The Pie Is Not A Lie

Of all the things I bake, my least favorite are pies. Getting the perfect, flaky crust is such a chore and it just gets mangled in the serving process anyway. Consistency in flavor and, well...consistency, are so elusive that there must be some sapience at the cellular level of your ingredients. And refined flour really isn't healthy for us (sigh, there's  a reason flour and water makes glue).

Perhaps being hopeless of success makes you more likely to try unlikely combinations that lead to excellent results. After drawing from sources in Nourishing Traditions and Allrecipes.com, I am pleased to present Laura's Pear Custard Pie. It's gluten free, low glycemic, and mind-blowingly delicious. I fudge a little using evaporated cane sugar; you can use maple syrup or Rapadura completely. Organic is assumed.

(makes one 9" pie)

Crust:

2 c. finely shredded coconut

1/2 c.  butter or virgin coconut oil (I prefer an even mix of both), melted

dash salt (optional)

1 1/2 Tbs. powdered sugar (optional; I make my own combining 1 c organic cane sugar with 1 tbs tapioca starch and blending on high)

Filling

4 c. ripe pears, cored and cubed

1/2 c. evaporated cane sugar

1/2 c. Rapadura

3 Tbs. Tapioca starch (or arrowroot powder, or potato starch, just not corn! you can even substitute 1/4c of pastry flour but it's not as healthy and I can't guarantee the goodness)

1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

2 eggs

1/4 c. whipping cream

1/4 c. melted butter (optional, I forgot it the first time, and didn't notice a marked change the second time)

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine melted butter/coconut oil with shredded coconut, salt, and powdered sugar. Press into pie pan. Cover with a double layer of aluminum foil and bake at 450F for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake for 4 minutes and reduce heat to 350F. Place fruit in pie shell. In a bowl, combine cane sugar, Rapadura, starch, and nutmeg. Whisk in eggs and beat until frothy. Gently whisk in whipping cream, butter, and vanilla. Pour over fruit. Cover the edges of the crust with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes.

It's spectacular at slightly above room temperature with a dollop of cinnamon whipped cream.

I'm interested in trying the base recipe with other fruit, so we'll see. Happy Eating!

SCOBYLand

Making kombucha is like having sea monkeys that run a brewery. There are mothers, and they have babies...without fathers. Some mothers have twins. If a mother doesn't have a baby, it's probably poisoned. They dance. And they turn sweet, caffeinated tea into a fizzy beverage that reminds me of ginger ale.

What is kombucha? If you've tried the Whole Foods version, it's a very astringent health beverage credited with curing everything from cancer to indigestion. Home brewed kombucha is much milder and more palatable. Since it is fermented and made from a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY), it is referenced as being full of probiotics. Probiotics are the "good" or "health promoting" bacteria (also found in live culture yogurt and cheese).

I first heard of kombucha when I was ill in Taiwan. I didn't find any there, since the rough literal translation is power tea/drink. Requests usually yielded something like Red Bull. When I returned to the states, my immune system was still pretty shot from the antibiotic regimen I had been on, so I looked up kombucha again.

I've been making it now for several months, and have enjoyed the drink. I generally feel more alert, and have better digestion. I've also found relief from sore throats and earaches by drinking it.

Here is my latest batch of kombucha. I made this with green tea, so it's very light in comparison to my assam batches (which look like coffee). You can see the mother on the bottom layer, attached to the baby on top.



I make about 2-3 gallons per batch, in half gallon jars, using sprouting lids to facilitate breathing. This results in a lot of SCOBYs, since they increase exponentially. My refrigerator was overrun with SCOBYs at one point, and it doesn't bode well with the other family members if you have containers of living organisms populating the fridge. Some other kombucha brewing associates mentioned making a hair tonic of blended SCOBY, but I haven't been that ambitious (or crazy) yet. My solution for extra SCOBYs is to dry them on a cookie sheet lined with natural parchment paper. After about a week, they resemble rawhide treats and my dogs love them.

If you want to try brewing kombucha, you can easily purchase SCOBYs online. I bought my first SCOBY at eBay from stitchingtime. I would highly recommend purchasing your first SCOBY from her. She provides excellent, explicit instructions to accurately and safely brew kombucha. She is also an excellent reference if you have any questions or concerns during brewing.

Happy quaffing!

Editorial Note

Some of my older posts no longer have their associated photos because my previous host site disbanded. I am in the process of figuring out a quick and easy way to update from my new photo host. Suggestions would be welcomed.

Food Is A Fantastic Start

My first food venture of the new year was a smashing success! Pictured here (clockwise from lower left): Spicy Braised Green Beans, Rice with Mango garnish, cabbage and fresh herb salad, Sichuan Eggplant, Sparkling Pomegranate Juice, Sweet and Sour Chicken.



Here's a better shot of the eggplant. The cabbage and fresh herb salad came about because I couldn't find rice wrappers to make Vietnamese spring rolls. I combined Chinese cabbage, cilantro, mint, shredded carrot, and lime with a peanut dressing I made.



I wonder why my close-ups are always blurry.



Sticky coconut rice with mango!



And then there were the caramel apples. This is after the first dipping. The bit that pooled on the bottom easily molded to the apple after being chilled.



Then there was the chocolate and nut dipping. Yum!



I can't get enough of them!



Yay!