To help rally in spring, I made these little gems the other week. It was a small treat to remind us of the warmer days to come. Since getting used to Portland weather, I had forgotten how spring acts here on the east coast. It’s a bit like a finicky child with a precious, cherub face; cold, crabby, and rainy one day only to be greeted by a warm, sunny, smiling day the next. It goes on like this for about a month and at at least here in DC, the heat always comes faster than anyone expects. In Portland, spring was never ending, leaving people to wonder if summer was only a figment of their imagination. But in each case, tasting as much of the spring season in food is a surefire way to either keep hope alive for warmer days or, revel in them.

Easy Strawberry Tartelettes

Wash and prep the strawberries; toss with vanilla and brown sugar until well coated. Place in the prepared pie dough tartlette pans, with their points or ends sticking up. If you need to halve a few to make them all fit, go for it. Drizzle the remaining brown sugar/vanilla onto each tartlette. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30-40 minutes. Eat warm or cool on their own or topped with a scoop of fresh whipped cream, crème fraiche, or vanilla ice cream.

WARNING: You’ll be able to smell them when they’re nearing done, possibly giving you early and/or intense spring fever. Be prepared to devour.

Today I am introducing you to a very special person: Charlotte Arnette, also known as the best pie maker in Durango, Colorado. It was with a stroke of luck that my soon to be mother-in-law, Becky, found out she had a neighbor of such exquisite and heartfelt talent. After they met, Charlotte dropped two pies off at Becky’s house for us to taste for the wedding. These pies, my friends, were exactley what we were looking for. Not only for the wedding, but for the present moment. They sang a crystal clear song of homespun love. Each bite reverberated my soul while soothing my taste buds. Like a re-mixed lullaby, Charlottes’ pies combined old-fashioned comfort with a very personal style. Pie has been an integral part of her entire life—which is actually a distinct flavor and ingredient in her pies. I knew I was tasting something out of the ordinary, something akin to edible love. But it wasn’t until I heard her story when it all made sense—and we are so lucky to have her making our wedding pies for us!

As a child growing up in a small Midwestern town, pie was literally a part of the fabric of our lives. Most everyone had an apple orchard…and for those who didn’t, neighbors were always happy to share. Rhubarb flourished in numerous gardens and the prolific plant used in delicious pies, while the countryside produced numerous coveted wild strawberry patches. Milk and eggs were readily available since most families owned at least a cow and a flock of chickens. These ingredients were put to good (and delicious) use in fabulous creams and custard pies!

Pie was the center of celebrations…and potluck dinners always concluded with delicious pies of every type and variety. If a family was down on their luck, “Pie Suppers” were held and donated pies auctioned to the highest bidder. Experienced (and celebrated) pie bakers’ pies always commanded top dollar…and everyone in town knew who the best bakers were!

When my husband and I met, I was living and working in Kansas City, Missouri. The first time I took Chuck home to meet Mom and Dad, my mother baked an apple pie for our dessert. Well, he proposed to me shortly thereafter…which left the nagging question…was it me or my Mother’s pie that did it? Because Chuck so loved Mom’s apple pie, and she loved the compliments, she baked him an apple pie each time we visited…and then sent home a frozen pie ready to bake when we left to return to Kansas City. That was 35 years ago and we still to this day talk about Mom’s apple pie and it’s “power to influence!” (My hometown of Dover, Kansas is about 100 miles west of Kansas City, Missouri.)

To witness pie elevated to its rightful place on your wonderful website warms my heart. I find it delightful that the younger generation is embracing this celebrated part of Americana as an art form and outlet of self-expression. How wonderful! I had feared pie baking was becoming a lost art.

Not a lost art at all, dear Charlotte!

Speaking of pie as an art form and outlet of self-expression, have you been thinking about your Pietopia entry this year, lovely readers? I hope so! We have some fantastic judges including Beth Howard (The World Needs More Pie), Ashley English (Small Measure and Design Sponge), Gina Hyams (Pie Takes the Cake), and Jessie Oleson (Cake Spy) is one of our artists! Also, I have some wonderful sponsorship so the three winners will be flown to The Creative Connection in Minneapolis/St.Paul for the event (Pietopia is going to be hosted there as a national event!). I’m so excited for you all and I can’t wait to see who wins!!

