pie crust

This came in email form to me from PMC. I am posting it because if I don't I won't ever be able to find it when I need it!

I [PMC] learned how to make crust from the chapter Pies from Paradise in The Man Who Ate Everything.

Here are the broad strokes:

Put 1 c flour and a big pinch of salt in a big mixing bowl. Drop in 1/2 c of shortening (can be vegetable shortening, lard, butter or a combination).

Using your hands, rub the fat into the flour. I scoop with my hands, sweep my thumbs once over what I've picked up and let everything fall back into the bowl. This seems to keep the fat from warming up too much. When the biggest chunks of fat are about the size of a pea, pour about 1/3 c of cold water over the mixture and stir with a fork. You should be able to pull the dough together. Many would let the dough rest in the frige half an hour. I usually can't be bothered.

When you roll out the pastry, be liberal when dusting with flour. Sticking is a pain in the ass and you'd have to use A LOT of flour for it to have a discernable impact on your pastry.

When I make quiche, I put the pie in the oven as soon as I add the egg mixture and I put the plate on a cookie sheet that's been in the preheating oven. That seems to help get a good bottom crust.

This was sent in response to a request for a pie crust for quiche. Now if I were baking a fruit pie, PMC, would I bake the crust a bit before adding the filling?

lamb and beans

It is a crime to post this, because it is covered entirely by the baked beans and stew recipe algorithm posts. But I can't help it, because it came out so good.

Parboil about a pound of dried white beans (I used great northerns) in unsalted water for about 45 min. Pour the beans, a few cloves of garlic, some glugs of olive oil, some sage, and a lamb shank (incredibly cheap if you can find one) into an oven-proof pot. Add enough of the parboiling water to bring it to almost cover (but not quite). Throw it in the oven, covered, for a few hours at 250 F (120 C). Pull the meat off the bone at the end, cut it up and return it to the pot, salt heavily, stir, and serve. I served it with braised cabbage.

Some notes: It takes one heck of a lot of salt, so be prepared to stir it in, taste, and repeat a few times. You also might have to add some water now and then as it cooks, or when you re-heat it the next day. This meal is a trash meal, in the sense that its ingredients are cheap and have little commercial impact. No-one is raising lambs for their shanks! I'm all about that. It is also a meal you can make all winter with locally produced ingredients here in the northeast (except the olive oil, which could be replaced with butter or dropped). Many argue that stew tastes better the next day; I don't disagree.

This has the consistency of cassoulet and is in the same spirit. And it sure ain't rocket science!

P.B. People

I never cease to be amazed at what a kick kids get out of being allowed to play with their food. Yesterday, I took a few minutes to prepare a bowl with some thinly sliced and julienned carrots and some celery sticks. I used a vegetable peeler to make ribbons of carrot and then stacked these and cut them into threads. In a muffin tin, I also put out some apricots, sunflower seeds and GORP (good old raisins and peanuts). There was sliced whole wheat bread (whole slices and triangles), some apple slices and a big, wide-mouthed jar of peanut butter. I gave each of the boys a big dinner plate and a butter knife and said I'd like them to make a "p.b. person" for lunch, which they could eat as soon as I had taken a picture of their creation. That was both the only instruction and the only constraint (other than the fact that they had to choose from what was already on the table, but that was---apparently---implicit). I never said, "Spread some pb on a piece of bread, and then...." On the other hand, I did make my own PB person at the same time they were making theirs, so they probably took some cues from me. In any event, they ate as they created and had a great time.

This is Ben's PB person. Unfortunately, I forgot to ask the name, occupation and planet of origin of their people.

Here is Nathan's. He happily drew my attention to each facial feature he had eaten: "See, Dad? I ate his nose and one eye and one foot!" Spreading peanut butter is a sticky but fun challenge for a four-year-old. I made sure Nate didn't leave the table before giving his hands, face and shirt a good cleaning with a damp cloth.

braised cabbage pasta

This recipe was made up by me in an attempt to re-create a wonderful meal made by PMC many years ago in Québec City for the 'fuzz and me. I hereby call out PMC to post the real recipe! I think this is not really a recipe, in fact, but rather a recipe algorithm, which means that you can play arbitrary games with the fat, the meat (including dropping the meat entirely), the onions, the greens, and the liquid.

• 1/4 lb prosciutto or bacon or bresaola or equivalent
• 2 leeks or 1 onion or a couple shallots, finely sliced
• 1 large cabbage or 1 large bunch of collard greens, or a mixture, shredded
• 1 glass of wine (red or white)
• pasta for 4 (what the package says serves 6 or 8)
• hard cheese

While the water for pasta is coming to a boil, try out the meat (I used prosciutto) in some olive oil with the shallots or equivalent (I used shallots). If you have a fatty meat, I am sure you don't need any olive oil. Once the meat is starting to get crispy, add the cabbage or equivalent (I used one small cabbage plus a small bunch of collard greens) and the wine (I used white). Mix.

While the pasta cooks, cook the cabbage and wine (and etc) mixture at pretty high heat. Make sure the pan never goes completely dry, because you are effectively "steaming" the cabbage as you sauté it. I think that is what is known as braising (PMC: am I wrong?).

When the pasta is done and the cabbage is done, mix it all in a big, oven-warmed bowl along with lots and lots of grated cheese. Season with plenty of salt and pepper.