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The Perfect Pastry Shell

March 16, 2012

I don’t understand crustless quiche.

I can’t even begin to pretend to understand crustless quiche.

Then again, I come from a family where it’s perfectly normal to take out quiche or pie leftovers and find that someone has eaten all the edges of the crust off.  And that someone was usually me.  But, really, can you blame me?  That’s the best part!!  And I needed to get to it before someone else did.  Obviously.

The recipe for this crust comes from a cookbook my mom has had for years.  You can tell how loved it is just by looking at it, and as with any well-loved cookbook, you can clearly see which recipes are the favorites because it just seems to open to those pages.  And it’s called “The Perfect Pastry Shell,” so really, how could this not be a favorite?  I distinctly remember sneaking hunks of the dough out of the fridge to snack on when I was younger.

Back when my mom ran her own catering company, I used to help her flute the edges of the crust.  And now I’m doomed to hear about how my “tiny fingers” are perfect for fluting pie crust for the rest of my life.

No, really, I am.

See, she couldn’t even email me the recipe without mentioning it.

I neglected to include it when I copied it down, however.  Pity.

The Perfect Pastry Shell

  • 1 1/2 cups flour (I used a mix of whole wheat and white, but you can do whatever you’d like)
  • 1/4 cup butter, cold and cut into chunks
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon ice water
  1. Add flour, butter, shortening and salt to a Cuisanart and pulse until texture of coarse meal.
  2. Add ice water and mix until a ball forms.
  3. Flatten into a 8-inch round circle, wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  4. Roll out on a heavily floured surface, roll over the rolling pin and unroll in a pie dish.
  5. Gently press into pan and flute edges, if desired.
And you’re going to desire.
I like to cut off the excess dough.  For snacking purposes, of course.
Then flute away, my friends.
Put your pointer and middle fingers down on the edge.
Please don’t look at my shellac manicure that lasted all of a week.  I’m not happy about it.
Pinch between your pointer and middle fingers with the thumb and pointer finger of the other hand.  Realistically, both of my hands should be in the picture, but you try fluting and taking pictures with one hand.
 Faaaancy.
And wanna know the best part about quiche?
The crust.
But after that, it’s the fact that you can use just about anything you want in there.  Versatility is key.  Last week I made a broccoli, mozzarella, pesto quiche, this week I made a mushroom, spinach, sun dried tomato, goat cheese quiche.  They were both equally delicious.

Enjoy!
Love,
“Tiny Fingers”
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If I Lived Alone

March 14, 2012
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I would turn lights on in the morning, instead of using my phone as a flashlight for fear of waking up a still sleeping boyfriend.

I would blast the Beatles iheartradio station at 6 AM.

I would leave the ironing board out in the middle of the living room.

I would almost never turn the TV on.

I would gladly allow my mom to cook dinner for me every night and maybe even take me out to breakfast on Sunday.

I would not consult my financial situation before spending money on frivolous things.  My sister and I needed these.

But…

If I lived alone.

I wouldn’t have anyone to share sunset owl-seeing runs with.

I wouldn’t be able to show off my wacko dance moves.

I would wake up several times a night because I accidentally rolled onto the freezing empty side of the bed.

I would kinda feel like sleeping with the light on.

My apartment would be just a little too quiet when I came home at night.

And I would laugh a lot less while I was there.

It’s been nice having my apartment to myself for the past few days, but.

I’m really glad Joey is back home.

 

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from → Family, Random, Vacation

The Soldier’s Wife: A Book Review

March 12, 2012

I finished The Soldier’s Wife during my lunch break last Wednesday and was kind of at a loss for not being able to sit down and write a post right then and there.  Something about being at work.  I don’t know.

In any case, I had mixed feelings about this book by Margaret Leroy.  On the one hand, I adored her writing style.  It just oozed femininity and that perfect maternal voice, but on the other hand, I just wasn’t in love with the plot.

It’s about a woman living in Guernsey during the German occupation in WWII.  She falls in love with a German soldier, which is so predictable, but really it wasn’t the predictability that I was upset with, it was the fact that the book barely divulges much about their relationship.  They’re together this entire time, and in the end, I barely knew the guy!  Hard to get attached to a love story that’s never revealed.

Then there’s an entire side-plot that basically becomes more important than the affair.  Overall, I was disappointed in the plot.  And maybe slightly offended that anyone would compare it to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.  I love that book too much for my own good.

***************************

Have you read The Soldier’s Wife?

Any recommendations for my next read?

What’s your favorite book?

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