Favorite Salad

I love this salad, especially in the summer when tomatoes are at their peak! It is called: Feta Salad with Anise Bread, Tomatoes and Oregano from the Casa Moro Cookbook. We purchased the tomatoes at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market. This is an absolutely delicious salad. You have to make it! You can the recipe from our blog of: Aug. 28, 2007. Click the date to get the recipe.

Gad Zuchs!

One of our favorite pasta is Zucchini Pasta. The zucchini is sliced very thin and then sauted to a dark brown. It shrinks down to almost nothing, intensifying its flavor. No matter how many zucchinis we buy at the market it never seems like it is quite enough. You should try this dish. The recipe is from Mark Bittman in the New York Times and is easy and good! You can get the recipe from our blog of: June 19, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

We started with Melon and Prosciutto.

Home Made Polenta

We often cook polenta. Only rarely do we actually make polenta from scratch starting with corn on the cob. This is a wonderful recipe from Ottolenghi’s Cookbook: Plenty. He calls the recipe: Sweet Corn Polenta with Eggplant.

It is a delicious vegetarian dish. We love it! You can get the recipe from our blog of: Aug. 11, 2011. Click the date to get the recipe.

We started with a Salad that we topped with re-heated Potatoes and Smoked Salmon. This is a favorite way serve some left over potatoes. 

New Grill

I decided to make a Peach Pie. My Pie making skills have increased! However, if I keep on making pies, I am have to get larger clothes. We invited Darryl over for some pie and as I was grilling, a neighbor, Ester, was on her nightly walk. I invited her in for a drink and she decided to join us for dinner.

I have had a Weber Grill for a long time. Robert was at our house and mentioned that you can buy a heavy-duty cast iron grate for the grill. I didn’t know that. I bought one via Amazon (no tax until Sep 15). It makes a HUGE difference. I really am glad I have it.

We grilled Steaks from McCall’s Meat and Fish. They were a great test for the grill and had perfect grill marks when I removed them from the grill. I realize now that not only does the cast iron grill grate leave beautiful marks on the meat, but they retain the heat and help grill the meat faster.

I also grilled Corn on the grill. Once again we made: Lyonnaise Potatoes 
from Wolfgang Puck's Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen. We love the potatoes. You can get the recipe from our blog of: June 23, 2012. Click the date to get the recipe.

By the way, the pie was delicious!

The Return of Scott

Scott had been in travelling and had returned to Los Angeles. I had made a Peach Pie, and we invited Scott / Tom and Robert and Darryl over for dinner. Scott / Tom couldn't make for dinner but said they would come late for a piece of pie.

We started with Pappa al Pomodoro Soup. This is a thick Italian Tomato soup we love to make in the summer when tomatoes are at their best. We use the recipe from the Italian Country Cookbook by Rogers and Gray. You can get the recipe from our blog of: June 26, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

We had eaten at Mozza and had a special Pizza that used tomatoes from BiancoDiNapoli by Chris Bianco. These canned tomatoes were intense in flavor. We asked Matt if we could get some of the tomatoes and he gave us a can. The tomatoes are deep a deep red in color and delicious. They are perfect for sauces and soups. We used these tomatoes as the basis of the soup.

Figs are in season and we made a favorite from the The Zuni Café Cookbook by Judy Rodgers: Chicken Braised with Figs, Honey & Vinegar. When figs are at their peak this is a great dish. We always serve it with cous-cous. The sauce from the dish is delicious with the cous-cous.

You can get the recipe from our blog of: June 27, 2007. Click the date to get the recipe.

When Scott and Tom arrived they did have some Chicken and Figs and then had their piece of pie with us.

For the Peach Pie I used a recipe for Gingery Peach Crisp from Jim Dodge. What makes it special is I mixed crystallized ginger with the peaches. This gives a real tang to the pie. We used Crystallized Ginger Chips from the Ginger People. You can buy it at The Cheese Store of Silverlake.

Gingery Peach Crisp

This simple, summery dessert is based on a couple of Jim Dodge’s recipes in The American Baker.

