Jane Brody has been my cooking guide for 30 years. Being a reader of her New York Times columns made me attentive when she published her big book. When Zach was little, she had a cooking show on NPR, which I watched and further bonded with her. Nina Wacholder gave me her second book, but I haven't used it quite as much. Her recipes are good, solid, unpretentiously presented. She has already healthed them up, taken out excess fat, used whole grains, et al, so you don't need to further modify them. And her explanations and stories are realistic. She seems like someone you'd want to have coffee with.
At the moment, I am looking for a new guru, since her recipes are now a generation old. Will keep you posted. This blueberry pie is a favorite for summer shabbat. You can see some of my modifications from over the years, including where an errant blueberry stuck to the page.
Crust:
1½ c Bran Buds (or any all-bran cereal)
1/4 c all-purpose flour
2 T butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup apple or grape juice
Filling:
4 c fresh blueberries (2 pints), rinsed
6 T sugar or to taste
2 T all-purpose flour
1 T lemon juice
1/8 tsp nutmeg or to taste
2 t confectioners' sugar (optional)
Optional: Limoncello Sauce
Directions:
1. Combine the crust ingredients in a medium bowl. Blend the ingredients until they are well mixed and the cereal is partially softened. Press the mixture onto the bottom and sides of a greased 9-inch pie plate or springform pan, leaving no holes. [The springform pan makes for a beautiful presentation; the blueberries hold their shape fine.]
2. Bake the crust in a preheated 375° oven for about 12 minutes or until edges of the crust begin to brown. Let the crust cool on a rack before filling it.
3. To make the filling, in a medium saucepan with a tight cover, combine 2 cups (half) of the blueberries with the sugar, flour, lemon juice, and nutmeg. Cover the pan, and cook the filling, stirring it occasionally, over moderately low heat for about 5+ is minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and the berries begin to burst. Remove the filling from the heat.
4. Stir in remaining uncooked berries, and mix the filling well. Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Let the pie cool on a rack. If desired, sprinkle the top with the confectioners' sugar just before serving.
5. If you like, serve the Limoncello Sauce on the side. It is a scrumptious combination and a great color contrast.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
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