i love pie

canon digital rebel xsi

I am started to get excited about making Thanksgiving Day pie. We were watching Martha's pie show on the Tivo, and definitely inspired by the amazing pies.

It reminded me that I need to join the American Pie Council. I had planned on doing it over the summer, but didn't want to spend the $40 for a lifetime membership. But I figure if it keeps me dedicated to the art of pie making, why not? Did you even know that such an organization existed? Also, mark your calendars now - National Pie Day is January 23.

Today I also watched a live online pie crust demonstration by one of the bakers over at King Arthur Flour. Although I have made several pies from scratch now, I still have a few trouble spots. This woman was great! She went step-by-step on how to make a pie crust, and the pitfalls to avoid. Here are a few things I learned:

• When adding the water, do so a few tablespoons at a time, using a measuring cup designed for liquid measuring. It is very hard to get excess water out of a pie crust, so best to go slowly, and watch it.


• There is no magic formula to how much water a crust will need to take shape. It depends on the water in the air and in your flour as a result. At different times of the year, you may need significantly more or less liquid to get your dough to form a ball.


• When rolling out the dough, roll in one direction only. This will help keep the dough circular. [I think this may be my issue.]


• Also, when rolling dough, flip it from time to time. This will ensure that your dough isn't sticking to your work surface. If it does, lift your dough with a scraper, add some more flour to your work area, and continue rolling.


• Make sure you dough is rolled out enough so that you have an inch all around your pie plate. Hold your pie plate over your dough to figure this out - no ruler necessary.


• To get your dough to the pie plate without tearing, fold the dough in half twice. This will give you a quarter pie shape. Center the point of the dough, with the center of the plate, and carefully unfold. [This one I must try!]


• To prevent a pie that is gooey white on the bottom, roll out your top crust before adding the filling to the pie.

Even before I learned of the pumpkin shortage, I wasn't planning on making pumpkin pie this holiday. It truly isn't my favorite. I like it, but not enough to eat an entire pie, which is probably what would happen. I do really think that pumpkin is America's Marmite. I think that like Marmite, if you weren't raised on it, you just don't acquire a taste. We are having Germans to dinner. I suspect they would react to pumpkin the same way the French interns did that one year in San Francisco.

I am making an apple pie along with a chocolate pecan pie. We call the latter one brownie pie. I bet a certain little pilgrim cow might come join us for a slice.

on the night stand :: Pie by Ken Haedrich.

martha book signing

Today we went to Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena for the Martha Stewart book signing. Martha was signing her 66th book, Martha Stewart's Cooking School: Recipes and Lessons for the Home Cook. I didn't realize when we bought our books a couple of weeks ago, that our tickets were numbered. Turns out we were 81 and 82, so got to be pretty near the front of the line of what was close to 400.

Parking was our first and really only issue. The lot was crazy, and people were started to get a little huffy. We ended up paying for parking, but worth not fighting over a parking space.

The signing was held upstairs, but we were lined up around the perimeter of the store. Groups of 15 or so were let in as the line moved up the stairs. The event was set to start at 4pm. Martha arrived early and those with small children or handicaps were taken care of first. We were done by 4:40pm, so not bad. The line was still snaking around the front of the bookstore when we left around 5:15pm.

The highlight of the signing was a guy a few people ahead of us, Tony Briant. He told Martha that he loved her daughter's show. Martha was thrilled, picked up her cell phone and tried to get Alexis on the line. She got her answering machine, and Tony left a message. It is in the video above.

I found the video using Twitter Search. It comes from Anotorias also found a couple of other people who were there. Vroman's is on Twitter, but really missed an opportunity to connect with their customers today. They need to read Twitter Revolution.

Tomorrow Martha Stewart will be at B&N in Glendale at 11am. There are no details on their site. I called and it appears they are handing out wristbands when the store opens at 9am. A wristband guarantees that your book will be signed. They did not know how many they will be giving out though. It was recommended to arrived before 9am though. It should be a zoo. Still a part of me wants to go because I have a copy of the book I would love to have signed. Don't ask. And yes, I know I have issues.

on the night stand :: Martha Stewart's Cooking School: Recipes and Lessons for the Home Cook

martha is coming to town

On Sunday I get to wait on line in Pasadena for the Martha Stewart book signing at Vroman's Bookstore. I am getting a bit excited.

I found out about the signing in a round about way. We get Everyday Food, and I was flipping through the current issue when I saw a list of book signings. I was so excited to see that there were two events in Southern California!

I stopped what I was doing and went on line to find out more. Vroman's had information. Unfortunately I couldn't do anything about it right then. I had to go to the store and purchase a book, and get a ticket to the signing.

I also checked out the event page at B&N. There really was no information except for the date and time. All the links took me back to the book purchase page (or directions). It was really lame.

The next morning we drove over to the book store. It was hopping. We found books (there were plenty), and got in line. It is the first time I waited so long to buy a book. But good for Vroman's - I think it is important to support the independent book stores.

This will be my second Martha Stewart book signing. The first one was in Chicago. It was crazy, but fun. The first person in line arrived on Michigan Avenue at 5:00am (book signing was in the afternoon, although once we got numbers we had a break before we had to be in line). A local restaurant made one of the cupcake recipes and passed them out to the first 150 people or so. It was sad to see people not get cupcakes, but it was also over the top watching the things people did to try and get one. We also got a goodie bag from MSO. It had chocolate chips, olive oil and a current Martha Stewart Living.

I have not been to a signing at Vroman's, so I have no idea what to expect. I am also torn because I had preordered a copy of the book, and don't know if I should try to get it signed as well. At the Border's event I had books I had bought at a couple of stores. We were allowed to get 3 copies signed. They made amazing Christmas presents.


on the night stand :: Martha Stewart's Cooking School

i wish i had an elf

Thanks to Tivo, I am watching Martha Stewart make a enormous cake with Caroline Kennedy. It starts off with forty eggs - yes forty! It takes an industrial size mixer to make. And I am sure the pan would not fit in the average person's oven. After all that, you ice it, and put it back into the oven! The recipe comes from Martha Washington.

I must say that catching up on these Martha Stewart Show episodes is putting me a bit into the holiday spirit. Of course I still haven't written a single card. And no idea on what the final plan is for Christmas through New Years. That is really starting to piss me off. I did manage to order some stockings today, but I realize that with every day that passes, it is one less day to do stuff. There is also the issue of finding things and making reservations and such.

NPR had a story about a woman who created a web site on a lark that sold tumbleweeds. Well who knew that there was a market for tumbleweeds, and after about 15 years she now makes $40,000 a year doing so. I joked that we should get a couple of reindeer and make a website selling reindeer poop. I know a few people who might be getting some.

on the night stand :: A Family Christmas