'Waitress' Bakes Up Pie to Die For

by: Hillary Marshak

Waitress is about a woman named Jenna who is depressed from her marriage to a terrible husband, as well as her lifelong loneliness. Again and again, she finds herself trapped in the abusive relationship, partly due to financial struggles. To her further dismay, she finds out she is pregnant with her husband’s child. The only outlet through which she feels comfortable sharing her emotions is by baking pies. She even names pies after her feelings while inventing them. After a series of life-changing events, she eventually finds exactly what she has been looking for in the baby she resented all along. She cuts off ties from everything in her old life and “starts fresh,” keeping only one thing the same: her love and passion for making pies. Here are five of her wonderful pie recipes: Marshmallow Mermaid Pie 9 graham crackers 1/2 C. sweetened, flaked coconut, toasted 5 Tbs. butter or margarine, melted 34 lg. marshmallows (8 oz.) 1/2 C. whole milk 1 1/2 C. heavy or whipping cream 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, grated Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine coconut and graham crackers in food processor until coarse crumbs form. Combine crumbs and butter with fork. Press to bottom and side of 9-inch pie plate. Bake 10 minutes and cool on wire rack. Heat marshmallows and milk in 3-qt. saucepan over low heat until smooth, stirring constantly. Remove saucepan from heat. Cool completely (30 minutes.) In large bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Fold marshmallow mixture into whipped cream with grated chocolate. Spoon filling into cooled crust. Refrigerate pie at least 3 hours or overnight. Top with mini marshmallows, maraschino cherries and rainbow sprinkles. Falling in Love Chocolate Mousse Pie 9-inch baked pastry shell 1 14-oz. can condensed milk (not evaporated) 2/3 C. water 1 (4 serving) pkg. chocolate pudding mix (not instant) 1 1-oz. square unsweetened chocolate 2 C. (1 pt.) whipping cream, stiffly whipped In large saucepan, combine condensed milk, water and pudding mix; mix well. Add chocolate. Over medium heat, cook and stir rapidly until chocolate melts and mixture thickens. Remove from heat; beat until smooth. Cool. Chill thoroughly; stir. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into prepared pastry shell. Chill 4 hours until set. I Don't Want Earl's Baby Pie 1 pie crust 4 Tbs. butter 3 slices ham 8 green onions 1 C. brie cheese 1 C. parmesan cheese, grated 4 eggs 2 C. heavy cream 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover pie crust with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake 5 minutes more. Remove crust and reduce heat to 325 degrees. Julienne ham. Chop green onions. In skillet, saute ham until brown. Remove and set aside. Saute onion until tender. Remove with slotted spoon and combine with ham. Spread on bottom of pie crust. Spread brie over ham mixture and sprinkle with parmesan. Combine eggs, cream and nutmeg; pour over cheese. Bake 30 minutes or until set. Cool slightly, cut into wedges and serve. Baby Screamin' Its Head Off In The Middle of the Night & Ruinin' My Life Pie 4 8-oz. cream cheese, softened 1 C. unsalted butter, softened 1 1/2 C. sour cream 1/2 C heavy whipping cream 1 3/4 C. white sugar 1/8 . cornstarch 1 fl. oz. amaretto liqueur 1 tsp. vanilla extract 5 eggs 1 egg yolk 1 C. chopped pecans 1/2 tsp. nutmeg Bring all ingredients to room temperature. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wrap outside of 9-inch springform pan with foil. Generously butter inside of pan. In large bowl,beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in sugar and cornstarch. Blend in sour cream and whipping cream. Add amaretto and vanilla. Stir in eggs and egg yolk one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition. Pour batter into pan. Place pan in another pan at least 1 inch wider and add water to outside pan (prevents cracks). Bake on center rack for 70 minutes. Turn oven off and let cool with door open for 1 hour. Remove cake from water and chill at least 3 hours before removing cake from pan. Top with crushed pecans and dust with nutmeg. I Can't Have No Affair Because It's Wrong & I Don't Want Earl to Kill Me Pie 2 1/2 C. graham cracker crumbs 1/2 C. brown sugar 1/2 C. melted butter 2 large eggs 1/3 C. granulated sugar 1/2 tsp. salt 2 C. milk, scalded 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon 3 egg whites 1/2 C. white sugar 1. Mix crumbs, brown sugar and butter until well-blended. Press mixture into a 9-inch pan. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 2. Beat eggs slightly in a large bowl. Add sugar and salt. Slowly stir in hot, scalded milk. Add vanilla. Strain mixture into pie crust. Sprinkle top with cinnamon. 3. Bake on lower shelf 25-30 minutes, or until custard is firm. 4. In larger glass mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add 1/4 C. white sugar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. 5. Spread meringue over pie after custard is set, return to oven until meringue is slightly brown. Cool 15 minutes.