Fri, Feb 05 2010 at 3:56 PM EST

Gingery Peach Crisp

Ingredients

•               10 medium peaches, ripe but firm

•               2 tablespoons cornstarch

•               1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar

•               1⁄2 cup (about 3 ounces) crystallized ginger, coarsely chopped

•               10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

•               1 cup bread flour

Preparation

1.            Preheat the oven to 375˚F.

2.            Wash and dry the peaches, but do not peel.

3.            Cut into eighths and place in a mixing bowl.

4.            Combine the cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of the sugar, add to the peaches, and toss to coat; stir in the ginger.

5.            Spread the contents of the bowl in a shallow 2 1⁄2-quart baking dish.

6.            Cut the butter into 1-inch pieces.

7.            Combine in the bowl of an electric mixer with the flour and the remaining 1 cup sugar.

8.            Mix with the paddle attachment at low speed until crumbly; stop mixing as soon as the color begins to show yellowish.

9.            Spread the topping over the fruit and bake until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling around the edges, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.

10.        Serve warm or at room temperature, plain or with vanilla ice cream.

Yield

Serves 10

Time estimates

Prep time: 30 min  

Cook time: 1 hr  

Total time: 1 hr 30 min  

Good to know

Most of what I know about desserts I have learned from my wife Elaine Ratner and indirectly from pastry chef Jim Dodge, with whom Elaine worked on two classic cookbooks. This simple, summery dessert is based on a couple of Jim’s recipes in The American Baker. A stand mixer with a paddle attachment makes short work of preparing the crisp topping; if you don’t have a mixer with a paddle, rub the butter together with the flour and sugar as if making pie dough, and when it reaches the consistency of coarse meal, gently press it together into pea-sized clumps.

Flaky Tart Dough
Tartine by Prueitt & Robertson

Yield two 9-inch or 10-inch tart or pie shells

This is an example of a baker's recipe that you will never have to look up if you just remember the basic ratio of three to two to one, flour to butter to water. It can be scaled up and down as needed without adjustment (except for occasionally changing the water amount because of high humidity affecting the flour or the moisture content of your butter), and it always makes a perfect flaky dough if you handle it gently and keep the butter and water ice cold. At Tartine, we make this dough two different ways: one is quickly mixed together (whether you use a food processor or make it by hand) and the other is a bit more complicated but yields an even flakier dough that is like a rough puff pastry.

KITCHEN NOTES: There are two things that you can do to ensure a flaky crust: work the dough very briefly, making sure that some of the butter remains in pea-sized pieces (when the dough is rolled out, you should see faint streaks of butter), and chill the dough well before baking. Chilling creates little pockets (made by tbe flour and water) where the butter is, which will remain after baking and is what creates the light and fork-tender texture in a well-made dough

Salt         1 tsp

Water, very cold 2/3 cup

All-purpose flour         3 cups + 2 tbsp

Unsalted butter, very cold 1 cup + 5 tbsp

In a small bowl, add the salt to the water and stir to dissolve. Keep very cold until ready to use.

To make the dough in a food processor, put the flour in the work bowl. Cut the butter into 1-inch pieces and scatter the pieces over the flour. Pulse briefly until the mixture forms large crumbs and some of the butter is still in pieces the size of peas. Add the water-and-salt mixture and pulse for several seconds until the dough begins to come together in a ball but is not completely smooth. You should still be able to see some butter chunks.

To make the dough by hand, put the flour in a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into 1-inch pieces and scatter the pieces over the flour. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture forms large crumbs and some of the butter is still in pieces the size of peas. Drizzle in the water-and-salt mixture and stir and toss with a fork until the dough begins to come together in a shaggy mass. Gently mix until the dough comes together into a ball but is not completely smooth. You should still be able to see some butter chunks.

On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough into 2 equal balls and shape each ball into a disk 1 inch thick. Wrap well in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or for up to overnight.

