Christmas Dinner 2008

Christmas Dinner = Decadent

Thanks again to my Aunt Bicky and Uncle Mark for a delicious dinner!


The Dish of the night... prime rib, rare.



I made string beans with portobello mushrooms and balsamic vinegar topped with sesame seeds, with the help of my dear cousins.


Aunt Kathy's amazing Chocolate Mousse Cake

Also served, a turkey, aunt kathy's famous rolls, corn, rice and my mom's stuffed mushrooms.

Can't wait til next year!

I ♥ Cheeseburgers

What is it about a slab of ground beef, grilled to juicy perfection, smothered in melted swiss, gruyere, monterrey jack or cheddar, topped with a leaf or two of boston lettuce, sliced tomato, onions, maybe avocado, bacon and/or pickles, adhered on a great soft bun with ketchup, maybe some mayonnaise or mustard that makes my mouth water???

One of life's great mysteries and delights, I guess.

There is no way that I could be a vegetarian. I've tried, and it just ain't happenin'. It is rare that I'll ever order a meatless dish at a restaurant. With that said, I have somehow enrolled myself on A Great Cheeseburger Search with Lauren, Jess and John- all coworkers/friends. It all started last week when Lauren, Jess and myself decided to get cheeseburgers. I suggested my tried and true favorite, Paul's Burgers, but Jess wanted to go to Corner Bistro and I had just gone to Paul's a week before with Will. Also, Lauren had never been to Corner Bistro and I've been wanting to go forever.


photo courtesy of Will Star

The first time I had heard about it was around four years ago when I had plans to get dinner with Eric K and his girlfriend at the time. However, the West Village is tricky, and this was before phones had maps, so after walking around in circles for 40 minutes, we ended up going to Lemongrass instead (far from a burger). Eager to finally step foot inside, we got to the West Village after work and tada! Corner Bistro shone in the moonlight. Unfortunately, about 40 other people had the same idea and the restaurant is tiny. We stood in the very back of the line for awhile before deciding to find another place. Foiled once again.

I tried to think of other burger joints in that area and Pop Burger came to mind. Ian had taken me there on our one and only date three and a half years ago and while I had never been back (nor did we order burgers), I heard they were tasty and recalled the French Fries being some of the best I had ever had.

It was better than nothin'.


two mini burgers come in this box. $6


Surprisingly filling


fries, obviously

The next day I met up with the girls again, along with John, and we went to Fanelli's to get their incredible bison burger. Now you're probably thinking, "Eating cheeseburgers two days in a row?! animals!" and yes, that's true.

While the service at Fanelli's was subpar (long wait, forgot my gingerale, no tablecloth, nice but ditzy waitress), I gotta hand it to them: Their bison burger is amazing. Though honestly, I don't think I'd be able to tell it apart from a cow. Probably with a combination of hunger, flavorful meat and a really good bun made this a delicious lunch. And I was good; I asked for salad instead of fries.

Sadly the lighting was terrible and I didn't want to rig up a makeshift tripod so this will have to do:


Anyway, we have a long list of other places to hit up in the city: One of which was Dumont Burger, which is actually where I got a late lunch today. It is considered one of the best places to get your fix. I went to Brooklyn to see my friend Adam who was only in town for a few more hours. He and his buddy Aaron were staying with Brett who suggested going (conveniently located several blocks away from his apt). He also had the brilliant idea of sharing an order of their mac and cheese. it had pieces of bacon in it. Amaaazzinngg.
The burger was alright. I got it with Monterrey Jack. I thought the bun was too dry... and in my opinion, a soft bun is one of the most important parts to the construction of a good burger. Also, I hate when the patty is smaller than the bun so the first few bites was all bread and no beef (Granted we ordered mini burgers, but still. Flatten it out a little!). The fries were pretty darn good though. I didn't whip out the camera this time, but if you find yourself in Williamsburg, check it out.