Charlotte’s Pie Crust, For Single Crust Pie – 8”-10”

Beat together butter and shortening until smooth and creamy; chill until firm. Sift together flour, sugar and salt in medium bowl. Using fork or pastry blender, cut chilled butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture has a consistent texture. Mix egg yolk, ice water and vinegar in small bowl. Carefully stir egg mixture into the flour/shortening mixture only until you can form the dough into a ball. (It’s very important not to “overdo” mixing the liquid into the dry ingredients.) Form into a single ball for one-crust pie or form into four balls for two double crust pies.* Refrigerate about 1 hour.

*This pie crust freezes well. I wrap each ball tightly in plastic wrap, place into a plastic bag for extra protection…then freeze. I try to use the frozen crust within a month. Just remove from freezer, let thaw….roll out …and you’re ready to go!

If making a single crust pie…Preheat oven to 450 degrees. When dough has chilled, roll it out and press into pie plate. Press aluminum foil** into crust and weigh crust down with ceramic pie weights. (If you don’t have pie weights, dried beans work fine.)

Bake 15 minutes. Remove weights and prick crust with fork to allow steam to escape. Bake another 5-10 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let crust cool… fill as desired. ** I prefer non-stick foil. If not available, spray one side of foil lightly with Pam.

If making a double crust pie…follow recipe directions…generally…for a fruit pie, bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake approximately 30 additional minutes.

(I cut strips of aluminum foil approximately 2” wide and cover the crust edge during baking; remove during the last 15 minutes. This keeps your pie edge from getting too dark and ugly.)

As you might suspect, Andrew and I are going to have pies at our wedding. I asked his mom to put the word out for the “best pie lady (or man) in town,” and amazingly she got several calls. Upon arriving here tonight we had three pies, one of which had come out of the oven not a few hours before for us to taste. Heaven? Absolutely. For our pie maker of choice, she (or he) does not have to be a professional baker with their own bakery, but they must have a passion and love of pie. So deep, in fact, that we can taste that love in each bite. Ridiculous? If you think so, seek out the best pie maker in your town/neighborhood/city—and then you will know what love tastes like.

Last week I was given two pounds of grapes from one of my favorite students. “I have a huge vine in my yard,” she explained. “I’m running out of things to do with them!” Grapes are funny creatures. I’ve come to conclude they are best eaten as is, in their already-perfect form found in nature. (After all, doesn’t mother know best?) But I decided to try something I’ve never made before: a grape pie. I’d heard only a few stories about this mythical pie–mythical to me and my pie circles anyway. But in some places around the country, this is a well known and well loved pie. Maybe I got it all wrong.

I painstakingly washed and picked each grape from it’s stem, added some sugar, honey, even a little cornstarch, and lemon, then sealed the top and sprinkled it with sugar. What came out of the oven was beautiful on the outside–some of the best pie crust I’ve ever made–but like soup on the inside. It was probably one of the worst pies I’ve ever made. I’m guessing it was a combination of user error and a bit of recipe error. But honestly, I could have drank this thing which really grosses me out. A little juice in the bottom I can deal with, in fact, I look forward to. But when the whole pie is juice, literally, that’s a whole other ball game. I also did not like the grape skins in the pie. They were tart reminders of how I should have just eaten the whole batch fresh and raw. What went wrong? And, how is this some people’s favorite pie? If you have ever tried making a grape pie, with any type of grape, I’d love to know how you made it and what you like about it.

In redemption to the pie gods, I knew I had to make another one and soon. Not only was atonement in order, but a good friend of mine sent me the book Humble Pie, by Anne Dimock. It’s a heart-warming read that is about the lives of the Queens of Pie. Pie musings, pie feminism, pie connections, and pie road trips, it’s all wrapped up in one glorious golden crust to be easily devoured by it’s reader. Pie was most certainly on my mind this week. With the last days of summer hitting the Pacific Northwest just now (hey, better late than never), I knew a good blueberry pie was going to be in good order. I know, I know, they are not in season, but summer wasn’t in season this year either. So I got a bag of good frozen blueberries and whipped one up. With the first bites, all mishap from the grape pie was washed away and the blueberry held court. It still is, in my fridge, waiting for my pesky fork to take a few bites of it this afternoon.

Grape pie recipe from here.

Blueberry pie recipe

Enough dough for a top and bottom layer in the pie.

2 pounds blueberries 1/2 cup brown sugar sprinkle of cinnamon (about a teaspoon) 1 whole lemon, squeezed 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Toss the berries, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Add to the pie, seal with top crust. Bake in a 425 degree F oven for 45-55 minutes, until the top is golden and the blueberries are bubbling out one of the vents in the top or one the side. Enjoy!