To line a tart pan or pie dish, place a disk of dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out 1/8 inch thick, rolling from the center toward the edge in all direc­tions. Lift and rotate the dough a quarter turn every few strokes to discourage sticking, and work quickly to prevent the dough from becoming warm. Lightly dust the work surface with extra flour as needed to prevent sticking. If lining a pie dish, cut out a circle 2 inches larger than the dish. If lining a tart pan with a removable bottom, cut out a circle 1-1/2 inches larger than the pan. Carefully transfer the round to the pie dish or tart pan (fold it in half or into quarters to simplify the transfer if necessary), easing it into the bottom and sides and then pressing gently into place. Trim the dough even with the rim of the pan with a sharp knife. If you are lining a pie dish, you can trim the dough so that there is a 1/2-inch overhang, fold the overhang under, and flute or crimp the edge, though at the bakery we leave the edge plain.

For recipes that call for unbaked shells, refrigerate until ready to use. If refrigerating overnight, cover the shell with plastic wrap. For recipes that call for a partially baked or fully baked shell, chill the shell until firm to the touch, 30 minutes to 1 hour, before baking. This ensures the flakiest crust. The shells may also be well wrapped and frozen for up to 2 weeks at this point. It is not necessary to thaw them before continuing with the following steps for baking.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Line the pastry shells with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. For a partially baked crust, bake until the surface looks dry and pale, with no dense or opaque areas left, about 20 minutes; to check, lift a corner of the paper. Remove from the oven and remove the weights and paper. Return the shells to the oven and bake for a few minutes longer. Check the dough while it is baking. If it is rising up in the middle, gently pierce it with the tip of a knife (be careful not to make a large hole in case you use a very liquid filling).

For a fully baked shell, bake the shells until the surface looks light brown, about 25 minutes; to check, lift a corner of the paper. Remove from the oven and remove the weights and paper. Return the shells to the oven and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes longer.

Let the shells cool completely on wire racks before filling. They will keep, well wrapped, in the refriger­ator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks

Veal Chop

I had been thinking about grilling Veal Chops, but hadn’t gotten around to it. McCall’s Meat and Fish was closing for vacation and they had two beautiful chops so we decided to make them.

It was perfect grilling weather and we could eat outside. We started with a Tomato Salad topped with Burrata Cheese and Fresh Basil. We used both Cherry Tomatoes and a variety of Heirloom’s. What says summer more than a tomato salad?

We prepared the chops early in the day using the Babbo Porcini Rub from Babbo Cookbook by Mario Batali. It is a wonderful dry rub for meats that are going to get grilled. You can find it on our blog of: March 20, 2010. Click the date to get the recipe.

With the Veal Chop we served, Grilled Corn and SIGNORA BIMBI'S PEPPERS (I Peperoni delta Signora Bimbi) from The Itialian Country Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper. You can get the recipe from our blog of: May 19, 2012. Click the date to get the recipe.

I got my veal fix!

Joint Dinner

Don't These Peppers Look Great!

We were planning to make a new dish: Grilled Brined Halibut. In addition I had bought several peppers that I wanted to grill. Scott had left for Taipei and we knew that Tom was home alone. Cathy and I along with Robert and had gone swimming. The weather has been extremely hot, so we really enjoyed the cool dip. We decided to invite Tom over for dinner. We also invited Robert, but he had planned to cook a Roast Chicken that night. So, we decided to join forces and have a dinner with multiple entries. The chicken was exceptional!

I had purchased some beautiful peppers at the Farmer's Market and Grilled them to make: SIGNORA BIMBI'S PEPPERS (I Peperoni delta Signora Bimbi) from The Itialian Country Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper. You can get the recipe from our blog of: May 19, 2012. Click the date to get the recipe.

We had some of the Eggplant Lasagna leftover and decided to reheat it and serve. We still thought there might not be enough food for all of us, so we went to McCall’s Meat and Fish to see what they had available. We finally decided up scallops. Cathy found a great recipe for Grilled Scallops and Plums with Sweet Mirin Barbecue Sauce from License to Grill by Schlesinger and Willoughby and which we made. Robert brought his chicken which was great. Surprisingly we like the scallops better than the Halibut.

The scallop recipe is a keeper!