Other places worth mentioning:
-Big Nick's on 77th & Broadway. Try their "Bistro Burger" and waffle fries.
-Shake Shack- You no longer have to wait for the summer months to get them at Madison Sq. Park. Grab one year round on 77th and Columbus Ave.
-Blue 9... ignoring the fact it had once been shut down due to health code violation. It's fresh and delicious.

Jook

Rice porridge, congee or what my family lovingly refers to as 'jook' (rhymes with 'hook') is my comfort food of choice. For as long as I can remember, it was a good day if I was eating jook. I think the last time might've been when Ben Harrison and I went to Congee Village over a year and a half ago which is preposterous.
My grandfather definitely made it the best, but luckily my mom makes it the way I like it too. I had some this morning that my mom gave me last night and it was thick and chockful of preserved duck egg and pork just the way I remember it... She also gave me this fried cruller dough (aka "Deep Fried Devils") that my gung gung first introduced to me over a decade ago. You dip it in as you would a piece of baguette in your cream of broccoli soup.

The jook itself isn't pretty, but it's not meant to be pretty, it's meant to warm your insides on a cold Christmas morning... yum.

The Annual Christmas Eve Dinner

Merry Christmas!!

Apologies for the lack of updates; I've been a busy bee.
Just because I haven't been blogging does not mean I haven't been eating or cooking; quite far from the truth actually!
I must admit I am finding it "embarrassing" whenever I whip out my camera before eating, for people just think I'm nuts.
Then I explain, "It's for my food blog" and first timers ask, "Really? You have a food blog??", as if I were just making that up as an excuse to take photos... Sheesh. But usually people think it's cool and let me click away. You know who's your true friend when they automatically wait before digging in so I can snap a shot of their food, or when they ask if I'm going to take one when I just want to dig into my burger. And you know they're your best friend when they start sending you photos of food they have eaten.

But its Christmas and sure it's about spending time with your family, but it's also really a time to wonder why you ate so much. I'm still full from last night. Every Christmas Eve, my Aunt Kathy prepares a traditional Italian seafood dinner for my uncle and luckily my mom and I get to partake. Kristina, my cousin, of course is there too and this year we had a special guest, Sean, her new boyfriend. He agreed to an eating contest in the future, so stay tuned.

Without further ado, feast your eyes on this... feast. Note, I didn't take pictures of all the dishes, but I think you'll get the idea.


tuna salad & aunt kathy's calamari


Kris and Sean's brussel sprouts and Aunt Kathy's coconut shrimp with an apricot and horseradish dipping sauce


my mom's stuffed mushrooms


Kris' Belgian Chocolate Cake


my pineapple coconut cake which I will post a recipe to another day

Afterwards, my mom and I went over to Daniel and Willy's Christmas Eve dinner and while we didn't eat a second meal (Lord knows I wish I had room to though!), we couldn't help but ooh and ahh over the desserts.




Happy holidays!

Stay warm,
N

La Crepe 2 Go

La Crepe 2 Go

It was 1:30am and we had just arrived in Montreal. We checked into the Holiday Inn-Midtown, scoped out our room, washed our faces and headed out for a night on the town. However, we found out that unlike New York City, Montreal's nightlife does not begin on a Thursday night, nor does it last past 1am. Nevertheless, we walked up St. Laurent- a suggestion made by a passing pedestrian, and we'd soon find ourselves on that street quite often. However, that story is reserved for another day. The point is, on the way back from St. Laurent, on Sherbooke, we passed by a little place semi- underground with a sign: La Crepe 2 Go. Stephen said we should try it the next day, but me being the judgemental snob I am, couldn't dream of going to a Crepe place that had a numeral in place of a word. I was also recommended another crepe place so I had my heart set on that. However, it is a known fact that I usually make bad calls on things (longevity of celebrities, fashion trends, movies, boyfriends, etc). We had passed by it again Friday night and a "ferme" sign hung on the door. We looked inside; It was adorable. Presumably, the owner and crepe-maker extraordinaire gestured it was closed; Stephen pretended to cry. We agreed we'd try it in the morning. At long last, a crepe would be had!

