Hi,

One winter I made a very deliberate effort to learn how to make pie crust. I began with a method in Joy of Cooking where you pressed the crust to fit the pie shell. I was happy with it initially, then decided it was too thick and heavy. I then decided I needed to learn how to make grown-up rolled out pie crust. I made pies several times a week for a while until I got it right. I also added 15 pounds, which I attribute to the pies.

My default recipe for crust is 2 cups flour mixed with 1 teaspoon salt. I cut in 2/3 cup Crisco with a French pastry cutter (you can use a Cuisinart) until it is like cornmeal with irregular bits of fat. The original recipe calls for 3-5 tablespoons of ice water. I now go full tilt to 5 tablespoons ice water every time. I quickly add the water with a minimum of handling to avoid activating the gluten. The dough feels like Playdough fresh from the can. I think people tend to add too little water, which causes a crust to simply fall apart while rolling it out. Since Crisco is stable at room temperature, I can go straight to rolling out the pie crust. If I make a crust with butter, then I need to pause for refrigeration.

I roll out my pie crusts between two sheets of wax paper that has been very, very lightly floured. You want to add as little flour as possible because it dries out your crust makinjg it difficult to handle. The food magazine pictures of a heavily floured surface, floured rolling pin and a mound of flour waiting to apply more is very defeating to making a crust. I mold the pie crust into a disk, lightly flour it and insert between the waxed paper. I have heavy maple rolling pin that I begin rolling from the center of the disk out. I go in a different direction every time to even out the distribution. When it seems to be the right size, I put a pie pan upside down hoping to fine 1-1.5 inches going beyond the rim in all directions. Any excess can be used to patch, if needed.

Transfering the crust to the pan, I remove one sheet of wax paper. I position the dough side on the pie pan. Once I am satisfied with its location, I then lift off the 2nd waxed paper sheet. If this is an open-faced or crumb topped pie, I then crimp using the thumb between thumb-index finger method for a nice raised border. It not only makes the pie look like the sun, it acts like a gutter against any spills. It also allows me to safely overfill the pie, which I often do for pumpkin.

If I am making a double crust pie, then I split the dough 60:40 for the bottom:top. Once I have the top on and crimped, I will spread with my fingers some milk or cream, then sprinkle on some sugar. It gives a nice color and taste to the crust.

The three areas people get into trouble making crusts:
- Not adding enough water, it won't bind well and falls apart when rolling out.
- Overmixing the crust after water is added. You want to avoid activating the gluten. If your pie crust springs back when you are rolling it out, then the gluten had been activated. It is best to stop and refrigerate for a while hoping the gluten will relax its grip.
- Adding too much flour when rolling out the crust, which dehydrates the crust.

Once you have the technique mastered, then indeed it can be as easy as pie.

All the best,

I would have to ask my father for the exact way that he does it but he has always used oil to make his pie crusts. They turn out exceptionally flaky and delicious and he has taught a number of my mother's friends this method as well. It seems to be easier to do than methods with butter or shortening.

Now if only I could make biscuits as good as his....

My own cooking fear: buying lots of ingredients, making something once, and then being left with all sorts of exotics that I have no idea what to do with. I realize that the process should be a learning experience, but I just feel like I have wasted my time and money.

many shortcrust pastry recipes use oil instead of solid fat; these are often used for pasties or empanadas.

12345ne wrote:My own cooking fear: buying lots of ingredients, making something once, and then being left with all sorts of exotics that I have no idea what to do with. I realize that the process should be a learning experience, but I just feel like I have wasted my time and money.

I have to agree with this one, too. The best advice I have for that is to spend some time on websites (like epicurious) searching by ingredient to figure out how to use up whatever random thing you are currently stuck with. I've found some fun recipes that way.

Everything is better with sound effects.

Mhays wrote:I also stink at that, or anything requiring accuracy and fine motor skills. My usual cheat is to roll out the extra dough, cut it with little cookie cutters or a jar or what have you, and applique it on to the edge (scroll down for pic) Alternatively, you can press the edges using an implement (obviously, forks tines are traditional, but you can use the handle, too, or a 1/4 teaspoon measure, or the edge of a shot glass) to create a pattern going all the way around. Not that I am a pie guru or anything...

Or, you can do what I do when I decorate a cake, and claim that the mistakes make it look "more homemade."

I use the term "rustic French".