Grilled Scallops and Plums with Sweet Mirin Barbecue Sauce

License to Grill

Schlesinger and Willoughby

SERVES    4

When I grill scallops, I like to use the largest kind. People may frown and say that smaller ones taste better, but to me the big ones taste great—and they're a lot cheaper, too. Not only that, but the size really helps us in grilling because the sea scallop is able to spend enough time over a hot fire to catch a flavorful sear without overcooking. I also like to blanch them just briefly to firm them up slightly so they don't stick to the grill.

Here we put a Japanese spin on scallops, with some grilled plums and a sweet mirin sauce. If you can get dead-on fresh scallops, a bit of undercooking is appropri­ate here.

2 pounds sea scallops (the largest you can find), cleaned

For   the   Sauce

2     tablespoons minced ginger

1     tablespoon minced garlic

½     cup mirin (or substitute sweet vermouth or sweet sherry)

½     cup rice wine vinegar (or substitute 1/4 cup each water and white vinegar)

¼     cup soy sauce

6 to 10 dashes Tabasco sauce

1     tablespoon vegetable oil

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

4     plums, halved and pitted

1     lime, quartered

1.   In a medium saucepan, bring 2 quarts salted water to a boil over high heat. Drop in the scallops and blanch for 1 minute. Drain and thread onto skewers.

2.   Make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Set aside.

3.   Rub the scallops with the oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and grill over a medium-hot fire for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until brown and slightly

4.   crisp on the outside. To check for doneness: Cut into one of the scallops; it should be just opaque all the way through. Be careful not to overcook, or they will toughen.

5.   As the scallops are cooking, place the plums cut side down on the grill and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until slightly seared, lust as the scallops and the plums are almost finished cooking, brush both generously with the sauce.

6.   Remove the scallops and plums from the grill and slide the scallops off the skewers. Serve each person 2 plum halves and one quarter of the scallops, garnished with a lime wedge. Pass the remaining sauce separately.

latimes.com

Recipe: Grilled brined halibut with vine-ripened tomato salad

August 11, 2012

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes, plus brining and refrigerating time for the fillets

Servings: 6 to 8

Note: This recipe requires the use of a kitchen scale. Opal basil is available at select gourmet and farmers markets.

Brined halibut

50 grams salt (scant ¼ cup)

600 grams water (generous 2¼ cups)

400 grams ice cubes (scant 4 cups)

3 pounds center-cut skinless halibut fillet

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1. Combine salt and water in a large mixing bowl and stir to dissolve the salt. Add ice. Set the brine aside while you prepare the fish.

2. Cut the fish into 2½-inch wide by 1-inch thick strips along the length of the fillet. (After brining, you'll cut the fish into cooking portions). Be sure to use the sharpest knife in the drawer for this and work slowly and carefully. Remove the blood line from the skin side of the fillets. Place the fillets in the brine and leave for 1 hour.

3. Remove the fish from the brine, dip briefly in salt-free ice water and dry it thoroughly with paper towels. Lay the fillets out flat on parchment-lined baking sheets and refrigerate, unwrapped, for a minimum of 4 hours.

4. Cut the fillets into 5- to 6-ounce portions, and prepare as you wish.

5. To grill the halibut, heat the grill over medium-high heat until hot and clean it well with a wire brush. Brush both sides of the fish with a very thin coating of mayonnaise and sprinkle with salt, if desired.

6. Just before putting the fish on the grill, wipe down the grate with an old rag that has been briefly dipped in cooking oil. Place the fish on the grill and, after a minute or so, turn the fillets at a 45-degree angle to mark them. After another minute, flip the fillets. Cook for 2 more minutes. The flesh should yield to gentle pressure when pressed (you can also use a cake tester to test the doneness of the fillet; when the fish is properly cooked, a cake tester will pass through with only gentle resistance).