Their menu is modest. a chalkboard that listed a few savoury crepes and paninis, the other half listing a few more dessert crepes. Stephen got the Nutella et fraises (nutella & strawberries), Bobby got jambon (ham) and something (his first crepe ever!), and I decided to try something new... fromage et poivre (Cheese and pear!). All delicious. And the owner, Vartan, remembered Steph crying. It was so good Bobby ordered a second one. We went back the next morning.


Cutest little crepe place. Capacity is probably 15 people


Nutella et fraises


Fromage et poivre

This Chicken is Tso-Tso...

It's how I described my dinner tonight.

I made the "Massaman Chicken Curry" (which was delicious) and had some chicken leftover so I decided to make something new and low-maintenance (meaning I wouldn't have go out and get ingredients). I searched and voila! General Tso's Chicken!

Let me just say this... This is not a recipe you should alter yourself.

I half-assed a lot of the measurements, and left out other ingredients.... BUT now i know for the future.

Nevertheless, this "slurry" is really effective. The chicken crisped up nicely and stayed super juicy. The sauce, on the other hand, failed miserably. First off, I didn't have sherry, fresh garlic or red chilis. I also underestimated the power of corn starch and heat. I figured I didn't need the chicken broth and just used water... as soon as it hit the pan. it thickened up instantly into this gooey mess and I couldn't thin it out. I also forgot the sugar so it turned out to be too salty. But I added Hoisin sauce and it was a little bit better.

I made a slammin' pot of brown rice though!

Reuben's Delicatessen

On our first walk around Montreal, Stephen, Bobby and I found ourselves with a pocketful of Canadian money and hungry stomachs. We were on Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, a busy street full of stores and restaurants and had passed by Reuben's and it just so happened to be recommended by my aunt. It is a meatlover's heaven... which is 'funny' because Stephen is a vegetarian but the three of us went inside. It's a large bustling restaurant, totally the epitome of a delicatessen.

Again, lucky for the guys, a very cute hostess was working that day and sat us at a booth by the window. Also lucky, they had a few vegetarian dishes on the menu.

I ordered their French Onion Soup which was really delectable. I remember my mom always ordering it whenever it was offered, and I couldn't understand the appeal of onions in broth. But as I've gotten older and wiser, I know the reason why it, when made right, can be the perfect thing to satiate your hunger. The cheese was gooey, and the crouton was still crispy even submerged in the soup. I got a side order of their Poutine (also recommended by my aunt). When it came out, I fully regretted it. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious, but the french fries were laden with shredded meat, gravy and cheese; I couldn't finish the whole thing. Aside from traveling with a vegetarian. I was also with a lactose-free eater (Practically everything I ordered this past weekend, unconsciously, was for me and me alone). Bobby got the beef teriyaki salad: and Stephen a good-lookin' eggplant, pepper and whathaveyou sandwich. He generously gave me his cole slaw which was a nice balance to the salty and heavy Poutine. Next time I go there, I'm getting the onion rings which come with a side of Jack Daniel's BBQ sauce (Because I heard good things... and come on, how does that not sound amazing to you??)


Bobby and his impressive Beef Teriyaki Salad


Steph's sandwich


my soupe de l'oignon

I'd post a picture of my Poutine, but when Stephen saw it, he said "That looks really disgusting". and he's right...

Une Grenouille Dans La Théière (A Frog in the Teapot)

Our Friday in Montreal consisted of "getting lost" and getting food, which I think is a wonderful way to explore a city, as experienced a couple of weekends ago with Mike and Saela. Another way I like to see a new city (with public transportation), is to pick a stop on a transit map, go there and look around. It worked quite well in Vienna and I got a really good sense of 'Wein' in the day and a half I was there.