What does your life taste like? In any given moment, the flavors can change, meld, swirl, and morph. But concentrate on just that one moment. Maybe you can’t help it–that one moment has been all consuming for you and your thoughts for quite some time now. Or maybe you’d rather pluck that one particular flavor out of life’s-stream-of-many to discern, to hold, and to savor. People ask me, “what is your pie?” and my answer is always the same, “which day?”

Pietopia, on all fronts, was a success this year. It was fun, it was quite big, and there was a ton of pie. However, I’ve realized that the definition of success for myself doesn’t necessarily lie in any of these outward factors. Instead, it’s success lies in what this contest has taught me these past three years. Pietopia has been a lesson in illuminating the vast potential, complexity, and beauty of human life.

Not long ago, a friend of mine hit the nail on the head by saying, “there are THREE things certain in life: death, taxes, and uncertainty in itself.” So much of life is uncertain that there really is no time to dwell on the fact that we just don’t know what exactly is going to happen at any given moment. Sure, we can plan, project, and create frameworks, but in the end, do we ever really know how things will turn out? This is where human potential (and complexity) comes in. We all have the ability to grasp those unpleasant or life-altering situations by the horns and grow–embracing them by finding a sense of purpose, having faith, and getting through them with grace, gratitude and finding an unexpected richness in life. Shit happens. And we all know this from experience! But what Pietopia has shown me is that people do indeed take hold of their lives and turn the bitter moments into moments sweet with new knowledge, maturity, and experience.

I’ve been waiting for a terrible tasting pie and have yet to see one entered. This may be because it’s hard for many to imagine submitting and winning for a “bad-pie”, or we have been trained sub-consciously through cultural grooming that pie contests are delicious, or people genuinely do find the good and beauty amidst life’s hardships. There is a conundrum of learning from life’s hardships: when things do get hard, many people tend to lean more towards rigidity–to find that control–than simply letting go, allowing themselves to think outside of the box for a moment, and moving forward. And there is a reason for this–sometimes we just need to hold on a little longer to get to the heart of what it is we are learning for ourselves. I wanted to take this regular, human process and make learning from ourselves more accessible to our selves. Pietopia creates a playful structure that gives people room for deep contemplation and self-connection, that also satisfies all our needs to grow during a time of hardship or great joy. I love the reflective nature of the stories, built in with something so tangible like taste. And I love that people embrace this concept with me!

I am happy for Pietopia not only because we raffled off a ton of pies so wonderfully donated by a few lovely local bakeries (so much fun), but because the contest celebrates our lives as they are. Here and now. In the present. In all their imperfect and beautiful glory. Sometimes our present situations really are hard to swallow, much less someone else’s. But it is interesting. Imagine the feast that could unfold if everyone approached the table with the flavors of their lives, ready for each other to consume, commune, and connect through.

You can find the winning stories and recipes of Margit Beerlie, Caroline Ford, and Hannah Kane by clicking on their names. I had been writing a series for the semi-finalists, and it turned out that the first three pies I made for the semi-finalists series, also happened to be the winners! Those stories and recipes were compelling not only for me, but the judges as well.

22×30 silk-screen and watercolor print, by Karen Berger.

The art work this year was stunning. Vanessa Kauffman, Robin Miliken, and Karen Berger’s prints are breath taking–if you’d like one, take a look at the Eating Is Art shop, they’re on sale there. Chris Baskin out did himself with some of the most beautiful pie plates imaginable. He donated enough for the winners, but make sure you take a look at the rest of his beautiful collection on his website. In the end, I feel blessed, excited, and exhausted. It was a great event, but also I’m looking forward to being able to focus more on the personal and individualized work I do with my clients at Joyful Life Wellness.

22×30 silk-screen print, by Robin Miliken.

22×30 silk-screen print, by Vanessa Kauffman.

Plates by Chris Baskin.