7. Remove the fish to rest, preferably on a rack, for 5 minutes before serving.

Tomato salad

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

6 tablespoons Sherry vinegar

1 pinch sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

1 small clove garlic, green germ removed, finely minced

1 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil

1 pound haricots vert (French green beans), stem ends trimmed

1 pound various varieties of tomatoes (try for a mix of types, sizes and colors)

Maldon salt, or other coarse sea salt

1 shallot, finely minced

15 large green basil leaves, cut in ¼-inch ribbons

15 large opal basil leaves, cut in ¼-inch ribbons (or substitute more green basil leaves)

1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

25 tarragon leaves, snipped with scissors

1. Prepare the vinaigrette. Place the mustard, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and garlic in a mason jar. Place the lid on the jar and give it a good shake. This will dissolve the salt and the sugar. Remove the cap, add the oil, relace the cap and shake again. This will yield about 1 1/3 cups of creamy, well-emulsified vinaigrette, more than will be required for the recipe (the remainder can be stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for at least 1 week).

2. Blanch the green beans briefly in a large pot of rapidly boiling salted water and cook just until the color brightens, about 1 minute. Remove to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, then drain and pat dry.

3. Slice the tomatoes and arrange them on a large serving platter. Depending on the shape of the tomatoes, you may want to cut some into wedges and others may look better sliced. Season the tomatoes with Maldon salt and a few turns of freshly milled black pepper. Sprinkle the tomatoes with the chopped shallots and distribute half the green and opal basil, parsley and tarragon evenly over the tomatoes. This should be done one-half hour before you are ready to serve your guests.

4. Just before the fish is ready, shake the vinaigrette again to re-emulsify, and drizzle one-fourth of it over the tomatoes. Place the cooked and drained haricots vert in a mixing bowl and toss them with enough vinaigrette to coat them well and season with salt and pepper. Scatter a layer of beans over the tomatoes.

5. Place the grilled halibut on top of the tomatoes and the beans. Drizzle the halibut with more vinaigrette and scatter over the remainder of the dressed beans. Distribute the remaing herbs over it all. Pass the remaining vinaigrette at the table.

Each serving with vinaigrette: 421 calories; 26 grams protein; 4 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 33 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 70 mg cholesterol; 363 mg sodium; 1 gram sugar.

Copyright © 2012, Los Angeles Times

Smoked Salmon and Melon

We wanted to have Kirk and Mira over for dinner and invited Tom and Joan to join. We are getting amazing use of our new deck in front, and every dinner seems to begin with drinks and appetizers on the deck. We sit on the chairs and the steps provide perfect stadium seating. This space was amazingly designed.

This has been the summer of new melon recipes for us. This is a great Thai Melon Salad from the City Cuisine Cookbook by Feniger and Milliken. Everyone really liked the salad. We left out the dried shrimp. It turned out that our chilies weren’t as hot as we expected, so try the chilies as you cook. They all vary in hotness.

For the main course I smoked a salmon in the Egg. Low and slow. We used the recipe for Honey-Cured, Smoked Salmon from Cooking with Fire and Smoke by Phillip Stephen Schulz. You can find the recipe in our blog of: Jan 15, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.This time the salmon was perfect! I kept the temperature exactly at 175 degrees the entire time. The key is not to overcook the salmon and dry it out.

With the Salmon we served a new dish for us: Green Beans and Carrots with Cumin Seeds. This recipe is from The Spice Merchant’s Daughter by Christina Arokiasamy. We met her in Ubud, Bali at a book signing and bought her cookbook. I am not a great fan of green beans, but I liked this recipe. Actually as I think about it, I do like green beans if they are prepared in an interesting manner. It is just that I grew up with steamed boring green beans (probably from a can or frozen – but didn’t we all!). This is a good recipe. With the Salmon and Green Beans we served Saffron Rice from a recipe in the The Food of Morocco Cookbook. You can get the recipe from our blog of: July 20, 2010. Click the date to get the recipe.

We definitely had a lot of great wine and also a Godiva Liquor for dessert.

