Blueberry Pie

"We urge you not to judge your fruit pies against the picture-perfect specimens shown in magazine photographs. Under real home conditions, fruit pies often bubble over during baking, brown unevenly, stick to the pan, and yield somewhat runny slices...

None of this should deter you. Fruit pies are simple, homey desserts, mean for eating, not display. And they are indeed delicious."  

                                                                                                                              - The Joy of Cooking

* * *

Ingredients: organic fresh blueberries, lemon juice, lemon zest, cornstarch, sugar, all-purpose flour, unsalted butter, kosher salt, ice water

* * *

I was in the mood to make a summer pie the other day and thought I'd make my favorite: blueberry. It came out so perfect, slightly tangy, lemon-y and incredibly fragrant. The key is to use a fruit that is in season and I wanted to take advantage of the summer, using some organic blueberries. You can also substitute any other seasonal fruit - other berries like raspberries, ollalieberries, boysenberries, or strawberries and of course peaches.

The first step was to make the pie crust from scratch, mixing together the flour and cold butter with a bit of ice cold water. I mistakenly added extra butter (about 4 tablespoons worth!) and thought I may have ruined the crust, but it actually made it slightly flakier and tastier! It's important to chill and set the dough for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours. I left it in the fridge over night and went to work the next morning.  I left the dough out for about 10 minutes before I started to roll it out. The key is to work from the center out.

I learned with this crust that it's best to pad out and tap the areas that begin to crack along the edges, as I rolled it out. It's just like play-doh or clay, very malleable and pretty easy to work with. Just make sure your rolling surface and pin are well-floured. The dough recipe I got from Alice Waters yielded enough dough to make the bottom crust and top crust. Rolling out the bottom crust, I laid it gently in my pie mold (the one I have is a fluted stoneware/ceramic) and tucked the crust around the lip of the mold. It's necessary to chill it and keep it in the fridge at this point while working on the filling. Same goes for the top crust.

The filling was incredibly simple and there was no cooking or heating involved! I just combined the fresh blueberries, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. It's also necessary to add a thickening agent to a berry pie filling. I had two resources that used either cornstarch or crushed quick-mix dry tapioca. For this recipe, I used cornstarch; 4 tablespoons per 6 cups of berries.

Pour the filling in the chilled pie mold, drape the top crust over, and fold/pinch the crusts together. To "seal" the crusts a bit more, I dampened the bottom crust around the rim with some water before placing the top crust on top. I then cinched it with a fork all around, finishing off the top crust with an egg wash and sprinkled sugar. And of course, don't forget to cut your steam vents!

Make sure to situation your oven rack to the bottom third of the oven so the pie does not sit too close to the top (or it will burn miserably). I started off the cooking at 400 degrees F for the first 20 minutes, then reduced the heat to 350 degrees F and cooked for another 45-50 minutes. 

It's best served straight from the oven, piping hot! And of course, à la mode would make it even better.

The Buzz / Miracle Mile: Apollonia's Pizzeria

Hhhm... just heard the news that a new pizzeria is opening in Miracle Mile. I'm intrigued, with fingers crossed!

No word yet on the chef/owner or the opening date, but it's just east of La Brea.

Details above.

Watermelon Agua Fresca w/ Fresh Mint

 

Ingredients: seedless watermelon, fresh mint, water

* * *

YUMMYY. I'm a huge fan of agua frescas - of any flavor. Whenever I go to markets or mexican restaurants, I always order them and had always wanted to make them. It was so easy! Some friends were over for dinner and left me with a huge watermelon that served as inspiration. You will need a blender and a fine mesh strainer, or sieve, and a spatula (although a spoon would work just as well).

I chopped up the watermelon in 2-inch cubes and dropped them straight into the blender. I also had some leftover fresh mint and I threw in about three leaves, roughly chopped. I wanted just a hint of mint essence in the drink and thought too much would just be... too much. Just hit the BLEND button and give it a whir. It will get stuck a few times, so I had to stop the blender and shake it up a bit (holding on to the lid), but it will be completely liquefied in no time. It's really important to say that you don't need to add any sugar! If you are using seasonal fruits, there is absolutely no need for added sweetness - plus it would be too sugary to drink and not as fresca.

I set up my sieve over a small bowl and poured the watermelon/mint puree through, pushing it down with the spatula. The key is to get out all the chunky bits, making it as liquid-y as possible - I ran it through the sieve one more time (so twice in total). Make sure not to throw away the watermelon chunks that are leftover in the sieve! Set this aside and freeze it and you've got yourself a nice watermelon and mint granita.

At this point you just have pure watermelon juice, so you need to add some chilled, filtered water. I kept adding to the mixture, one cup at a time, to taste. The watermelon juice itself is too sweet, so the water is really necessary. My watermelon yielded about 4 cups of watermelon juice and I ended up adding 2 cups of water - so a 2:1 juice to water ratio.

Serve chilled, over ice with some mint garnish or even some freshly cut watermelon! (or spiked, with some gin...)

Cabbage Slaw w/ Green Apple + Jalapeno

 Ingredients: green cabbage, purple cabbage, green apple, jalapenos, apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise, salt/pepper

* * *

My 4th of July slaw. I always hated those super creamy, sopping wet slaws, but loved the kinds that were crunchy, refreshing, tangy, and went perfect with a pulled pork sandwich, ribs, or in burgers. I've been researching various recipes and threw this one together, sweating the cabbage first with the apple cider vinegar and salt. Letting this sit for about 30 minutes, allows it to wilt slightly and pulls any additional water out of the veggies (which you can then drain).

I love using apples in savory foods and think their flavor really transforms when you add salt and pepper to them. They add a really sugary and sweet dimension to the slaw and makes it taste even more summery. I was inspired to add raw jalapenos to this recipe, based on the great jalapeno slaw I had last night at Golden State (which went perfect with my burger!). It was very mildly spicy and wasn't completely overbearing.

The mayo was a bit tricky - there are some I know that absolutely hate the idea of mayonnaise, but I found it pretty necessary to use as a combiner which tied all the flavors and textures together. I used a pretty small amount, about two heaping spoonfuls per 2 1/2 lbs. of the cabbage. I tested the slaw without the mayo and it was a bit dry and lackluster, although I know of several slaws that are vinaigrette-based that are excellent (but are more like a salad than a slaw...)

Highly recommend the pre-cut cabbage that comes in a bag to make your life easier! Although there are some coleslaws that look so elegant when the cabbage is cut in squares/cubes, rather than julienned. Some other variations and ingredients you could add: cilantro, lime, beets, carrots, orange zest, orange juice, dill, tarragon, mango..... endless.