MincyBits wrote:Position your thumb and forefinger of one hand on the outside of the crust (say an inch apart) and your other forefinger directly between those two but on the inside of the crust. Poke. Move your thumb into the brand new indent on the outside of the crust and repeat. Move, repeat. Poke, poke, poke.

I tried that last time with my Peaches 'n' Cream, and it looked like I had a seizure while poking. Practice makes perfect!! I'll have to try Mhays applique version too. It's a pretty presentation.

Ah, mollusks. I had pasta once with scallops, mussells, and some other shelly thing tossed with a white wine sauce. I attempted to make it at home and it wasn't nearly as good. I wanted to cry.

Hi,

There is a very nice thread on how to make pie.

Here is my method for crimping crust:



Regards,

Are those your own fingers, C2? They're exactly perfect...you are a true pie virtuoso (not to mention that you apparently somehow grew an extra hand for the camera .)

Yes, when I do that, they wind up all different sizes and squashy-looking shapes...

Mhays wrote:Are those your own fingers, C2? They're exactly perfect...you are a true pie virtuoso (not to mention that you apparently somehow grew an extra hand for the camera .)

Yes, when I do that, they wind up all different sizes and squashy-looking shapes...

Hi,

Those are indeed my fingers. I think my niece held the camera. Some days I can make a picture perfect crust and others it just looks so-so.

As long as it tastes good, who cares how it looks.

Regards,

Recipes that call for rolling out dough -- pie crust, biscuits, cut-out cookies, what have you -- tend to be culinary deal breakers for me. It's not that I can't do it, it's that I have almost no counter space in my kitchen, and the prospect of what I'd have to do to clear space for such a project tends to be balking.

So, most of the time, I make crumb crusts and drop biscuits and bar cookies instead. This has resulted in some pretty nontraditional takes on a few things, but they mostly taste great.

After all the pie crust here last week I was forced to make a peach pie this weekend despite one of my most hated kitchen activities - blanching and peeling peaches. My grandmother would can tons of fruits and veggies for the families of all her kids, and since I lived with her in the summer I was the default helper. Blanching and peeling peaches in a 90 degree house (no AC!) was pure torture. I never dreaded the other canning (beans, corn, various fruit jams), but peaches...I dreaded that part of the year. Probably because they came in season for canning in what was always the hottest part of the summer.

I'm glad I got over it and made the peach pie this weekend though, it turned out really, really well. Heaven in a pie pan.

I've been thinking about this thread because in general i don't have fears in the kitchen -- although there are certainly recipes that I won't do because I'm lazy or don't want to deal with the learning curve. Right now the one at the top of the list for me is Rugelach. I have a dear friend who loves rugelach and i've been thinking I should make some for him as a treat -- but whenever I get to a recipe to review it...it seems overwhelming. Some day I'll suck it up and make them...but probably not until it's cooler out. Apparently much of the worry is that the dough gets too warm and impossible to work with.

I tend to steer clear of fish because I don't like fish that much -- although I am fond of shrimp and scallops and I do make those in various ways more frequently. And mussels, etc...they seem like so much work for so little profit.

Annabelle wrote:After all the pie crust here last week I was forced to make a peach pie this weekend despite one of my most hated kitchen activities - blanching and peeling peaches.

This I've never done. But as I mentioned in a previous post, I will NEVER NEVER make another cherry pie using fresh cherries. The pits never come out reliably, so aside from taking an hour to pit a bag of cherries, you're stuck going through each one to make sure they're pitted properly. Cathy2 mentioned using a paper clip, but I was so pissed at my last attempt, with about 8 out of 10 cherries being un-pitted, thus making me spit out bits of pie (an abomination!), that I've sworn off the task altogether.

One more thing I thought of just now - French Onion soup. Last time I made it, I forced Pie Dude to help me (the soup was for him, after all) and it had us both crying so hard we could barely see. I'm afraid I'll cut off my finger and toss it into the soup.

Pie Lady wrote:One more thing I thought of just now - French Onion soup. Last time I made it, I forced Pie Dude to help me (the soup was for him, after all) and it had us both crying so hard we could barely see. I'm afraid I'll cut off my finger and toss it into the soup.

This is one of the great things about using a food processor. Not only does it speed up the time for cutting up the onions, but it (mostly) contains the fumes.

I can remember my grandmother grating fresh horseradish by hand with the tears running down her face. Grating it in the food processor is still a teary process (you do have to open the thing sometimes), but at least it's a much shorter one!