Green Beans and Carrots with Cumin Seeds

The Spice Merchants Daughter

Christina Arokiasamy

This simple yet delectable vegetable dish is commonly served in Malaysian homes for lunch or dinner because it is a healthy addition to any meal. The mustard seeds and cumin release a warm, nutty flavor when added to hot oil, bringing out the very best in the vegetables. The natural sweetness of this dish beautifully complements Cardamom Butter Rice with Sultanas, served with salmon or any curry dish, serves 4

2         tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1         teaspoon black mustard seeds

1         teaspoon cumin seeds

2         garlic cloves, minced

2         xrge shallots, finely chopped

2         medium carrots, cut into matchsticks

8         ounces green beans, sliced diagonally

1-1/4 teaspoons salt, or to taste

1.            Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mustard and cumin seeds. Immediately cover with a splatter screen to prevent the mustard seeds from popping out of the pan. After 30 seconds, or when the mustard seeds just begin to pop, add the garlic and shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the shallots turn brown.

2.            Add the carrots and green beans and cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Thai melon salad

City Cuisine

Susan Feniger & Mary Sue Milliken

This authentic Thai dressing, packed with savory ingredients like garlic, chiles, peanuts, and dried shrimp, accentuates the coolness of summer melons. This dish looks lovely prepared with alternating rows of brightly colored melons: Cantaloupe, Watermelon, crenshaw, and honeydew are some we use at the restaurant.

3         garlic cloves, pureed

2         tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar

¼        cup thai fish sauce

½        cup fresh lime juice

3         or more serrano chiles to taste, stems                            removedand thinly sliced with seeds

1         tablespoon chopped kaffir lime leaves or  1  teaspoon grated lime zest

½        cup dried shrimp

½        cup roasted, unsalted peanuts

6         cups assorted melon cubes, in 1/2-inch cubes, each variety separated

¼         cup fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

Mix garlic, palm or brown sugar, thai fish sauce, lime juice, chiles, and lime leaves in a medium : bowl. Roughly chop shrimp and peanuts by hand or in a food processor and add to garlic mixture. (the dressing can be made in advance and stored up to 3 days in the refrigerator.)

To serve, arrange each variety of melon cubes in alternating rows on a platter or in individual bowls. Spoon dressing over melon in a stripe and garnish with cilantro. Serve chilled.

6 servings

My First Double Crust Pie (Plum)

This has been the summer of me perfecting my Margarita recipe. Everyday I have one exactly at 6pm, varying ratios of Tequila, Fresh Lime Juice and Cointrau. It is a tough process to perfect a recipe, but someone has to do it. Always being a multi-tasker, this is also the summer that I decided to learn how to bake pies. My mother’s pies were great. She often made them. At least my memory of them is they were great. For some reason I never asked her how she made them.

So I am pulling together recipes and trying to figure out both the pie crusts and the filling. This is my first attempt. A Plum Pie. It was very good. For the crust I used a recipe from: William-Sonoma. It was for a pie dough that is made in a mixing machine. I made a double recipe (top and bottom). As it was mixing, I turned my back on the mixer and did some other work in the kitchen. When I returned to the mixer, about a minute later, it was clearly a disaster. The dough was a clump sitting in some water in the bowl. I tried to figure out how to repair the damage, and finally with Cathy’s help decided to chuck the whole mess in the garbage and start again. There went a half pound of butter. Oh well. I tried again this time watching over the mixer like a hawk. It worked perfectly this time. Lesson learned. The biggest pain is cutting  the butter into ¼ cubes to add to the flour. There must be a tool for this. I will ask some bakers to find out a tool or trick.

I wanted to sprinkle the top of the pie crust with large pieces of granulated sugar. When I went to Gelson's Market surprisingly they don't sell it. I suppose there aren't a lot of pie bakers in our neighborhood. They do have a bakery in the market and their pies have the sugar on them. I asked the sales clerk if she would sell me some, she hesitated and said she would have to check with her manager, who was on break. When I returned the manager said they don't know how to price it so he just filled a coffee cup about 1/2 way up and gave it to me. Very nice!

Long ago I tried to make a pie crust and I have a clear memory of trying to roll it out and how difficult it was to get it round, and then move it to the pie. Cathy had bought me a cool tool, I felt like I was cheating, but used it anyway. Available on Amazon, Harold Pie Crust Maker is a zippered round plastic bag 11 inches across. You put the dough in the middle of the bag and then roll it to the edges till you have a perfect circle. You then unzip the bag and turn onto the pie pan. We have a beautiful old pie pan that was Cathy’s mother’s. It is nice using this family treasure. At any rate thank you Harold for the bag (although it is a little hard to clean after it is used). In reading the recipe I decided to prebake the bottom crust. This was something I had to learn to do also. You place a sheet of parchment paper over the crust and fill the pie with beans. That keeps the shell from bubbling up. When it is partially baked, you remove from the oven, remove the beans, by lifting them out on the parchment paper and store for another use.