About The Author
Hillary Marshak is a writer and editor for Recipe4Living.com, an up and coming recipe sharing Website. For more articles like this, or for a large collection of recipes, visit the site at http://www.Recipe4Living.com.

The Types of Whiskey: Round Three

by: Jennifer Jordan

Friends, Romans, Whiskey Lovers. After drinking in round one and round two of our whiskey lesson, we move onto the third and final round: American Whiskey. Now, it may seem that it’s a patriotic ploy on my part to dedicate an entire article to American Whiskey – particularly when whiskies from other countries shared pages with each other – but I assure you it is only due to the vastness American Whiskey contains. Hey, if you don’t believe me, take it up with Jim and Jack. American Whiskey comes in both blended and straight forms. Both types possess individual rules and regulations and, perhaps most importantly, unique tastes. Tennessee Whiskey: A Gemini, this whiskey hails from its namesake and enjoys long walks on the beach and being made of corn. Tennessee Whiskey is similar to Bourbon in composition, at least fifty one percent must be maize based. It must then be aged in new barrels, usually for at least four years. The main difference between Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey is that the latter is put through a filtering method called the Lincoln County Process. During this process, whiskey is filtered through a maple charcoal prior to aging. Ultimately, this gives Tennessee Whiskey a flavor that is highly removed from Bourbon. Today, Jack Daniels and George Dickel are the two Tennessee Whiskeys available. Bourbon: Typically known as Kentucky’s drink, Bourbon must be made up of at least 51 percent corn, but usually contains near 70 percent. The remaining ingredients include wheat, malted barely, or rye. Many Bourbons are aged for four years, but, by law, they must be aged for at least two years to be considered “Straight." Presently, the vast majority of Bourbon is made in Kentucky. It can, however, be made anywhere it is not illegal to distill spirits. Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Missouri, and Virginia all serve as states where Bourbon was once produced. The latter, Virginia, still produces some on occasion. Corn Whiskey: The corniest whiskey around, corn whiskey is composed of at least 80 percent maize (no, this does not count towards the food pyramid's required servings of vegetables). The Dick Clark of whiskey, Corn Whiskey does not have to age. If it is aged, the aging is short, usually around six months. This aging, or lack there of, is the main difference between Bourbon and Corn Whiskey. Bourbon must be aged in charred, new barrels whereas Corn Whiskey – if it’s aged – must be placed in either used barrels, or uncharred oak barrels. Moonshine: It’s hard to think about Prohibition without thinking about Moonshine. Slang for alcohol distilled at home, Moonshine likely got its name from being made, delivered, and distributed under darkness, when law enforcement wasn’t as vigilant. During times when alcohol was outlawed, Moonshine was particularly popular and smuggled into homes and businesses. Typically thought of as a very strong spirit, Moonshine is made when sugar is fermented by yeast and ethanol is produced. The alcohol is then separated through distillation. Since the process was initially illegal, Moonshine wasn’t usually aged and sometimes contained toxins and lacked purity. Presently, it is still produced, mainly in Virginia. So, there you have it. Go out and order Bourbon or a Jim Beam (try to stay away from the Moonshine) and make whiskey your own. Except if our paths cross: in that case, buy a round for me and make whiskey my own.