When I first read Margit Beerli’s story, I was instantly taken back. While she has some 60 years more life-experience than me, I couldn’t help but reminisce about when my grandmother would tell me stories about her mother as a child, or even her grandmother’s childhood! The phrase “patterns and rules” really struck a chord for some reason. Maybe it’s how sewing was an art on both sides of my family–my mother made her own lined suit as a teenager, along with most of her clothes; my great grandmother on my dad’s side was a beautiful quilter. Maybe it’s my own lack of sewing knowledge or remembering the stories of the women in my family making beautiful garments and bed spreads. Maybe it’s my understanding that times past are times past–something I’m just now getting used to. It’s funny how as we age time seems to literally speed up. As a kid, I remember hearing “one hour and forty five minutes” and thinking that was FOR-EV-ER! But I’ve realized that I enjoy getting older; I honestly wouldn’t go back in time for anything. I enjoy the process age brings us of learning, exploring, pushing, discovering, and understanding. Andrew and a lot of my friends joke with me that I’m an old soul. And you know what? I take that as a compliment and I hope that it’s true.

Margit Beerli, Rinky Dink Pie

My life is simple right now because I choose to live uncomplicated and because I am in the third third of my life. I have raised my family, tripped, stumbled and danced through my middle years and now I’m savoring my surroundings: blooming peonies, the quality of light in the morning on the mimosa tree, the surprise of gold finches suddenly taking flight in a cloud of yellow. In the kitchen, I’m searching, always searching, for deep deliciousness in what I prepare, for seduction and surprise. My pie draws from the past. It comes from my mother’s childhood where there were patterns and rules. Every Sunday, in the summer, the family would meet at the park for a picnic. Mrs. Nelson always brought Rinky Dinks, individual tarts with an ambrosial coconut custard filling. You were allowed to eat one. I will make my pie of the coconut filling and lace the top with a thin criss-cross of dark chocolate. Imagine it: the custard so delicious it makes you stop, close your eyes, and succumb to sensuousness rarely experienced. And then the little bit of crunch and the shot of chocolate toying with the pie. There you have it, simple and deep, calm and seductive, pure and delicious.

Rinky Dink Pie

2 cups granulated sugar 1⅓ cups water 4 ounces angel flake sweetened coconut 7 Tablespoons salted butter 7 egg yolks Pie dough for one crust

Good dark chocolate, chopped and melted

Bring sugar and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cook at a simmering boil for 15 minutes. Add the coconut and continue the simmering boil for another 15 minutes. Cool and add the butter. Beat the egg yolks until they are light yellow and stir into the batter. Preheat oven to 350°. Roll out pie dough and cut into a circle larger than top diameter of your pie pan Carefully place the circle into the pan, pressing down along the sides and fluting the edge. Pour batter into pastry shell. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the pie is a lovely golden tan. Insert a knife into the center and it should come out relatively clean. Set on a rack to cool completely. Drizzle the chocolate sparingly across the pie. Serve at room temperature. If you are not serving immediately, keep in the refrigerator.

Phew! It’s not only a mouthful to say, it’s a mouthful to try. Another semi-finalist of Pietopia, this entrant’s story won the hearts of the food-writer judges for her honesty, clarity of feelings, and ability to relay her deep relationship to these specific tastes. The story is touching, the pie is a chocolate-caramel-banana flavor bomb, what better combination is there for a contest like Pietopia?

If you make this pie, you’ll instantly understand her story on a deeper and more meaningful level. This is what happened to me! Sure, I “understood” with my mind that banana’s, fudge, caramel, and kids were all a little messy and sticky–but I didn’t realize to what extent this could be taken to and how wonderful it all was together! You might even be surprised yourself.

Caroline Ford, Pietopia Semi-Finalist 2010

My younger brother has a spirited, cheerful three-year-old daughter and a giggly, flirtatious one-year-old son. Except, my brother is a drug addict and dealer and is in prison with a 20-year sentence. He has completely missed the exciting “firsts” of his babies and will continue to be absent for their early years. It breaks my heart, but I love the kids so much I can hardly stand it.

The little lives of my beautiful niece and nephew are like my Gooey, Sticky, Banana Caramel Fudge Brownie Pie. The soft, mushy bananas are the muddled circumstances and easily bruised emotions. Layered with salted caramel for all the tears along the way, a little chewy for my brother’s stubborn resistance. And the pie is oozing with dark, bittersweet chocolate for unexpected pregnancies that have brought two delightful babies.

The filling isn’t very stable. It is sticky and messy, but the combination is a sweet harmony. Each bite of the pie is happy and rich. The lush texture and comforting flavors make me swoon and grin and dive in for more. These two young souls have brought my family and the mothers’ families more joy than we could have ever imagined. They are perfect, adorable, laughing and smiling children surrounded by love, and they are exactly the delightful surprise we have all been craving. Sometimes messy is deliciously right.

