The year of the pie

This is the year of the pie, if we are to believe the food trend forecasters, so look for lots of new pie cookbooks. One I’m enjoying now is “Pie it Forward” by Gesine Bullock-Prado (Stewart, Tabori Chang, $29.95). There are a lot of imaginative new recipes – even pie pops for those so inclined – and fascinating twists.

I tried the blueberry brown butter tart and thought the accent of the charred butter flavor was perfect against the sweet berries. Another twist is the recipe here, a silky baked Key lime pie that is topped with mascarpone cream, adding yet another dimension to the sweet-tangy balance that makes us love Key lime pie so much.

The author also takes lots of the fear factor out of making pastry while providing numerous tips and covering not only sweet but savory pies, tarts, tortes and galettes.

KEY LIME MASCARPONE CREAM PIE

For the crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 ounces cold unsalted butter

1/2 egg

1 1/2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste

For the pie:

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons Key lime juice, divided

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

4 egg yolks

Pinch of salt

1/4 cup mascarpone cheese

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

To make crust: In a food processor, pulse together the flour, cornstarch, sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg, condensed milk and vanilla. Slowly add to the flour mixture while pulsing; continue until the dough just begins to come together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead it until the dry ingredients are fully integrated and the dough holds together, being careful not to overwork it. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before rolling out to form a single pie crust.

To make filling: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch tart pan with the dough, then freeze for 20 minutes. Line the crust with parchment paper, fill it with pie weights or dried beans, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the weights and lining, then bake the crust for 15 minutes more, or until it no longer has a raw dough sheen.

For the filling, whisk together 1/2 cup of the Key lime juice with the condensed milk, egg yolks and salt. Pour mixture into the crust and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until filling is set. Allow it to cool completely.

With an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat the mascarpone, cream, confectioners’ sugar and remaining Key lime juice until the cream holds stiff peaks. Transfer the cream to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip and pipe it onto the cooled pie. Makes 8 servings.

Per serving: 673 calories (53 percent from fat), 40.5 g fat (24.3 g saturated, 10.5 g monounsaturated), 224 mg cholesterol, 10.3 g protein, 69.7 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g fiber, 263 mg sodium.

Looking for new inspiration for Passover? Rosa Mexicano brought in celebrity chef Jonathan Waxman to design a holiday menu that is being served chain-wide through April 13.

Waxman combined traditional Passover ingredients and recipes from his own Jewish heritage with current culinary trends to create the menu, which includes the Beef Brisket Tacos recipe adapted here. (The chef needs to brush up on his dietary laws, as his original called for corn tortillas.)

PULLED BEEF BRISKET TACOS

16 ounces leftover brisket

1 cup leftover cooking liquid from brisket (or beef or chicken stock)

2 cup peeled and diced carrots

1 onion, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

1 cup julienned jicama

1 habanero chile, stemmed, seeded and minced

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

Juice of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 orange

1/4 cup olive oil

Sea salt to taste

16 sprigs cilantro

16 (4-inch) matzo tortillas (see note below)

Slice brisket while cold into thin strips; keep cold.

In a sauce pan heat leftover sauce. Add carrots and cook 5 minutes. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium high, add the onions with no fat and char gently until wilted. Add onions to sauce.

Add minced habanero. Cook for 20 minutes. Sauce should be quite reduced; if not, cook a bit more. Keep warm.

In a bowl toss the jicama, pomegranate seeds, citrus juices, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and salt. Add remaining oil to cast-iron skillet, and when hot, sear the brisket strips in batches. Add the strips to sauce.

Heat the tortillas, spoon in the carrot, onion brisket mixture, and top with jicama-citrus. Garnish with cilantro. Makes 4 servings.

Note: For matzo tortillas, New York chef Julian Medina developed this Passover-appropriate recipe for Edible Manhattan magazine: Mix 2 cups fine matzo meal, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup warm water and 1 tablespoon olive oil to make a soft dough. Form into 12 balls. One at a time, place balls under plastic wrap and flatten with a rolling pin. Cook tortillas in a non-stick skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds per side, until a few brown spots appear. Makes 12.

Per serving: 716 calories (48 percent from fat), 38 g fat (10 g saturated, 21 g monounsaturated), 111 mg cholesterol, 30.2 g protein, 62.9 g carbohydrates, 6.5 g fiber, 2,084 mg sodium.

Q: I used to have a recipe I used for almost every holiday because it was so easy to put together on Easter or Christmas before church. It may have been from a Pillsbury crescent roll ad or from the Bake-Off. It was made like a pizza, but with scrambled eggs and breakfast toppings. Can you help?

-Joanne Watson

A: This is a fun recipe, and I can see why it would appeal for Easter mornings. You can certainly fine tune it to your family’s taste. For example, I substituted Monterey jack for the Cheddar, added hot chiles and a tomatillo salsa and sprinkle chopped cilantro on top.

You can layer on sliced tomatoes, spinach or arugula leaves, artichoke hearts or olives. Skip the sausage, or substitute ham. I also would suggest, when time is short, putting the whole pizza together and baking the night before, then just reheating for 10 minutes to serve.

BREAKFAST PIE PIZZA

1 pound bulk-style sausage

1 (8-count) package crescent refrigerated rolls

1 cup frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

5 eggs

1/2 cup milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, tomatoes as desired (optional)

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese Heat oven to 375 degrees. Brown the sausage until cooked through. Drain thoroughly.

Separate crescent dough into 8 triangles. Place on an ungreased 12-inch pizza pan with points toward the center. Press seams together on bottom and up sides to make a crust. Sprinkle with potatoes. Spoon sausage over crust and top with cheese.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and salt and pepper. Pour into crust. Add vegetables as desired, arranging in single layer. Top with Parmesan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until eggs are set and crust is lightly browned. Makes 8 servings.

Per serving: 435 calories (64 percent from fat), 30.4 g fat (11.6 g saturated, 11.4 g monounsaturated), 229 mg cholesterol, 19.1 g protein, 18.7 g carbohydrates, 0.4 g fiber, 1,040 mg sodium.

SLEUTH’S CORNER

Q: I grew up in Miami and a favorite restaurant of mine was the Red Diamond, formerly at 117 LeJeune Rd. Their slogan, “The best Italian- American food in town,” was accurate. I still miss their marinara sauce. Would anyone have the recipe?

-Susan Abraham

For help finding products for Passover, the Orthodox Union offers an app for iPad, iPhone and Android with search-engine access to OU kosher products and a question hotline. If you don’t have a smartphone, you can ask questions at www.oukosher.org

(Send questions and responses to [email protected] or Food, 1 Herald Plaza, Miami, FL 33132. Personal replies are not possible.)

Bread Making with Bill & Sheila

______________________________________________________________________
If you require a high quality printout of this article, just click on the printer symbol next to ’Share and enjoy’, and we will do the rest. This site is hosted by (click on the graphic for more information)

Return from pie to Home Page

If you want to increase your site popularity and gain thousands of visitors – check out these sites THEY ARE FREE. Spanishchef more than doubled its ‘New Visitors’ last month simply by signing up to these sites:







Follow spanishchef.net on TWITTER