Bake Me Some (Savory) Pies

IMG_6515As much as I love pies, I wish I’d be baking them more often. They are easy, fast and beautiful and don’t always just mean dessert. In fact, this savory Purple Yam and Goat Cheese Pie is very easy to make, looks divine and tastes even better. And it’s great in a gluten free crust, too. Come and cook with us!

Baking pies isn’t as hard as one might think. We have written about basic pie crusts before and there are plenty of ready-to-mix options if you are experimenting with the glutenfree variety. The mix I use is Bob’s Red Mill Glutefree Pie Crust and includes a few different flours, starches as well as xanthan gum. I got it from my friend Michelle and am super pleased. The dough holds together, is just the right amount of flakey and also neutral in taste apart from the sweet flavor of baked butter. The directions for this gluten free mix – as for pie crusts in general – are straight forward and it yielded three pie crusts (you can always freeze a shell or two for later use). Key is to use cold butter, work fast and let the dough rest in the fridge before rolling it out. Trust me, getting your hands a little dirty with flour, butter and iced water feels great and how often do we get finger-deep into making our food these days. You can literally feel your accomplishment!

In fact, as my older son likes to say, pies are little more than sophisticated delivery devices for yummy fillings. And they do make every meal look a little more “put-together”. Over the years I’ve baked plenty of fruit and custard pies, but am increasingly intrigued by the savory kinds such as the Brie and Tomato Tart I shared before or this week’s Purple Yam and Goat Cheese Pie. The combination comes together beautifully and tastes great with a refreshing baby green leaf salad in a tangy dressing. Hope you give it a try. Come and cook with us!

Purple Yam and Goat Cheese Pie

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A Fennel Marathon

IMG_3348Did you know that fennel is the Greek name for marathon? Not because eating fennel gives you stamina and endurance. Rather, the Greek beat the Persians in 490 B.C., in a fennel field that is exactly 26 miles and 385 yards from Athens. They sent a runner to bring the good news into town and ever since then, the length of a marathon race has remained the same as the distance between the fennel field and town. Luckily, you don’t have to go that far out of your way to get some fennel. Come and cook with us! Continue reading “A Fennel Marathon”

Can’t Beat Meat Loaf

Memorial Day might be around the corner, but instead of reaching for those white pants, we have been wearing our puffies to stay warm. The unseasonably cold weather front coming through Northern California has us been wishing for comfort food. What better way to warm our stomach, body and soul than meat loaf. Come and cook with us! Continue reading “Can’t Beat Meat Loaf”

Simply Sardines

photo 6There are foods that one either loves or hates, and I’m pretty sure that sardines fall into that category for many of us. I happen to love them – it must be my mediterranean upbringing – but I encourage everyone to give them a try as they are high in all the good stuff! This week, we’d like to entice you all to eat a few more sardines, probably one of the healthiest and most convenient foods on the planet! Come and cook with us! Continue reading “Simply Sardines”

Surf and Turf in a Soup

photo 2The jury is still out on whether a soup featuring sausage is actually a soup or, rather, a sausage delivery device. Based on my kids’ responses to this dish, it’s probably more of the latter. They have fallen in love with this soup and now plead with me to make it over and over again. Yes, I know that it contains too much sausage, even of the healthy kind, but a bowl of this soup warms you from the inside out. And with the added taste complexity, it takes you on an interesting flavor adventure that might well be worth the sausage extravagance. Come and cook with us! Continue reading “Surf and Turf in a Soup”