So in Montreal, Stephen, Bobby and I rode the Metro and chose Jean-Talon, a random spot north of where we were. It was also a station where you could transfer to another line, which made me think it might be a busy part of town, albeit less-touristy. Where we ended up was more like Steinway St in Queens, and less like Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn. However, there was a silver lining:

Une Grenouille dans la Théière (or Salon de Thé, if you will) is a calm albeit adorable little shop, that is serious about tea. The menu book is about 8 pages long (not one word in English) that list various types of tea (astray from the usual Earl Grey or Oolong, but they are included as well).

menu book, actually bound like a book

Stephen, Bobby and I were thankful for this little shop on rue Saint-Hubert because we had just walked down blocks and blocks of clothing stores- the kind you may find in Chelsea, or the garment district of NY, but with no way out. If we were looking for wedding dresses or cheap bags, then this may have been a goldmine, however neither of us are brides-to-be. Nevertheless, the Salon de Thé was quiet and cozy. We had a very pretty server/cashier who spoke some English. I ordered a Chai, though I wish I ordered a thé blanc (white tea) because then I would've gotten a little teapot of my own (which they sold in dozens of colors, and I was tempted to get.) They also sold tea leaves/blooms, jam, books and gorgeous ceramics.



We also got scones. I ordered un scone de fromage (cheese scone, which was like a rich man's version of Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits), Steph- a scone de canneberge (cranberry) and Bobby- a scone aux épices (Spice). Luckily for us, we went at the right time because there is apparently a tea & scone special for $6.50 from 4-6:30pm -which we only found out when we paid our l'additions (checks).

scone de fromage

Then Steph broke the bathroom sink and we jetted out of that place faster than you can say Bon Appétit.

Doughnut Plant

Everything you knew about doughnuts before this post was a lie, unless of course, you have had a delectable yeast doughnut from the Doughnut Plant. I know there are some pretty loyal Krispy Kreme fans out there, or dare I say, Dunkin Donuts, but these little beauts are just about the best and worst thing you could down with a cup of joe or tea. I haven't looked at the nutritional facts, and I want to keep it that way.
It all started on one Halloween day, 2008, when 2 large white boxes of doughnuts were brought into the office by Tim, a very generous coworker who would change my life forever.




The wonderful thing about the coconut creme is that the filling isn't very sweet at all. In fact it's very light and very reminiscent of the filling in a Beard Papa cream puff. The con to this donut is that it is nearly impossible to eat one on the street without making a huge mess. I tried to rip off a piece but they are so tender and chewy and glaze got all over my hands and face. I'm sure I looked pretty ridiculous (and maybe homeless) carrying around my huge backpacker backpack, balancing a totebag all while scoffing down a donut.

I really don't want to overhype these because I would feel awful if you trekked in the deep dark depths of the lower east side/chinatown for nothing. I actually walked about 15 minutes from the Canal St Station (The Essex/Delancey is closer) to get them for a bus ride up to New Paltz last Thursday. However, I am confident that you will find at least one doughnut here to your liking. I personally like the coconut creme and jelly-filled square (both pictured). Also, the plain glazed (Stephen's doughnut of choice) is just as satisfying.

One will run you about $2.75- trust me, it's worth every bite.

Why Go South of the Border When You're in the North?

I met Travis at Stephen's birthday party about a month ago. I saw him again at their office when I met Steph to go up to Montreal last Thursday. I asked what his plans were for the weekend, and he said he was going to a Tortilla Soup party. I was intrigued. I don't think I had ever had Tortilla soup, nor have I been to a soup party. "Does everyone bring in their own soup?" Nope, just one big pot. I half-jokingly asked if he wanted to be a guest writer for my blog and asked him to take pictures. While he did not bring a camera, he did write a lovely story which I share with you today.
-n

***

/How Danny's friends assisted the pirate to keep a vow, and how as a reward for merit the pirate's dogs saw a holy vision.///
by Travis Donia

Tortilla Soup, Vegetarian Chili, Sweet Corn Bread, Prunes + Mascarpone, & a splash of Sugar Hill

It’s hard to write a compelling story without drama. No mystery, no conflict – no interest. Boring. Entirely predictable. Like soup on rainy day. All creative arcs aside though, we’re talking about some damn fine soup.

