Gore - Me, Myself, and Pie, Amish Recipes

ZONDERVAN Me, Myself, and Pie Copyright 2014 by Sherry Gore Requests for information should be addressed to: Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530 ePub Edition September 2014: ISBN 978-0-3103-3557-3 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. Author is represented by The Steve Laube Agency, LLC, 5025 N. Central Ave. # 635, Phoenix, Arizona 85012 Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Cover design: Kathy Mitchell DesignsCover photography: Katie JacobsInterior photography: Katie JacobsPhotographs : Shutterstock.comPhotographs on : Chris Meyer / Memories by ChrisInterior design: Lori LynchSenior Editor: Rebecca Warren 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 / DSC / 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is dedicated to Mary Mullett, who once said to me, I dont like pie, and I replied, You just havent met the right one yet. Contents My kitchen in Pinecraft reflects my personal style and dispositionsunny with a slight chance of rain. Theres a hand-painted motto (Life Is Short, Eat the Pie) on the wall next to my blue Hoosier cabinet where I store a litany of canning jars, vintage pie plates, lucky thrift store finds, and Amish/Mennonite cookbooks, and looking around youll find no microwave in sight. I do use electricity for my own cooking and baking, as do others in my community, but most Amish people, especially those in Old Order communities, do not. Their hand-crafted oak cabinets and drawers brim instead with wooden spoons, wire whisks, and mechanical egg beatersthe delightful armory of a cultural and yet capable kitchen.

Some still prepare meals using a wood cookstove, while others enjoy the ease of natural gas or propane. Some without electricity even build separate kitchens down in their basements, for when summer heat spikes; a smart farmer has a cool place for produce, dry goods, and his wife. There are some items that seem destined for any Amish kitchen, no matter the locale. One is a cloth linen calendar, often embroidered with an idyllic farm scene, and just as often recycled when the year is up into a lint-free tea towel. Another is a sturdy oak dinner table, handcrafted by local craftsmen and fit for as many as thirteen or more hungry children. Then there are the dessert plates, an Amish necessity, and high chairs.

And rolling pins. I say a girl can never have too many rolling pins. Of course Im biased: the rolling pin is the most essential of the pie-making tools. Next would be a glass pie plate and a smooth countertop. After those, well, it gets a bit trickier, but heres a list of some basics to help you out. Pastry brush Pie plates Mixing bowl Rolling pin Measuring cups Measuring spoons Sharp paring knife Butter knife Wire whisk Forks Spoons Baking sheet Pot holders Cutting board Colander Egg beater Mixer Saucepan Rubber spatula Beans or pie weights Parchment paper Bakers twine Tin foil Grater Zester Timer Oven thermometer Baking is a science (they dont call it pi for nothing), and so you want to avoid deviating too much from your recipes unless you know what you are doing (or you wish to take a walk on the wild side). Pastry brush Pie plates Mixing bowl Rolling pin Measuring cups Measuring spoons Sharp paring knife Butter knife Wire whisk Forks Spoons Baking sheet Pot holders Cutting board Colander Egg beater Mixer Saucepan Rubber spatula Beans or pie weights Parchment paper Bakers twine Tin foil Grater Zester Timer Oven thermometer Baking is a science (they dont call it pi for nothing), and so you want to avoid deviating too much from your recipes unless you know what you are doing (or you wish to take a walk on the wild side).

Try to remember that it is the pairing of butter or shortening with other specifically listed ingredients that will really define your crustthe underlying structure of any good pieand that substitutions in fat ingredients can severely alter the outcome of your creation. Of course, for the tastiest pies, never substitute low-fat in place of full-fat, whole ingredients. The fat is where the flavor is, after all. Its a clich, but its true. When storing pies, those of a cream variety should always be refrigerated before and after being served. Fruit pies fare better out on the countertop, but they never seem to last very long up there when baked properly.

They get eaten! Solid vegetable shortening (plain and butter-flavored) Unsalted butter White vinegar Pure vanilla extract Heavy cream Whole milk All-purpose flour Granulated sugar Light brown sugar Powdered sugar Cocoa powder Eggs Sanding sugar This is where your pie adventure beginswith the crust. It is the crust that determines how your pie is classified in the culinary world. Theres more than one way to make a delicious crust. Some bakers utilize the most modern kitchen equipment with great results. Its a quick and efficient way to get a pie on the table. Others, like me, feel that to subject my pie crust to a food processor would be an outright assault.

I need to feel my ingredients to know them. I work my crust over delicately with light, loving hands. It takes a bit longer, but in creating pies by hand, Ive come to know them intimately. Its true; its a relationship that requires time, commitment, and devotionone that will last a lifetime.