, I faced and defeated my fear of custards.  I am always afraid I will end up with scrambled eggs.  I tempered the heck out of the yolks.  I practically added all of the custard to the yolks, a half cup at a time.  I definitely erred on the side of caution and it worked!  For the meringue, just when I thought my egg whites would never peak, they did.  And when put into the oven, they browned beautifully.  I let the pie cool completely, then gently tented with foil and put in the fridge.  The pie had a delicious, tart, lemon flavor without being overly sweet.  Everyone loved it AND the pie crust.  Now that I have done it once it will be a breeze to prepare again!

Strawberries and Cream Pie

Strawberry season is almost gone.  Winter is getting close.  I wore my boots today despite the fact that it is supposed to be a high in the 80s.  

So what I am trying to say is I made this Strawberries and Cream Pie as an homage to summer 2012.  I followed the directions except for the  chocolate on top.  I did not think it was necessary.  As if chocolate needs to be necessary... 

The pie tasted like a lighter, fluffier cheesecake and I always love a homemade graham cracker crust.  I placed the strawberries on at the last minute to keep them fresh and from tinting the white filling.  This was very good and it would go with any summer berry.  I will definitely make it again.  Next summer.

Banoffee Pie

I was reading a new cooking blog, Three Many Cooks, and found this recipe for Banoffee Pie and had to try it.

There is an interesting first step: simmer a can (sans label) of sweetened condensed milk for three hours in a pot of water. The first thing that comes to mind when imagining a simmering can is AN EXPLOSION. I did some research and was assured there would be NO EXPLOSION of hot milk lava to burn my skin off.

Apparently in Europe, simmering condensed milk happens quite often and in some countries the final product is sold in stores. The final product being caramel/toffee. When I opened the can the next morning, it looked like condensed milk and I thought what a waste of three hours of holding a pillow over my head least I get hit by shrapnel. I decided to push forward and poured it into the crust and after the first bit of yellow milk then the brown toffee appeared and I mixed it together in the crust. I do not know if there will always be a part of the can that does not caramelize or if it all would have had I covered the can completely with water.

The name of the pie, banoffee, is the combination of the words "banana" and "toffee". It was VERY delicious. The night before I was serving the pie I prepared the crust, toffee and whipped cream. I stored all separately (the cream in the refrigerator, the rest at room temperature) and assembled the pie in the morning and served it at dinner. I was afraid it would make the crust soggy, but it did not. The recipe says you can assemble it a few hours before serving but I think a day in advance would be fine.

My pie was not as solid as in the original posting and I think it would be beneficial to put it in the freezer 30 minutes to an hour before serving. The toffee is sweet and creamy and just the right amount. Any more would be too sweet. The bananas are a nice surprise, since you cannot see the slices mixed with all the cream. The cream, lightly sweetened, is a great way to cut the sweetness of the toffee.

I sprinkled the top with left over graham cracker crust crumbs. I did not think it needed any more flavors like the chocolate called for in the original recipe.

Pineapple Pie

My dad's favorite pie is Pineapple Pie. I found this recipe on allrecipes and it looked perfect for Father's Day. It was super easy to prepare, especially since I used store bought crusts, and it tasted delicious. I used the type of crust that comes in a pan for the bottom crust and the kind that come in the refrigerated section for the top crust. Sprinkling sugar on the top crust gives it a nice color.

Happy PI Day!

Today is March 14, 2011. Or, 3.14.11 The first three digits (3.14) is PI, hence Happy Pi Day!!

I made this coconut custard pie called Impossible Pie yesterday and it was SO EASY and so good....if you like coconut and custard. Which I do! If you do not, do not make this pie. There is no crust, so I have to think that makes this a HEALTHY pie!

PIE!

With the terrible weather I have some time on my hands. I made this Apple Berry Pie last night and it was delicious! I cut it when it was still hot but I am hoping if I had let it cool that all the way the juices would firm up.

Blackberries have been on sale so I keep picking some up. This was a great way to feature the berries in a pie!