Tortilla soup, like Tortilla Flat, tells the tale of warm home shared among friends that will surely end in flames. Cheese, sour cream & spicy. Add chicken, tortilla chips, beans & peppers. Make thick. Serve hot. Be sure the cheese melts commensurate to the soggy of the chips, then use the sour cream to cool everything down & make creamy. And don’t forget there’s cornbread. Not just any cornbread – like a double date with your parents, this bread’s a corny sort of sweet & crumbly, destined to end up in the soup. Unlike a double date with your parents, this cornbread will never ask you if you wouldn’t mind trading dates, muttering something about her pirate’s eyes. That’s some powerful magic. As the first coma sets in, be glad it’s only raining outside the apartment. Buck up, soldier, that bowl isn’t going to fill itself. By god, there’s Vegetable Chili to be had– who can say no to mighty chunks of peppers, tomatoes & beans, smoked out in a fetching chipotle broth? Wash it all down with a nice cold Sugar Hill – a golden ale that pairs perfectly with most things spicy.

Lions visit from the internet while the cats chase bottle caps down the hall. There are tears & laughter & that inevitable regret that can only come after 3 large bowls of soup. Delicious, defiant. – regret not that you ate too much soup but that your stomach was too small for more.

Tortilla Flat, in case you’re not familiar, is a book by John Steinbeck about the things Wikipedia says it’s about. Mostly. Wikipedia fails to elaborate on the nature of the pirate’s dogs’ vision. It certainly wasn’t a vision of sugar plums that startled them on that foggy night. Nor us on this rainy night. Rather, there were prunes long simmered to syrup in a red wine sauce with cinnamon, for the startling. This strange brew was poured like sainthood onto Mascarpone, a triple (count em’ 3) cream cheese more commonly found in tiramisu. The results? I don’t know. Blacked out from the awesome. There may have been zombies, but my 5^th amendment rights prevent me from going into greater detail. Just know that the victims settled out of court & that the recipe became public record during trial.

The moral of the story? Soup’s a virtue among friends but she who wields the biggest spoon serves the most leftovers. And there’s much to be said for hot soup on a cold night.

Thanks to Claire & Liza for that great food. Thanks to Miles & Kilo for the entertainment.

***

Thanks, Travis! It sounded so enticing that I ended up ordering from La Esquina for lunch today specifically to try their Tortilla Soup (chicken, tomato broth, ancho and cotija cheese), along with a Cochinita Pibil Taco (pulled pork, shredded cabbage, habanero pickled onions jalapeno). Again, no pictures, but they were absolutely delicious. My only complaint is their soft tortillas that are very dry and fragile. (If you've ever been to Snack Dragon Taco Shack, you'd know what I mean, however La Esquina's are 10x better) They use two for a reason, but it still broke apart. They need to take a tip from the Taco Shack in New Paltz- a tiny unflashy storefront which sells cheap tacos (beef, lettuce and cheese in a hard shell is $1.09, 50cents more for soft tortilla). While it is really nothing fancy or worth a trip to New Paltz for, it was definitely a welcomed snack after being on the road for so long from Montreal. Should I ever find myself there again, I'm getting the "bag of tacos" -- 10 plain crunchy tacos with a drink for $9.99.

Maison

Yesterday, my very generous Aunt Bicky took me out to brunch with her and Miranda at Maison, an incredibly cute French restaurant in Midtown.

She ordered an Asparagus, Swiss Cheese and Egg crepe:


Miranda, the Chicken Ceasar Salad:


and I was going to get the Croque Madame, but they told me to order something I wouldn't normally make so I ordered the Smoked Ham, Gruyere Cheese and Egg crepe.


Everything was delicious, I just wish mine were fuller; but I shall return here to try the other dishes on the menu.

