Seth's Blueberry Pie ...p91

Blueberries....one would think one blueberry is just the same as another, but not so, my friend.  I've come to find out there is plenty of variety in blueberries much like there is in grapes.  Who would dream of calling a pinot noir, "cabernet sauvignon"?  Evidently just in the few varieties my girls are picking: powder blue, tiff, manditu, they are discovering the subtle distinctions that differentiate each blueberry.

In an attempt to "connect" with my fortunate daughter and her lovely friend,

who as I write, pick, sort and weigh blueberries on another continent, I made this wonderful blueberry pie.  I was very tempted to skip the crust-making part and substitute a nicely boxed pie crust beckoning from the refrigerator, but my integrity got the better of me and I followed Seth's recipe instead.

Let me say, this is one of the best pie crusts I've ever tasted, let alone one of the easiest to roll out.  Our critic is the consummate pie crust maker and always just goes by feel, trusting her touch to determine just the perfect combination of crisco, flour and water (iced).  I've never quite felt capable in that arena...but, with this recipe I could really feel its proportionate perfection.  I've never used an egg in a pie crust recipe, nor would I dream of adding vinegar, but that is exactly what this crust recipe calls for!  And shocker, cool water is ok.  I don't have to worry about the little unmelted pieces of ice that drop into my batter and cause a gooey pull-away area.

Very happy was I that I went homemade for this crust.  It enveloped a perfectly sweetened blueberry filling with a hint of cinnamon.   So, I've gotta ask:  Seth, have you ever made this pie???

Certainly this would be a great addition to the Trout & Chicken menu, but I bet my Kiwi girls (who I call "NewZies" in honor of my girls' favorite cult movie) could show us all a thing or two about cooking with blueberries...I only wish they could crate a carton or two for me. 

The critic and I completely agree on this pie....one of the best ever.  Delicioso!

Hardy Appetit!

Mumsy's Super Chicken Soup ...p22

After a brief stint in the hospital, what should I serve the critic?  Chicken soup, of course.  Healing for the bones and warming to the heart, chicken soup dishes up comfort and better health for pennies on your health insurance dollar.  Though many argue over just why soup helps - be it the heat, the steam or the concentrated nutrients, few argue whether it does.  According to Dr. Mao, with soup you can lose weight, build your immunity and detoxify your body;

according to my husband, he just feels better when he eats soup. 



Mumsy's Super Chicken Soup packs in the nutrients above and beyond your traditional chicken soups by the addition of lots of vegetables and tomato juice, with just a wee bit of alcohol in the form of sherry, to clear the throat.  Which turned out to be the critic's reason for snickering just a bit at this soup, "it tastes too much like vegetable soup!"  "It's good, but not yum - I like just the traditional chicken soup." 

So once more, I have to disagree with the critic.  This is definitely one of my favorite soups - and don't be tempted to leave out the sherry - it really adds kick to the taste - in fact, if you can get a real bottle of dry sherry to use rather than the store-bought cooking sherry, all the better.  When prepping the vegetables, chop up the eggplant first and let it soak covered in salt water while you fry up the bacon and chop the remaining veggies - at least that's the way Mumsy always did it!

Sprinkle a little freshly grated Parmesan on top and you have a yummy - nontraditional - chicken soup.  Let us know whether you agree with the critic or me - leave a comment.

Hardy Appetit!