For the Plum Pie, I used a recipe from Stars Desserts by Emily Luchetti. We used to love going to Stars when we lived in San Francisco. What a shame it closed.

Basic Pie Dough

William Sonama

Ingredients:

            1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

            1 Tbs. sugar

            1/4 tsp. salt

            8 Tbs. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

            3 Tbs. very cold water

Directions:

To make the dough by hand, in a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Using a pastry cutter or 2 knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with butter pieces no larger than small peas. Add the water and mix with a fork just until the dough pulls together.

To make the dough in a stand mixer, fit the mixer with the flat beater, and stir together the flour, sugar and salt in the mixer bowl. Add the butter and toss with a fork to coat with the flour mixture. Mix on medium-low speed until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with the butter pieces no larger than small peas. Add the water and mix on low speed just until the dough pulls together.

Transfer the dough to a work surface, pat into a ball and flatten into a disk. (Although many dough recipes call for chilling the dough at this point, this dough should be rolled out immediately for the best results.) Lightly flour the work surface, then flatten the disk with 6 to 8 gentle taps of the rolling pin. Lift the dough and give it a quarter turn. Lightly dust the top of the dough or the rolling pin with flour as needed, then roll out into a round at least 12 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick. Makes enough dough for one 9-inch single-crust pie or one 10-inch galette. 

To make a double-crust pie: Double the recipe, cut the dough in half and pat each half into a round, flat disk. Roll out one disk into a 12-inch round as directed and line the pan or dish. Press any scraps trimmed from the first round into the bottom of the second disk. Roll out the second dough disk into a round at least 12 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make a lattice top: Double the recipe, cut the dough in half and pat one half into a round, flat disk. Roll out the disk into a 12-inch round as directed and line the pan or dish. Trim the edge of the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Press any scraps trimmed from the first round into the bottom of the remaining dough half. Pat the dough into a rectangle and roll out into a rectangular shape about 1/8 inch thick. Trim to cut out a 14-by-11-inch rectangle and refrigerate until ready to use.

Nut Dough Variation: Add 2 Tbs. ground toasted pecans, walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts to the flour mixture and proceed as directed.

Make-Ahead Tip: Pie dough may be made ahead and frozen for up to 2 months. To freeze, place the dough round on a 12-inch cardboard circle and wrap it well with plastic wrap. Alternatively, use the round to line a pie pan or dish, flute the edge and wrap well.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Pie & Tart, by Carolyn Beth Weil (Simon & Schuster, 2003).

Plum Pie

Stars Desserts

Emily Luchetti

Plum pie has to be my favorite type of pie. Not often seen, it is imaginative yet still gives all the comfort that pies should give. Serve it with Hazelnut Ice Cream for a heartwarming combination.

Serves 8 to 10

1/3      cup water

I-1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar

8 cups 1/2-inch-thick slices ripe, firm plums (about 20plums)

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup brandy

Pinch salt

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 ounces (1 stick) sweet butter

1 partially baked 10-inch pie shell

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bring the water and 1-1/2 cups of the sugar to a boil in a heavy-bottomed 

nonaluminum pot large enough to eventually hold the plums.

Add half the sliced plums to the pot and re­turn the liquid to a boil.

Stir together the cornstarch and the brandy in a small bowl. Add the 

brandy-cornstarch mixture, salt, and lemon juice to the pot.

Gently stir in the butter and the rest of the plums,

being careful not to break up the plums.

Spoon the plums into the partially baked pie shell with a slotted spoon.

(You will not need the leftover liquid.) Arrange the lattice in a Crosshatch pattern

over the pie. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar on top of the lattice.

Bake the pie for 35 to 40 minutes, until it is set.

Let it cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.