Banana Caramel Fudge Brownie Pie

Crust: (makes enough for 2 single crust pies, save the other for later!) 2 ¼ c all-purpose flour ¼ c cornmeal 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt 12 T butter, chilled, cut into ¼” pieces ½ cup shortening, chilled, cut into 1/4” pieces 1/2 cup water, very cold Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in food processor; pulse to mix. Add butter and shortening; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal (pea sized pieces). Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing just until mixture comes together. Remove dough and shape into 2 equal discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. To roll out, remove one disc from refrigerator and place on floured surface. Flour disc and rolling pin; roll out dough to a 12-inch circle, about 1/8” thick. Transfer dough to pie tin, press gently into pan. Fold excess overhang under and crimp edges. Prick bottom and side of shell with a fork and chill for at least 30 minutes. While chilling, preheat oven to 375 degrees with a baking sheet on the middle rack. Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights; bake on sheet for about 25 minutes, or until pastry is set and golden. Set aside.

Fudge Brownie Filling: 4 large eggs 1 cup sugar, sifted 1 cup brown sugar, sifted 2 1/4 cup cocoa, sifted 1/2 cup flour, sifted 8 ounces melted butter 2 tablespoons ground espresso 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt Beat eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow; add both sugars and combine. Add remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Set aside.

Other Layers: 3 ripe bananas, cut into ¼” pieces 1 cup caramel chews, cut into small pieces 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips To assemble: Layer cut bananas, caramel and chocolate chips in bottom of par baked pie shell. Pour brownie batter over top in spoonfuls, gently smooth over filling. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until brownie is set. Insert toothpick into center to check for doneness. Serve warm and gooey.

Leading up to the Pietopia event, I am going to share with you the six semi-finalists pies and their stories. The semi-finalists were the entries that made it from round one (the food-writer judges round) and have passed along to round two (the baker-judges). All the stories this year were absolutely fantastic! And it was a really tough decision for all the judges. As I post these pies and you read through the stories, I’m interested to know what you think about the food-memory-communication connection. How would you describe your life through taste? The pies take on a whole new flavor if you decide to make them–because you know you are tasting not just food, but someone’s story. Let me know if you do!

These pies represent a different type of nourishment we all need, something I call Primary Food. Primary food feeds us on a deeper level and includes our relationships, careers, and even spirituality. We can eat as healthy as we want, never skipping greens, and always getting the correct amount of vitamins and minerals each day. But if we are unhappy in our jobs or our relationships, the rest of our lives can be colored by those situations making us feel both physically and mentally drained. Having fun, enjoying your life, and those you spend it with are essential to feeling and being our best! What’s your primary food like?

Galaxy Pie, by Hannah Kane, Pietopia 2010 Semi-Finalist

There are at least 70 sextillion stars in the observable universe. Most stars are between 1 billion and 10 billion years old. This boggles my mind.

Though I often daydream about being an astronaut, my job has nothing to do with space, or stars, or even science. I’m a project manager at a nonprofit. In my job I deal with details. Thinking about the vastness of the universe provides a little perspective when I get bogged down in the minutiae of my work. In recent years, I’ve developed insomnia – specifically, the kind where you can’t stay asleep. On nights when I find myself wide awake at 4:00am, I sometimes try to imagine the entire universe in my mind’s eye. I start with a mental image of me lying in my bed. Then, like a camera lens, I zoom out to my apartment, my street, city, country, planet, and on and on, until I’ve zoomed out as far as my brain can possibly comprehend. It has the opposite of the intended effect. Instead of feeling sleepy, my heart starts to beat faster. It’s the most thrilling feeling I can create for myself – imagining the scope of everything.

This pie represents the delicious feeling of being so very small, and the wonder I feel when I consider everything we don’t yet know about the universe. The ginger snap crust is unexpected and hot, like a star. The creamy filling is like the band of light in the center of our galaxy, the Milky Way. The sweetness of the caramel entwined with the richness of the bittersweet chocolate remind me of the choices I’ve made – I love what I do, but part of me will always wonder what other, more extra-terrestrial, paths I might have taken.