Earthlydesire, the rugalach recipe in Rosie's Bakery All-Butter, Fresh Cream, Sugar-Packed, No-Holds-Barred Baking Book is terrific, with a very rich cream cheese dough. It's no easier than any other recipe, but the results are worth it. You can see the recipe using Amazon's search inside feature; search on "rugalah." (This is a great book for anyone who bakes.)

I don't really have any cooking fears. When I make something for the first time, I'm careful with my set up and take my time. The first time I made gumbo, the roux took an hour and fifteen minutes. I didn't want to screw it up so I did it slow. Now I make a lovely mahogany roux in 15 minutes, without batting an eye.

My real fear? Plating and presentation. I can't make a plate look pretty to save my life. The food will taste great but the plate will look....well, like it has food on it. I can't make a cake look better than just frosted and don't even start me on crimping a pie crust edge. Been shown the technique a bazillion times; hold the fingers correctly and everything. It doesn't work. I think I'm missing a gene.

Oh yeah, and I can't arrange flowers, set a beautiful table or do any fun crafty-type projects like knitting, crocheting or needlepoint. But I'm very mechanical and can fix almost anything.

dees_1 wrote:My real fear? Plating and presentation. I can't make a plate look pretty to save my life. The food will taste great but the plate will look....well, like it has food on it.

Dees,

I have the same problem, aside from lack of an artistic bent, I tend to overcrowd the plate. Here is an example from just last night, food was tasty, but looks uneven and crowded on the plate.



In the future I should simply let my wife arrange plates I intend to take pictures of, she has an artistic eye.

Enjoy,
Gary

Don't underestimate the value of being mechanical! I'd trade the pretty crimped edges of my pies for my Mom's ability to diagnose my car troubles by ear over the phone any day.

My newest cooking fear is situational. My future Grandma-in-law is going to be staying with us next week for a week or so while future Grandpa-in-law is in the hospital. Cooking for the inlaws is generally a manageable thing, but cooking for inlaws for a week-plus, three meals a day, means I have a whole lot of planning ahead of me this weekend. I can come up with 21 or so perfect meals in a row...right?

G Wiv wrote:

dees_1 wrote:My real fear? Plating and presentation. I can't make a plate look pretty to save my life. The food will taste great but the plate will look....well, like it has food on it.

Dees,

I have the same problem, aside from lack of an artistic bent, I tend to overcrowd the plate. Here is an example from just last night, food was tasty, but looks uneven and crowded on the plate.



In the future I should simply let my wife arrange plates I intend to take pictures of, she has an artistic eye.

Enjoy,
Gary

Gary -

While I'll take your word for it that Ellen is much better at plating than you, I think there's something abstract, possibly Rorschach, going on with this plate. In it, think I see Bert, from Bert and Ernie, or possibly even Chef, from The Muppet Show.

G Wiv wrote:,

I have the same problem, aside from lack of an artistic bent, I tend to overcrowd the plate. Here is an example from just last night, food was tasty, but looks uneven and crowded on the plate.

You just need a larger plate ....

Wendy -

Can't you see the red Garfield Goose with the dark green crown in the middle of the plate?

jlawrence01 wrote:

G Wiv wrote:,

I have the same problem, aside from lack of an artistic bent, I tend to overcrowd the plate. Here is an example from just last night, food was tasty, but looks uneven and crowded on the plate.

You just need a larger plate ....

Or a much smaller meat portion (you can add more after the picture). Center the meat a bit, place the tomato and garlic on the bread and angle it to the top of the plate, angle the corn down the other side, and possibly place the firtter looking thing as the bottom portion of a triangle. Place a the pepper on top of the meat.

Crowded plates can be tough. I think small portions are key to meals with a lot of components.

I think this one looks alright:


And this one I put too much corn and beans, and the pile is huge in the background:





I fear complicated baking. If things are much beyond "first mix the wet ingredients, then mix the dry ingredients, then combine", I tend to think i can't do it.

Y'know what's hard? Madelines. I have such a nice pan, too. Time to try again!

While I'll take your word for it that Ellen is much better at plating than you, I think there's something abstract, possibly Rorschach, going on with this plate. In it, think I see Bert, from Bert and Ernie, or possibly even Chef, from The Muppet Show.

Bert. Definitely Bert. Although my first thought was, gee that corn looks tasty.

Annabelle wrote:I can come up with 21 or so perfect meals in a row...right?

