Even my cooking changes as there are just certain foods that absolutely cannot be made (okay, obviously they CAN be made in other seasons but they just don't evoke the same childhood memories when I lived in a state where they actually had four distinct seasons as opposed to only the two that we seem to have here in Washington state). Soups, stews and of course stuffed peppers become my "go to" meals these days.
And best of all, October means PUMPKIN! I truly have not discovered a food that can't be enhanced by the addition of this ingredient. Around here we love pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cookies and bars, and even pumpkin ravioli, risotto, or stew.
But best of all remains the ubiquitous pumpkin pie, the recipe for which is right there on the can of Libby's pumpkin since 1950 (don't buy the can of pie mix because a) you still have to buy the one ingredient that you are most likely to NOT have in your pantry so it doesn't save you any time since you'll still have to run to the store, and b) it's really hard to be sincere when you say you made it yourself if you just dumped a can of pie mix - plus evaporated milk - into the pie crust!).
On Friday morning, I made 24 pies in my new kitchen...in about 3 hours total (Have I mentioned how much I LOVE my new kitchen and all its culinary wonderfulness?) Yesterday (Saturday) was Oktoberfest at our church - a fundraiser put on by the Knights of Columbus - for which the hubby is responsible for buying/making/delivering the food to the church. The menu has been finely honed by yours truly so that it can almost be achieved just by muscle memory: brats (donated by Johnsonville - thank you so much!), sauerkraut (or not - have to have it both ways), grilled peppers & onions (after slicing or dicing 25 lbs. of onions I think I will need to replace that cutting board!), German potato salad and coleslaw. The grand finale then is pumpkin pie.
Now lest you think I've completely gone round the bend, there was no way that I was going to be able to roll out 24 pie crusts. First off, pie crust is one of those things that just plain seems magical (or at the very least "hit or miss" - more often the latter). But I have recently taken a course in making pie crusts - the science of making it work - that have changed my perspective about this mystical process and I'm truly looking forward to the upcoming biggest pie event in my life (Thanksgiving) with great anticipation!
No, for 24 pies that have to move quickly from my house to the church (since I have no way to store them here) I turn to my old friend: The Impossible Pumpkin Pie. The original recipe came from Bisquick (Betty Crocker) and you can find many, MANY other "impossible recipes" on Betty's site. The pumpkin pie recipe which I use (from Cooks.com) makes ~2 pies/batch. Using my new VitaMix blender and a "production line" mentality, making these pies turned out to not be a chore at all (though finding space to cool 24 pies was a bit of a challenge!)And while the "impossible" version provides the best part (the filling of course!) and is completely suitable as a "whipped cream delivery mechanism," I still do look forward to enjoying that first bite (Who am I kidding? ALL successive bites as well!) of "real" pumpkin pie.
So there you have it - an incredibly successful fundraising event capped by delicious pumpkin pie! Pretty darn good for a Saturday!!
~later, going to make some soup in the crock pot, tw
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