October 1, 2013
My apologies for wandering off lo these many months, but I’m back now and all yours. I’ve got a new book, Compromise Cake: Lessons Learned From My Mother’s Recipe Box launching 11-12-13, which I’m told is an auspicious day. My first interview for it was with Neil Haley, host of The Total Tutor, an online radio show available throughout the universe, via the internet, or so I’m told.
I’ve also got a new UCLA Extension Writers’ Program class, Getting Started: A Beginning Workshop for Aspiring Creative Writers, running from October 2 to November 6, for six sessions. It’s almost full, so quick, click on the link and sign up to join.
My new website is looking good, isn’t it? And I’ll be able to update it more easily thanks to switching from Flash to WordPress. Maybe now I can blog AND write books. I won’t burden you with the details of the move, but suffice to say, we are now cooking with gas.
On to the fun stuff:
STRONG FLAVORS, WELL ARTICULATED
My entry in Evan Kleiman’s KCRW Good Food Fifth Annual Pie Contest, was titled You Gotta Have a Dream Pie, and inspired by the Betty Crocker Gold Medal Flour Pie Idea featured in Compromise Cake’s “Invasion of the Industrial Eats” chapter. That was a Florida Orange Glazed Cream Cheese Cake Pie whose prime industrial ingredients were cream cheese, frozen condensed orange juice from Florida, and crushed pineapple from a can. My post-industrial, artisanal version featured a burnt orange, roasted pineapple glaze atop a goat cheese mousse cake pie.
It took weeks to develop and days to produce. There were Crisco crusts and crusts of lard and butter. I roasted pineapple late into the night and moussed great mounds of goat cheese. I even attempted my own version of condensed orange juice, what I refer to as an orange reduction, boiling down fresh juice for hours on the stovetop, until it was blurping dangerously all over the top of said stove.
Everyone I mentioned, showed or served the final version to went slack-jawed and dewey-eyed with wonder.
Despite that, the judges awarded first place in my cream/chiffon/mousse category to a rather familiar sounding Banana Cream Toasted Coconut Pie. Not my idea of a pie, mind you, but it’s all good, now isn’t it, when it comes to pies? Even when the best fruit, best crust and best in show is awarded to what I am assuming was the platonic ideal of an Apple Pie.
Yes, it’s all good.
There was an ulterior motive to my participation, of course, as I attempted to turn it into a shameless opportunity for self-promotion. My handsome assistant and I wore T-shirts featuring my book cover.
No one noticed.
All eyes, including ours, were completely, absolutely and entirely on the competition.
A vast array of gorgeous, glorious pies.
Both mesmerizing and tempting.
Pretty pies!
Lovingly handcrafted pies!
Whimsical pies!
Gone, all too soon.
The last slice. A blue ribbon remark to fuel me until next year: “Your flavors are strong and well-articulated.”
I don’t think your assistant is all that handsome
You should know, Darling–you look at him in the mirror every morning. And evening. And sometimes even during the day.