Holy Jalapenos!

I found a new addiction. Kashi's Autumn Shredded Wheat Cereal in milk. It's lightly sweetened, and it absorbs the milk beautifully. I added sliced bananas to it this morning.

Of course, I ruined a healthy breakfast by indulging at lunch. I had to make returns with Will L., a guy I PAed with on the film shoot I was on the past few days. After the last return in Long Island City, we stopped in The Creek because we were starving. It's not a place I would ever try as it is right by the entrance of the Pulaski Bridge. Luckily he is the adventurous type.

He ordered a tofu burrito, and I? a Veracruz burger. For whatever reason, I thought it was just cheese, red onion, lettuce and tomato and a special sauce, but when it arrived, I saw it was decked out in jalapeno pepper slices. How did I miss that on the menu?? I was skeptical at first, but it was actually a really great addition to the burger. I downed it with a bottle of Gus' Dry Cranberry Lime (GUS stands for Grown Up Soda) The Creek also serves complimentary tortilla chips with salsa. Yummy. If you ever find yourself hungry on your way in or out of Greenpoint, try this place out... but maybe you should take the subway because parking is a bitch in that area.

A Nice Little Sunday

What's the best way to spend a Sunday? Apparently, meeting up with some good friends for Brunch and scouring the East Village, West Village and Lower East Side for cafes, restaurants and bars over the course of 10 hours...

Saela called me up and invited me out to brunch at Life Cafe (On 10th St & Ave B) with Mike M. and Mike R. I originally wasn't going to eat, but I have zero willpower, so I ordered French Toast. I was REALLY sad to see they took their Kentucky Hot Brown off their Brunch Menu as it was the heartiest and least-healthy dish.


I'm pretty sure someone had a crush on me (or knew of my blog?) because my plate was the only one decorated all pretty-like! However, I did have 3 complaints.
1) it was cold-ish.
2) the promised cinnamon cream was non-existent
3) I had to get up to ask for maple syrup.

That aside, it was quite good and our waiter, Jake, was entertaining ;)

Also good, but not as pretty? Mike R's breakfast burrito and tempeh bacon.


Saela, Mike R. an I also hit up Dante's Cafe, (MacDougal between Bleecker and Houston St) to get some cappucinos. Mike got profiteroles. Service is notoriously bad, and the atmosphere may make you lethargic. But one thing is for sure... they know how to make coffee and desserts (including gelato!)

Cream Puffs with a chocolate mousse filling, smothered in a light white glaze (?) that almost resembles marshmallow fluff.

Also got seasoned french fries (that come in a cone!) at Mason Dixon (Essex between Stanton and Rivington). Unfortunately we did not try to Mechanical Bull. Next time, for sure.


Then got pizza at Two Boots (Ave A and 3rd St).

Normally I get a slice of the Tony Clifton which consists of onions, mushrooms with red pepper pesto:

(Photo from Seamless Web)
However, I decided to try something new and got The Earth Mother: vegan pizza with spinach, onions, peppers, artichokes and mushrooms).

(Photo from flickr)

All in all, a nice little Sunday.


***
Other food/drink establishments visited:
-A cute little Cafe, (albeit a little too quiet aka "intellectual" for our taste) on Ave A.
-Think Coffee on Mercer St. (too crowded)
-Esperanto Cafe on MacDougal (too crowded)
-Puck Fair on Lafayette and Houston (nice bar, but no one interesting to talk to on a Sunday night)
-Eastern Bloc (a gay bar clearly anti-straight people)
-Hi-Life Bar (clearly anti-fun! Do NOT go to this bar if you hate obnoxious bartenders)

Get 'Em While It's Hot and I'm Single!

I made a dozen more mini apple pies and brought them into the office. They were a huge hit!
I was going to swear off baking because several times I've baked goodies, my "significant other" and I broke up soon after. Coincidence? Perhaps. But I'm unattached, so baked goods for everyone!

