“Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves.”
― Henry David Thoreau
― Henry David Thoreau
February 17th, 2012
Song: “I Wanna Be Where You Are" by Michael Jackson" (live performance at the age of 10)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xauLaOELSJY (live MJ pie fight - the artist lives in our memory)
Pie. Pie. Pie. Yummmmmy Pie! I ate the best damn Key Lime Pie of my life yesterday. Silky, dreamy custard topped with toasted Italian meringue and a crunchy graham cracker crust -hell the thing was even garnished with candied lime peel . . . I don’t think I can even say peel, it was the better half of a lime candied! But the story goes much deeper and it’s appropriate that I only start by recapping my text messages to my mother who has been lavishly sunning it up in Key Largo for the last day whilst I, her estranged son visiting her in Marco Island Florida, was left behind to babysit her adorable Bichon Frise, named Sonny, It went something like this:
Me: “I know you’re going to bring home some locally celebrated fish/seafood . . . right? Or at least some infamous establishments version of key lime pie?
Me “If not, I am barbecuing the dog for dinner”
Me “Ok – I am assuming I should start skinning Sonny – do you want me to save his cute furry coat?
Mom “We will bring the key lime pie”
Me “Ok – he’s mostly intact . . . I’ll see if some rubber cement glue will keep his left paw together! He looks relieved
Mom “You must be bored”
Me “Ironic – I was just looking up the origins of Marco Island. It seems
it’s original name was in fact “la isla de los aburridos (the island of boring)
Mom “Very funny!”
Me “Can’t say, I got my sense of humor from you or dad!
Me “Good pie! Not supermarket – or the dog dies!
Mom “Right”
And so it was, that indeed I predicted my mother’s intentions of picking me up a Key Lime Pie from the local Marcos Island supermarket . . my text made her revaluate and after having stopped to refill the gas outside of the Keyes, she took the lead in asking the rather stout attendant where she could find some good key lime pie. This jovial old crute answered her request and directed her to a small shack off the side of the rode “about 3 miles up’dat away.” God I so appreciate the little things in life . . the pie elevated my culinary pleasure point and broadened my smile with each bite!
A pie is something of comfort. Nostalgic, recipes passed down from generations past and truly one of Americas only authentic claims to the world of pastry. The pie also happens to signify a lot for me personally, as it was my first series of successes & failures as an adolescent cook enthralled with experimentation, innovation, and the gratification received from others whence I had finally achieved something in the realm of epicurean perfection. At the age of 9, I started playing around with the traditional apple pie. Not really following the recipe – I suffered through lean crust, burnt crusts, doughy crusts and yes . . many a time that a ever useless, soggy crust. But at last I studied the actual directions, I conceded to the metric system and eventually Betty Crocker and I had an understanding. You must know by now, pastry is a fickle thing; composed of chemical reactions it is often unforgiving and the effects irreversible. It took many a lesson to learn that basic principle, but whence I did I was turning out pies faster than a cottontail rabbit’s insatiable desire to procreate.
