thousand mile pie

From start to finish my first experiment was pretty successful. I read about ten different recipes for apple and peach pies, and took my favorite aspects to combine the recipe detailed below. After that I ran my plan by The Ravishing Texan, who gave a few appreciated suggestions – noted throughout the recipe by the acronym TRT.

My inspiration began with one of my favorite films, Waitress, written and directed by Adrienne Shelley. The story follows Jenna, a pregnant and unhappily married waitress who gains strength in her life through the letters she writes to her unborn child and the unlikely relationship she forms with her doctor. She’s also, a pie genius! The film’s bright and bold aesthetic, and fairy tale charm appeal to me entirely, and I couldn’t help but want to learn about Jenna’s favorite pastime – pie baking. As if the film weren’t already adorable enough Jenna also gives the pies “real, unusual names,” such as Lonely Chicago Pie and Marshmallow Mermaid Pie. Naturally this means I get to name my pie too!

The other reason I felt drawn to this project is the time of year and time of life. I’ve recently moved very far from home, and the coming of fall has always been an acute reminder of childhood. I grew up in Wisconsin, and on more than one occasion my mother would take my siblings and I to an apple orchard where we’d pick Macintosh and Jonathan’s until our buckets overflowed. The crispness of Midwestern fall air, heavy leather boots, and soft flannel button-ups, tall cornfields and the rich plums, maroons and golds of nature, are all memories of childhood, and all sorely missed in the hot, dry climate I currently inhabit. On the other hand, I’ve always adored summer; it’s carefree spirit, the way heat forces me to slow and the drip of sweat teaches me to accept. Summer creates the delectable mixture of tingling tartness and mouth-watering sweetness – all found in the perfection that is a peach. As recognition of my childhood home and my first adult home, and perhaps as an irresistible connection between childhood and adulthood I’ve created a pie that combines fruits that bond me to both, with a name that stretches the distance between. And it’s absolutely delicious!

Thousand Mile Pie

Ingredients for Pie Crust:
taken from: http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/001127perfect_pie_crust.php

2 C. all purpose flour
1 C. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tsp salt
1 heaping tsp brown sugar
4 to 6 TBSP ice water

Directions for Pie Crust:

Cut the sticks of butter into 1/2-inch cubes and place in the freezer for 15 minutes to an hour until they become chilled.

Combine flour, salt, and brown sugar in a bowl. Remove butter from the freezer and cut finely before blending it into the mixture. Slice the butter and flour with a knife until it resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter.

To me this sounded absolutely absurd but it wasn’t as difficult as I expected. Just go for it, you really are just slicing and dicing through flour and butter.

Ensure the butter is fully covered by mixture. Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, stirring until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough doesn't hold together, add a little more water and stir again.

At this point I was wondering if in my excitement I’ve added too much water. The dough is feeling exceptionally sticky.

Remove dough from bowl and place in two even mounds on a clean surface. Gently shape into two discs. Knead the dough just enough to form the discs, do not over-knead.

You should be able to see little bits of butter in the dough - I of course could not.

These small chunks of butter are what will allow the resulting crust to be flaky - excellent.

Sprinkle a little flour around the discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour, but no longer than two days.

Begin prep for pie filling.

Ingredients for Filing:
inspired by:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Farm-Apple-Pie/Detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Peach-Pie-the-Old-Fashioned-Two-Crust-Way/Detail.aspx
http://www.texascooking.com/recipes/freshpeachpie.htm
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fresh-Peach-Angel-Pie/Detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Dutch-Apple-Pie/Detail.aspx?prop31=3

2 1/2 C. peaches – 3 yellow peaches
2 1/2 C. apples – 2 granny smith apples
1 lime

1 TBSP cinnamon
1/2 TBSP nutmeg

1/2 C. flour
1/2 C. toasted almonds
2 TBSP cornstarch – This was recommended by The Ravishing Texan – but since I’m not particularly accomplished at reading recipes thoroughly, even the ones I write myself, I overlooked it.

1/4 C. sugar
1/4 C. brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Cooking Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place sliced peaches and apples in a colander, and sprinkle with fresh lime-juice. Mix or toss the fruit and allow excess lime-juice to drain.

Mix peaches and apples with one TBSP cinnamon, and 1/2 TBSP nutmeg.


Mix 1/2 C. flour and 1/2 C. toasted, sliced almonds. *Okay so I also forgot the almonds. I threw them on top of the last layer of fruit just before adding the second crust. Novice I say. Novice!

Dredge peaches and apples in flour. **TRT

Mix 1/4 C. sugar, 1/4 C. brown sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon.