Also made this little guy with the dough leftover for myself. but the fruit flies got to it that night :(

Oh well, for the best.
****
So for dinner tonight, I made my own version of my favorite dish at Saint's Alp Teahouse. Jaclyn and I order this every single time we go (and it's been many). However, she has been studying in Dublin this semester so I decided to try to recreate it at home. I made it, and realized I forgot the most important and delicious part. the "Braised Succulent Pork Chop". Oh well. I will leave it to the experts.

Here's my version:

-brown rice
-minced pork
-red pepper
-jalapeno
-onion
-egg

-hot sauce (Sriracha)
-hoisin sauce

Meaty Tuesday

I've got meat on the brain. I think it has something to do with a girl at work offering some strips of bacon... which got me thinking: BACON PIE.
I then came across baconunwrapped.com and now my life is complete.

Also, I came across the man who ate 15 lb burger.

After throwing up in my mouth a little, I realized that this guy is my hero, and if someone can survive that, he can survive anything.


With that said, who wants to go to Paul's Burgers with me??

Armenian Food

A HUGE Thank You to Stephen's parents, especially his lovely mom, who threw him a surprise birthday party in Long Island last night, and for making an amazing spread of food for dinner. I believe it was my first Armenian meal, and hopefully not the last!

Steph's cannoli cake was also worth writing home about. It was moist and the filling didn't have those weird pieces of stuff in it like cannolis usually do.

His parents gave us this amazing yogurt that was more reminsicent of a sour cream (Note to self....need to get some)

AND I had a really good bagel this morning. Long Island just earned some brownie points.

An American Staple

HMM, What could the following ingredients make???


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If you guessed Apple Pie, you are correct! Actually, it's the makings of Stephen's Birthday Pie!
(REALLY sorry to my family, who I would not let eat the pie :( I promise you will be showered with pies on Thanksgiving!!)

[The lemon shouldn't have been there. It's used so the apples wouldn't turn brown.]











It looked so good, but did it taste good? I couldn't just dig into his pie... so I ended up making 4 mini ones. I'M SO WEAK.




These are the perfect little portions, and it has more 'crustular surface area'. I'll probably do more of these. Also, I can try different fillings at once.

There are countless recipes out there, which one did I go with? myhomecooking, but tweaked the recipe a little. I did 8 tbsp of butter and 4 shortening, only used 3 (delightfully crunchy) Granny smith apples (granted they were huge, but MORE than enough to fill the crust).

Anyway, it turned out to be a hit, even if Steph didn't actually get to have any.

birthday boy


Things I learned:
This was my first time making a pie! While it came out pretty well, I know what to keep in mind for next time.
-The website was right, make more dough! You really can't have too much. I was stretching it out so much, it kept breaking and sticking.
-Also, be sure to add enough water or it will crumble and crack when rolling it out.
-Work very quickly, in a cool environment. My apartment was a little warm and the butter melted (also do to my hands). Keep chilling the dough if it gets to be too sticky.
-Drain the apples thoroughly or you will end up with sugary water.
-Do not attempt to blind bake the crust if you do not have the proper tools to do so. the sides will slide down, proving it difficult to fill and it'll look like a mess.
-Do not cover the pie with foil when it is still hot. I did it to keep the fruit flies at bay. However, I think the steam might have added moisture back into the crust, which made it lose its flakiness/crispiness overnight. It probably also has to do with the fact that I made it a day ahead of time. It really is best right out of the oven.

BUT... when it's 4 in the morning, and you're inebriated and hungry, it tastes pretty darn good, as demonstrated by Jon, Travis, Bobby and myself. I tried to feed Steph until he said "I want to throw up". Tough crowd.


☛Thanks to my mom for randomly getting me a pastry blender many many months ago, and to Kristina for the big whisk/mixing bowl she got me last Christmas. Also thanks to the chefs at Martha Stewart's kitchen who "tossed out" their old pie tins and measuring spoons this past June. One person's trash is now my treasure.