Lemon Meringue Pie

Pucker-Up Buttercup
Fourth of July always makes me think of dessert…there are so many ways to add red, white, and blue color to sweet dishes. For this reason, and because it is in my nature to be contrary, I am going rogue for the Fourth with yellow. And by yellow I mean Lemon Meringue Pie. (Pies are totally patriotic, and yellow is the color of summer, and we are right in the middle of summer so it works, right?)

My mom made lemon meringue pie occasionally when I was growing up, and when she did, it was a big deal. (Especially to Dad!) Full disclosure, I wasn’t a huge lemon fan as a kid. Now? I’m that sad individual that will sit by myself with a vat of lemon curd and a spoon and be totally happy with the world.

Mom’s recipe came from the 1965 edition of the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. Forget Curious George or James and the Giant Peach, this was the book of my childhood. I have a lot of memories of my sister and I flipping to the pancake and waffle section on the weekends, and Dad showing us how to get the Swedish pancakes super thin. Some of the recipes in there are tried and true and some of them are, well…scary. (It was 1965. We’ve come a long way.) And then, there was the Lemon Meringue Pie.

Mom’s crusts were always super-flaky no matter what pie she made. (Her Pumpkin Chiffon is the bomb). The Meringue pies were a different kind of cool because she piled the meringue high—which, I think, is key. It gave the pie a real WOW factor, and in our family it’s all about the WOW. Just ask Dad, he’s the King.

I don’t currently have a copy of the BH&G Cookbook (I have ordered one from Ebay…it’s not here yet and I am getting impatient.) This recipe is as close as I can remember, and I will check back once the original arrives.

Happy Fourth of July!

Lemon Meringue Pie Read more…

Black and Tan Sundae

Lunch Lady

My daughter came to work with me yesterday. We had a childcare (check out worsley) gap this week, so she had no choice. We put her to work sorting invoices and operating the mailing machine—learning vital life skills (ha ha ha). She had a blast, and is looking forward to doing it again. As she puts it “Working is awesome!”. She’s nine…so yes, to her, working is awesome.

I’m pretty sure that yesterday’s awesomeness had more to do with having lunch with Papa Dave up at Fenton’s, and less with the mailing machine but I could be wrong. She was pretty excited about that mailing machine…

My kids all know that if they have to come in to the office with me for any reason they stand a pretty good chance of going to Fenton’s with their grandfather. It’s tradition. When I came into the store as a kid I got the same lunchtime treatment. To them the hours of sitting in the chair in Mom’s office is worth it for a crab sandwich and a Black and Tan. Enduring anything tedious and mind numbing is always worth it if there is a Black and Tan at the end.

The Black and Tan is the sundae of choice for all my family when we go to Fenton’s, and I don’t see that changing. Those not lucky enough to live near Piedmont Avenue think that a black and tan should be made with both Toasted Almond and Vanilla ice cream. They’re wrong. 100% Toasted Almond ice cream is the way to go which is how Fenton’s has made it since my grandmother worked there as a teenager in the original location. (Which is now the Post Office on 41st Street.) Our love of Fenton’s has a history.

Unfortunately (or fortunately ‘cause it makes it that much more of a treat), Fenton’s does not sell it’s ice cream outside of their stores. If you want their Toasted Almond you have to go there and order a sundae or get a half gallon packed to go. There are other Toasted Almond Ice creams out there, and we recommend Mitchell’s. You can also go the all Vanilla route. (It’s ice cream. There is really very little that can go wrong with ice cream.)

Add some fudge sauce for the black and some caramel for the tan and you are good to go with a little whipped cream and a cherry. Though I am sure if you ask my daughter it still wouldn’t be as good as it is at lunch with Papa Dave…or the mailing machine.

Black and Tan Sundae According to Amy Read more…

Peach Cobbler

Baby, it’s Cold Outside

Memorial Day Weekend is upon us, and I gotta say, I can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that the official start to Summer and the Summer grilling season is here. Perhaps it’s because it feels more like February than May. ( Seriously? Can we shut the fan off now? Thanks.) This time last year, I was at a baseball tournament melting into the bleachers. Fast forward to the tournament this weekend and we’ll be wrapped up like we’re at an outdoor hockey game.

It goes without saying that I just can’t get excited about firing up the BBQ. I look outside and think braised short ribs not baby back ribs. I can, however, get behind dessert. Weather doesn’t matter when it comes to dessert, and if you look really close, you will notice that the peaches and nectarines are in the market. We’ve received some of the first loads of Fitzgerald Peaches in the store, which is always a happy day. I’m dying to make something with ‘em.

My plan for Memorial Day is: figure out what sort of dinner we are going to have once we know the baseball schedule, and make a peach cobbler. Whether you BBQ or not, anytime is a good time for peach cobbler…or peach crisp…or peach tart…or peach pie…you get my drift. Nothing goes better with peach cobbler than a Memorial Day BBQ except maybe some good vanilla ice cream—although you won’t hear me say no to peach cobbler for breakfast either (ice cream included).

Peach Cobbler
Adapted from King Arthur Flours.
Yields 12 servings

This version is made from fresh peaches baked with a sugared biscuit topping. Tapioca flour or Instant ClearJel are both good choices for thickening. Either, unlike flour or cornstarch, keeps the fruit’s juice clear and its flavor true. The resulting color (and flavor) is spectacular. Read more…

Roasted Rhubarb

‘Barb Habit
As a family, we’ve got it bad for rhubarb. It’s kinda strange, most obsessions tend to more run-of-the-mill things. As a way of managing our obsession, I have been coming up with ways to consume rhubarb without always making a pie. Here’s the perfect solution: Roasted Rhubarb!

Roasting rhubarb is the easiest way to cook it through and sweeten it—without it all turning to goo. (Goo is still edible, but not very pretty.)

This recipe is adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table. I use it for a lot of things: it’s great in yogurt or spooned over a slice of angel food or pound cake. I think my favorite way to eat it is slathered on thick slices of French Toast on Sunday morning…who needs maple syrup?

Roasted Rhubarb
Adapted from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan
Makes 4 servings Read more…