You could make a lot of large-batch soups, stews, and slow cooker meals, then trade off, i.e.: Soup, Stew, Roast, Soup, Stew, Roast. That's at least 6 nights right there. On day 6, 7 and 8 use the scraps from days 5, 6, and 7 respectively for lunch. This method lets me cook only three days per week, 4 if you count Friday 'Sketti Night. No worries, you'll do fine!

Oh I remember making Madeleines -- aren't they just sort of like making a cake with whipped egg whites? I used to make madeleines and then dip them in melted frangos -- chill and give to friends as gifts. And you're right

Wow....that's taking me WAY back -- i may have to do that again for christmas...

shannon

As I recall, you beat the yolks until they're at ribbon stage, then fold in flour. Then you beat the whites until they're at medium-stiff peaks, then fold that into the yolk/flour mess, which for me was always so stiff that it never mixed well, leaving little, hard, unincorporated bits throughout. It had the consistency of face scrub, the gentle kind that's not harsh on pores.

But since you mentioned the melted Frango dip, I might have to do this one over again. How were you able to give them away?

I simultaneously increase the likelihood of all my cooking fears coming to fruition, and decrease the anxiety they cause, by always having a bottle of wine open with me in the kitchen. On a related note, here's a word of advice: never keep the pie dough next to the pasta dough in your fridge.

Kennyz wrote:never keep the pie dough next to the pasta dough in your fridge.

I wonder if that would make a nice casserole?

LynnB wrote:I have a culinary degree from CHIC, I've been a professional pastry chef around town, and.... I have a fear of gnocchi. I've tried a variety of recipes and have never been happy with the results. Too heavy, too gummy... too much time and effort for lousy results. So now, no matter how fabulous a gnocchi recipe sounds, I'm skipping right by that sucker.

I am in the exact same boat, there is (almost) nothing I can't cook better at home than I get in 90% of restaurants, but gnocchi ALWAYS escapes me.

From an inconvenience stan point I will never make homemade fried calamari again, all the inconvenience of deep frying with the added inconveniece of cleaning, de-quilling/de-beaking and chopping slippery squid.

Made gnocchi a couple of times and have only recently been successful; it's a learning curve as the big issue is trying to get the right moisture content in the dough. However, one thing I do avoid - recipes that contain egg, and many of them do. I started with a couple reccomendations from the Joy of Cooking and an Argentine recipe I found online, and wound up with good results: the key is to bake the potatoes, (I use waxy ones) be minimal with the flour, and then cook just one and taste it. You can always add more flour if it's slimy.

After all, if I can overcome my paella phobia, you can make ñoquis!

jtminnesota wrote:From an inconvenience stan point I will never make homemade fried calamari again, all the inconvenience of deep frying with the added inconveniece of cleaning, de-quilling/de-beaking and chopping slippery squid.

I'm with you on that one. Some things are meant to be made by people who are paid to do it.

Sweetbreads is another one. Soaking, parboiling, ice-bathing, de-veining, pressing ... all before you can cook them in whatever recipe! I love 'em, but who figured out you could eat them, with all you have to do to them first?

I made monkfish at home once - once. Never again. that gross, gray snotty membrane that surrounds the flesh. Ugggggg-ghg it's enough to make me gag even now, 15 years after the fact. I couldn't eat monkfish out at a restaurant for a long time either.

tyrus wrote:I think the problem with pie crusts is that there are so many different "best ways" - lard, cold water, butter, etc. - and how/when/how much to mix.

Also, the technique is tough for some people who have never rolled anything out in their lives.

If you have a fail safe pie crust recipe for the beginner, throw it out here. I've only made a couple of pies in my life and have done both the homemade version and the store bought version. I like the homemade version best but will admit that sometimes the crust prevents me from going the pie route.

I'd like to try to make a few though and combat one of my fears head-on.

I was getting out my King Arthur Baking cookbook and remembered this recipe. This is not a classic pie crust where you mix in the shortening and all that jazz. But you know what, if you are scared of pie crust or in a hurry, it is still much, much better than store-bought. Remember pie crust is forgiving so if you break it when putting it in the pie pan, you can just pick off little pieces where they are not needed and stick them where they are. Also, to me, looking a little "homemade" is part of the charm. The King Arthur website also has detailed instructions on how to get a piecrust rolled and onto a pie plate but they frankly would scare me off if I was just starting. Just roll it out until it looks like it will fit, get it on the plate, and go from there.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/Rec ... 3104840997