Remove one crust disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes in order to soften just enough to make rolling out a bit easier. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a twelve inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. If necessary, add a few sprinkles of flour under the dough to keep the dough from sticking. Carefully place onto a 9-inch pie plate. Gently press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to trim the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edge of the pie dish.

Line 9” pan with homemade pie-crust, rub pie-crust down with whipped egg yolk.

Put in first layer of fruit. Alternate with layers of sugar mixture.

Dot with small pieces of butter.

Roll out second disk of dough, as before. Gently place onto the top of the filling in the pie. Pinch top and bottom of dough rounds firmly together. Trim excess dough with kitchen shears, leaving a 3/4 inch overhang. Fold the edge of the top piece of dough over and under the edge of the bottom piece of dough, pressing together. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with a fork. Score the top of the pie with four 2-inch long cuts, so that steam from the cooking pie can escape.

Let the pie bake for 30 minutes before checking. By now the dough should show signs of browning. If the edges are baking too quickly wrap with tin foil – I didn’t take a picture of this, it was obnoxious enough to do in the first place.

Allow the pie to cook for another 15 – 20 minutes, then remove from the oven.

Yum!

calico dresses and pineapple beer

With all the conveniences our modern world affords us, I have recently recognized that I don't know how to do anything!

I can buy pre-made meals that simply need to be heated in a microwave, for a set time determined by a Rice-a-Roni "professional." Grains, meats, dairies, vegetables and fruits are found less than half a mile from my home, laid out neatly, and gleaming beneath florescent lights. If I venture another quarter mile I'll find the less pristine, more bohemian farmer's market, which nonetheless provides the same sustenance. The last time I made much effort to gather my food, was during that desperate interim between college graduation and the first job. I'd taken to climbing neighbor's fences to steal oranges and clementines, rather than give up my precious few dollars, preferably spent on pineapple beer at the corner dive bar.

At the same time, clothing I need can be purchased at one among hundreds of stores, ranging from massively overstocked discount emporiums to specialty vintage shops. Though none is superior, all fulfill my style - personally dubbed ‘professionalism in pajamas’ - and they never require me to sit behind a sewing machine, or heaven forbid thread a needle. At home I keep a drawer of the extra buttons that come with new jackets and blouses, yet I'm completely aware that were a button to come loose I would not have the skills to mend the situation. Each time a new item of button-dependent-clothing enters my home I slip that extra button among my collection, and 22 pieces of plastic smirk and snicker quietly. Perhaps I should buy more t-shirts, but it wouldn't solve the problem.

My mother made our Halloween costumes. During my “pioneer phase” she created calico summer dresses, complete with white pinafores. When I was queen of the Medieval Fair, she designed a long, flowing silk gown and kirtle. Growing up in rural Wisconsin my parents planted a large vegetable garden, filled with tomatoes, zucchini, green beans and cucumbers. They constructed a compost in our backyard. We had apple trees that my siblings and I would pick too early, then earnestly insist upon "sour" apple pie. I didn't grow up on a farm, or in a commune. My parents aren't hippies or Amish. Both are city-bred, reformed wasps who wanted their kids to enjoy childhood in the country. I fear I may have taken that opportunity for granted. I can barely cook, sewing confounds me, gardening is a formidable prospect and there is no hope that I might construct something useful from slabs of wood.

This recent realization is not an opening to release long pent up rants against modern living, or a rally to revert to "simpler" times. (Granted my favorite joke is to suggest joining a commune in Wyoming and raising wild coyotes.) In truth, I'd say that trying to include the aforementioned activities into my current life sounds excessively complicated. I recognize that the conveniences we enjoy allow our lives' focuses to shift from basic survival to intellectual, artistic and spiritual growth. However, these inevitable complications do not deter me, nor do they waver my resolve.

Throughout my life I've been gripped by an overwhelming desire to enjoy the gratifying experience of creation. I’ve spent years writing, acting, singing (poorly), dancing, drawing, painting and so on. However, I have never applied imagination to my daily meals. Tofurky sandwiches and defrosted ravioli are less exciting than they were four years ago when I first established a meal trend. I have never made a loving home for an animal, nor thanked one for its sacrifice to feed me. I have never even ventured into the creation of life through gardening.

Thinking about all this led me to understand a simple truth, we create everyday and through as simple an activity as making breakfast. We can honor each and every creation. Creativity in all forms is what I would like to explore, and it is what I see the people I love doing. Be it performing sketch comedies or writing political Op-Eds there is great beauty in expressing oneself and honoring one’s interests.

All this has led to my resolution to explore forms of creativity through learning how to do the simple activities I overlooked; cooking, sewing, gardening, etc. I want to promote creativity in all forms and will use this blog as a forum to share not only my attempts, but also the creative pursuits of people who have inspired me.

So...good luck to me, and to anyone out there who is on their own journey of creation.