From there, I've received other books from family and friends who know my joy of cooking. The interesting thing to me about receiving these as a gift, is they represent what that person knows of you... and it's somewhat intimate when a person knows what you like to eat and cook. It is somewhat nurturing when they want to somehow share that with you. Maybe I make too much of it.
But, when I look at my cookbook collection, I smile when I see the 4 Ingredient Cookbook gifted to me by a friend who knew when my life was busy and chaotic. As we worked to remodel and build an addition on our house, this cookbook allowed my young daughters to easily prepare meals for their tired, bedraggled parents. Or when I see The Vegetarian Grill, gifted to me by my brother and sister-in-law who know my husband's love for the garden and our enjoyment of eating veggies cooked in interesting new ways. A glance at The Trellis cookbook brings back memories of visits to that (one of my favorites) restaurant when I lived in Virginia. And, the church cookbook gifted to me by a family friend will always be treasured for her handwritten notes in the margins about the recipes.
Yesterday, as I was preparing to make sweet potato pies, I wanted to try something new. I looked first in my grandmother's cookbooks, my source for the most basic and time-honored recipes. Then, I pulled out Emeril's TV Dinners, a book I gifted my husband who loves Emeril. In those pages I found a recipe for Sweet Potato and Pecan Pie. I glanced back at my grandmother's cookbook. There was a recipe for Sweet Potato Pecan Pie. Hmmm... I compared the recipes. I decided to use the Emeril recipe with some minor adjustments based on the older recipe (sorry, Emeril). Fortunately, I still had a bag of pecans left from the holidays. So, we were in business.
My daughter and I began mixing and stirring. Funny thing, she doesn't really like to cook. But, she's quite good at it. We managed to make three pies from the leftovers of our holiday pantry stock. But, more importantly, we spent some valued time together and shared some giggles. I think of Like Water for Chocolate and wonder if the pies will bring smiles and giggles to those
with whom we shared them. They should. I couldn't wait any longer and stole a piece while the pies were still cooling. As Emeril would say, "that's what I'm talkin' about!" It was incredible.I carried a pie over to my brother and his family while it was still warm. I have half a pie each for my mom and my father-in-law. For just a few dollars, some valued time in the kitchen, and some giggles... I was able to spread the joy with others and let them know that I appreciate and love them.
If you like the Thanksgiving side dish of sweet potatoes with the pecan, brown sugar topping, then you will LOVE this. I'll not infringe upon Emeril's copyright. You can find the recipe here: http://www.emerils.com/recipes/by_name/sweet_potato_and_pecan_pie.html I altered it by using sugar instead of cane syrup, although I had about 2 1/2 pounds of sweet potatoes I only doubled the recipe and I used my mom's pie crust recipe instead of Emeril's. Also I mixed the pecans into the the egg and sugar mixture and poured it over the top. I didn't make the chocolate sauce nor did I top with whipped cream. (Sorry again, Emeril) Even so, it was wonderful. Really, very wonderful.
In the winter, I like to do my baking as the sun is setting or on the coldest of days. I like to have the heat from the oven help with heating the home. I also open the oven door to let the heat escape into the room after I've finished and the oven is cooling.
So, I went to bed smiling, proud of my accomplishment and very pleased with the results. Then, I thought of those who would enjoy my efforts and imagined them smiling broadly after they took their first bite. I slept pretty well after that.
No comments:
Post a Comment