Stellar Gluten-free Ginger Snap Crust 2 cups ground gluten-free ginger snap cookies (around 40 cookies) (Trader Joe’s brand are the best!) 2 tbsp sugar 1/3 cup butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Pulse the cookies and sugar in a food processor until you have fine crumbs. Slowly add the melted butter until moist clumps form. Press the mixture into a lightly greased pie plate. Bake until golden, about 8 minutes. Cool, like the crust of a newly-formed planet. – Cosmic Cream Cheese Filling 8 ounces heavy whipping cream 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 8 ounces sweetened condensed milk

Whip cream until it forms stiff peaks. In a separate bowl, beat together cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Mix whipped cream with cream cheese mixture. Pour the cream cheese filling into pie crust, almost to the top. Freeze for at least 4 hours.– Remove the pie at least 20 minutes before you serve it.

Make the sauces on the stove: Caramel Swirl 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup water 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix the water and sugar in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and boil uncovered until the sugar turns a medium brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Slowly (and carefully) add the cream and the vanilla. Simmer until the sauce is smooth and thick.

Bittersweet Chocolate Swirl 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate 1/3 cup sour cream 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 tsp vanilla

Slowly melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot water. Stir in sour cream, sugars and heavy cream. When fully blended, stir in vanilla. –

When the caramel and chocolate sauces are still warm, but not hot, drizzle in a swirled pattern over the cream cheese mixture.

Throw a few pieces of a broken toffee bar on top if you like, to represent the randomness of the universe.

I’m a sucker when it comes to tropical fruits–mangoes, avocados, coconuts–I love them all. They make me feel like I’m getting sun when it’s actually raining (hailing, sleeting, or misting) outside, of which all four have been happening throughout the course of a day–every day–for the past week or so. However, the pay-offs of this manic weather are the ever spectacular spring blossoms, the constant greenness of the surrounding landscapes, and lots of quiet, contemplative time indoors.

It’s those quiet moments that ideas always seem to make themselves known by either slithering into the conscious mind from a deep, unknown place or, exploding right in front of me like fireworks. Either way, they are always happening–it’s just when I get quiet that I tend to hear them. When pursued, I inevitably think “yes, of course! this is what I’ve wanted all along!” but I tend to be a tactile learner, having to experience things for myself to fully understand why, how, or what.

(Pie crust cooling on the window sill).

These past few weeks have been an emergence of sorts for myself in many ways. But most importantly, this time has forced me to come to terms with a lot of things that I tended to have been unsure about in the past, (ahem…a more focused career path). But no more! If you look around Eating Is Art, you will see some of this progression. Narrowing in on writing, food styling & photography, and health coaching never felt so good. It was like the muscles in the middle of my chest, you know the ones that are right over your heart, relaxed when I decided that this was it–and then putting it out there. I’ve heard so many times “I can’t believe all the things you do”. I decided that while I am able to do many things, I do not enjoy them all, therefore, I am not going to focus my energies on them any longer (yes!). After talking with a friend of mine about career direction and life the other day, she said “well, what do you want to do? If you do so many things, how can you do any of them that well?” This was something I had thought of thousands of times before but for some reason had not been able to do something about it before now. I’m sure it had something to do with being afraid of giving up, or what I perceived as giving up, these other skills and persona’s that I have been known for.

It’s an enormous relief to finally let go of what has not been working and find strength in what is–to the point of the physical reaction of my chest feeling lighter! I think spring time can have this effect on people, spring cleaning in both the home and in the ‘ol brain.

Check out my new Writing and Photography Services page if you get the chance! And if you are needing a little spring cleaning in a nutritive sense, make sure to see Food Loyal–I’d be happy to answer any questions! But now, I am leaving you with a real spring treat–Leela’s Mango Pie. It is tangy, creamy, cool, and delicious–perfect for a mother’s day treat or just a warm summer day. It may fall under the category of vegan, but don’t let that scare you away–this pie is going to become a regular occurrence in my house especially the warmer it gets. Cheers!

For the Love of a Mango Pie, via Leela Cyd 2 ripe mangos, sliced in pretty half-moons sprinkle of chili powder 1/4 c sugar 1/4 c water

For the lime cream: 2 c non-dairy milk (I like vanilla almond for this, but anything will work) 1/2 c flour 3/4 tsp corn starch zest of two limes 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 c lime juice 1/2 c sugar 1/4 c Agave nectar

For the crust: 1 c flour 1/2 c veg butter (Earth Balance is my preference) 1/3 c sugar 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp cinnamon 3 tbsp cold water

To assemble:

First, make the crust (I like to do this a day before the pie is served, much easier to get it out of the way) – cream the butter and sugar together in a mixer, add flour, cinnamon and salt and gradually incorporate cold flour until rough pie dough forms. Stop mixing and gather barely holding together dough into large ball on top of plastic wrap. Shape into a large disc, wrap up in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours. After two hours, roll out on floured surface. Poke about 5 fork marks in the crust. Lightly grease a 9 inch pie or tart pan, place rolled dough into shell – folding over edges for double-thick sides. Wrap tightly in plastic and freeze until day of serving pie.

