Category Archives: Eating

Chomp it up.

Eating, recipes

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What’s that? You’d like another pie recipe? How convenient!

I found this recipe at 101 Cookbooks. It’s incredibly good — and I didn’t even make it right. I strongly suggest giving it a try and, if you do, thawing the puff pastry correctly. And using bowls that the pastry will cover. I did neither, and the “crust” was more of a dumpling texture. But! Still delicious! It was mighty spicy, though. I’ll probably cut back a bit on the adobo next time.

Sweet Potato Pot Pies
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 1/2 to 3 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotle chilies (or more to taste)
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
2 cups cold whole or low-fat milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 box puff pastry dough (allow 20 to 30 minutes to thaw)
1 egg white

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the oil, onion, garlic, sweet potato and salt. Saute, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the adobo sauce and corn.

In a small bowl, combine the milk and cornstarch, then pour the mixture into the sweet potato pot. Leave the heat at medium-high for a few minutes to bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook until the filling starts to thicken, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and season with more salt to taste. Pour the filling into small ovenproof bowls, each three quarters full.

Cut a piece of puff pastry dough to fit over each bowl, with some overlap. Place the dough on the bowls and fold over the edge of the dish. Brush the dough lightly with egg white (this creates a golden crust).

Using a fork, poke a few holes in the top of each pie to allow steam to escape, and bake until the crusts are tall and deeply golden, about 15 minutes. Tip: Bake the potpies on a baking sheet lined with foil in case some of the filling bubbles over.

Serves 4 as a main course.

Eating

"To cook is a humble act"

There’s an excellent interview with Alton Brown at Channel Guide Magazine’s Web site.

“In the end, to cook is a humble act. To cook and serve people. It’s a privilege, and it’s a responsibility, and if you are gifted enough by whatever power you happen to believe in to be good enough at it that people are willing to travel great distances and make reservations far ahead to do it, you should be humbled by that. You should consider yourself lucky … instead of them being lucky. …

And it’s about hospitality. I remember when I was young — the way my parents entertained is very different from the way we entertain today. People used to get together at the table and have a pot of chili and be thrilled to death. Because it was about the getting together. And somewhere along the line — and I won’t say who I think did this — it became about impressing each other. About ‘look what I can do.’ And then the whole nature of hospitality changed. I know people who refuse to entertain because they are afraid that they can’t live up to this or they can’t live up to that. And that’s a shame. …

I did an interview with Bride’s Magazine and they asked me — because they were doing a whole thing about the registry — they asked me what’s the most important tool in the kitchen. And I thought for a second and I said the kitchen table. Because without a place for people to come together — without that whole community thing — it doesn’t matter what kind of tools you’re cooking with, if you don’t have a place where people can sit down en familia as it is, then why have a kitchen?”

Eating, recipes

More pie!

The beauty of pie is that it’s good for any meal. I used some leftover pot roast on Monday to make a Pot Roast Pot Pie. I’ve tried the following recipe using chicken, turkey and roast. I’m sure you could make a veggie pot pie, too, if you were so inclined. So far, I haven’t been.

Pot Pie
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons Wondra flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk
1 cup warm broth
2-3 cups cooked meat
1 1/2 cups cooked peas and carrots
Pillsbury pie crust (for a two-crust pie)
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Line pie plate with crust. Place ingredients in crust.
Melt butter in a saucepan; whisk in Wondra, salt and pepper. Slowly stir in warm broth until smooth. Slowly stir in milk. Stir over low heat until thickened and smooth.
Pour gravy over ingredients in crust.
Cover with top crust; cut away excess and crimp edges. Cut vents in top of crust.
Place pie plate on a cooking sheet (to catch drips) in the oven. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake 30 to 40 minutes longer.