Baking became a mild infatuation for me and ultimately evolved into a Wagner household tradition that I would cook everyone’s favorite pie for the holidays. When I say everyone, I refer to my immediate family although it was the plethora of neighboring playmates that would harvest the leftovers over the following days as we’d chip away, one pie tin at time, loaded with fresh whipped cream. Aside from some variation of the classic American apple pie and pumpkin pie (later I would bail on this overly spiced squash pie for the Southern bell’s sweet potato), I would slave away and bake:
Dad “Pap’s” – Lemon Meringue or runner-up Fresh Strawberry
Mom “Mother Mary Cleo” – Lemon Meringue (although she really didn’t eat dessert)
Lisa “Sister Mary Cleo” – Strawberry-RhubarbAndy “Cowbro” or “Babyduns”– Bourbon Pecan Pie
Grandpa Glenn- Coconut Cream Pie
Grandma Laverna – Banana Cream pie or runner-up Blueberry Pie
Scotty “Jean Beans” Banana Cream Pie or runner-up Black Bottom Chiffon
Usually seven to eight pies in total for seven people – take a moment and envision that! Flour pursing through the air, sticks of butter, bowls of fruit and simmering pots of vanilla laced milk . . all at the hand of a nine year old. I’m descending into the category of a grown man and an somewhat accomplished chef as such, I have mastered the art of creating the perfect crust. A buttery, flaky and crisp crust capable of withstanding the moisture of any pie filling for days beyond the dessert course. It’s kind of what I was mentioning earlier and now I’m sharing a recipe adaption from Shirley Corriher’s “Cookwise.” I have intentional abstained from listing the thumbprint of ingredients for the purpose of directing your attention to the understanding (ie: read the procedure a few times before you begin). Additonally, I highly recommend that every passionate cook own a copy of Rose Levy Beranbaum’s “The Pie & Pastry Bible” as it offers an in depth description of the how’s and why’s of the baking world. As for the filling? I’ll leave it up to you to decide what your favorite pie is . . . I’m still reminiscing over my decadent Key Lime Pie slice and eagerly looking forward to an afternoon trip to Naples with Mother Mary Cleo.
With culinary blessings,
Chef Scotty
1. Mix 2 cups bleached all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup instant flour (Wondra or Shake & Blend) and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
2. Cut 1/2 pound (2 sticks) of butter. Slice each stick into quarters with a sharp knife, cutting lengthwise into long slabs; then slice each slab into thirds. Toss the butter in the flour mixture, coating the butter well. (It's OK to use your hands.) Place in freezer for 10 minutes.
3. Dump the mixture onto the counter, and roll with a large rolling pin to flatten lumps. If you have never done this, it may take a moment to get the hang of it. Press down on the rolling pin with your fingers or palms to flatten the lumps, and slowly begin to roll. Using a spatula, scrape the flour mixture into a pile and roll again. Repeat one more time. Return the mixture to the bowl, making sure to scrape the dough off the rolling pin, and place back in freezer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, repeat process above: dump on the counter, and roll and scrape together three times. Return to freezer for 10 minutes.
4. Remove from freezer, and gently fold in eight ounces of sour cream. The dough should be moist enough to hold together in a ball. If needed, you may add 1 to 3 tablespoons of water or milk. Nifty hint from Corriher: you can mix a little milk or water into the sour cream container and use the liquid.
5. Divide the ball in half. Flatten into two discs and dust with flour. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight. This will make two single crusts (enough for the pie recipes here) or one double 9-inch crust.
6. When ready to roll crust, place one disc on the counter. (Keep a small bowl of flour handy, and dust the counter and dough liberally with the flour so the crust won't stick to the counter surface.) Gently press the rolling pin down at the center. Roll away from you toward the edge of the disc -- but not all the way to the edge. Repeat, rolling from center toward you. Rotate the crust slightly and continue the process, flattening it into a circle.
7. When the crust is big enough to place into a pie pan, fold it in half. Then fold it again. This will help you ease it into the pan without breaking it.
8. Place the crust in the pan with pointed edge at the center, and gently unfold it, adjusting it evenly.
9. Tuck the crust into the pan as snugly as possible. This is important, because the crust will shrink during baking, so every surface of bottom and side of the pan must be covered. Trim crust, leaving about a half-inch margin of crust around the edge. You may leave the border plain, or decorate by pressing with a fork or crimping with fingers. Check your recipe; if it calls for a pre-baked or partially baked crust, bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Be sure to weigh down the crust with a layer of parchment or waxed paper, then a layer of rice or dried beans.
10. Cookbook author Shirley O. Corriher describes the secret of a making a flaky crust. "For flakiness, you need big slabs of cold fat. … If you work it in too fine, there's no way on earth you are ever going to have a flake. That's why rolling the butter out in big slaps like this gives you such a flaky crust!" You should be able to SEE the butter in your crust.
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