Meanwhile, make the lime cream – place non-dairy milk, sugar, and vanilla into a medium-sized pot and stir on medium heat for approximately 5 minutes. Place cornstarch into small bowl, mixed with a splash of milk or water, whisk until starch is dissolved. Mix this starch slurry into the milk/flour mixture and cook for 5 minutes more, whisking the entire time (or else clumps will form). Mixture will thicken into a pudding-like texture. Take off heat and mix in remaining ingredients – lime zest, juice, Agave nectar. Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic, and chill until ready to assemble pie (about an hour, at least.)

Now, back to the crust. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove frozen crust from freezer and grease the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil and tightly cover crust, pressing into the sides so that it is directly on the crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 3-4 minutes more. Set aside to cool.

Remove lime cream from fridge, whisk it up if it has set into something a little too firm. Pour almost all the lime cream into the crust. Spreading it into the edges with the back of a spoon.

Arrange mango slices into whatever pattern you like, trying to fit as many as possible into the pie. Heat 1/4 c sugar with 1/4 c water over low heat to make a simple syrup. When mango slices are all in place, drizzle syrup over entire tart. Finally, sprinkle a tiny dusting of chili powder over entire pie. Garnish with lime wedges or lime leaves, as I had on hand. Chill for at least an hour or so, and then serve. Perfect for celebrating anything.

After my trip to the farmer’s market, I was inspired in so many ways. And one of the ways this inspiration manifested was through a pie. And not just any pie, but the first pie I made without using any measurements–I went with just the feel of the dough in my hands, taste, texture, and sight. Risky business, I know, but I was ready for the challenge. After all, I’ve been making pies for a long time now, wasn’t it about time I just trusted my instincts? I thought so, so I went ahead and gave it a shot.

I sliced up the fresh rhubarb–the seasons first–cut up two fresh pears, Bosc I believe, sliced a fresh vanilla bean down the middle and scooped out the insides with the blunt end of a butter knife, tossed it all together in a bowl with a few tablespoons (about 4-6) of sugar and let it sit while I made the dough. I like to let my fruit mixtures sit for a bit while I do something else, this gives them a chance to mingle, let their juices run into each other. They become better acquainted making your fruit dish (pies, cobblers, etc…) an even better experience.

I then set in for the dough. I scooped out what I thought looked like a quarter cup of earth balance buttery-spread, cut off what I believed was about 8 tablespoons of butter from the fresh brick of Kerrygold we had in our fridge, dumped in about 3 cups of flour, added a bit of apple cider vinegar, and ice cold water, then kneaded it with my hands. It was a pretty neat experience just trusting my hands to tell me if it was ready or not. It felt a little dry initially, so I simply added a little bit more water, worked it a little longer with my hands, and wa-la! Pie dough was ready to go. I gave it a rough roll out with my rolling pin–meaning I kept the dough pretty thick and was just trying to get it flat so I could lay it in the pie plate–filled the pie with the fruit, then realized I needed a topping. I used about a cup of oatmeal, some brown sugar, a bit of cinnamon, and a few tablespoons of olive oil, mixed it all together, and sprinkled it on the top. In it went at 400 degrees F and baked for 40 minutes.

People, this pie was fantastic! I would recommend trying to make a pie, or any dish for that matter, based on touch and flavor, then relying on the visual. It keeps you present, honest, and fully in the moment–especially if you want your food to taste good! I also used really good ingredients which definitely helped with the flavor. If you do try something like this, I’d love to know how it turned out–even if it comes out looking like and/or tasting like hell! The first try is always a little wonky, so don’t give up and give it a go again. Your thoughts are always much appreciated.

In other news, I’ve made some significant updates to my Food Loyal website. I’m excited the direction it is taking. It just makes so much sense to pair health coaching with eating design, bringing people a creative and holistic approach to their health and nutritional needs. I can not WAIT until I am certified in May and can start seeing clients then officially! I especially love working with small groups and families to find creative solutions to reach their goals and meet their needs–so much fun and talk about an interesting design challenge. Hope you are having a wonderful week!