About The Author
Jennifer Jordan is an editor and staff writer for http://www.whatsknottolove.com. At home in a design firm in Denver, Colorado, she writes articles specific to the finer things in life.

I Love French Wine and Food - An Alsace Pinot Blanc

by: Levi Reiss

If you are looking for fine French wine and food, consider the Alsace region of northeastern France. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local white Pinot Blanc wine. Alsace ranks tenth out of the eleven French winemaking regions in terms of vineyard area. Don't be fooled by the numbers; Alsace is a major producer of quality French wine. Its wine growing area is only about 60 miles (100 kilometers) long, and at the most a mere 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) wide nestled between the Vosges Mountains to the east and the Rhine River and Germany to the west. But this relatively tiny area is known for distinctive wines. Their wine bottles are also distinctive; tall and thin with labels that feature the grape variety, not the usual practice in France. Chaptalization (adding sugar to the fermenting grape mixture) is allowed for many wine categories. About 95% of Alsace wine is white. The major white grape varieties are Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris, and Riesling. Secondary white grape varieties include Pinot Blanc, reviewed below, Sylvaner, and Muscat. The major red grape variety is Pinot Noir, reviewed in a companion article in this series. Colmar is an Alsatian town pretty well in the middle of the Alsatian wine villages. Go there if you don't like rain; given its proximity to the Vosges Mountains, Colmar is the driest town in all of France. This city of about sixty-five thousand was founded in the Ninth Century. In spite of the fact that Colmar was largely destroyed in both World Wars, its old town (Vieille Ville) remains worthy of a visit. Some say that it's more interesting than Strasbourg. You really should visit both and decide for yourself. Among Colmar's sights are the St-Martin church constructed from the Thirteenth to the Sixteenth Centuries, the Ancienne Douane (Old Customs House), and the Maison aux Arcades (Arcades House). Ribeauville is the home of Trimbach wines and has been since 1626. In spite of its size, under five thousand, it has a bit of everything: ancient town walls, Gothic churches, storybook medieval houses, ,a town hall peppered with antiques, and a spring. Nearby are the ruins of three castles. And the first Sunday in September, Ribeauville hosts a major Minstrel Show. Before reviewing the Alsatian wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Foie Gras (Goose or Duck Liver). For your second course savor Baeckeoffe (Meat and Potato Casserole). And as dessert indulge yourself with Gateau Chasseur (Almond Cake with Raspberries and Meringue). OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price. Wine Reviewed Trimbach Pinot Blanc 2004 12.5% alcohol about $13.50 Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. Tasting Note Straw colour; apple, pear fruit aromas with light biscuit and citrus tones; medium- to full-bodied with ripe peachy flavours and a clean, zesty finish. Serving Suggestion Smoked salmon, shellfish or asparagus in hollandaise sauce. Alsatian Pinot Gris is becoming increasingly fashionable, and this example illustrates why. Honeyed fruit aromas, such as peach and pear, plus a texture of smoke and mineral seduce in this just off-dry white that's, round, soft and quite rich. The producer recommends this as a good substitute for red wine with meat dishes such as cold cuts, roast beef or game. They also suggest pairing it with smoked chicken, fish or lobster. And now for the review. My first meal consisted of a commercially prepared chicken breast with the skin on (more calories, more flavor), potato salad, and a spicy salad based on tomatoes, red pepper and garlic. The wine was refreshingly acidic and somewhat fruity. I finished with fresh pineapple. This combination was quite good; the pineapple's fruit flavors and the wine's fruit flavors melded well, and seemed to intensify each other. I then paired the Pinot Blanc with a reheated home-cooked chicken leg in a tomato-based sauce with beets and more of the above potato salad. The wine scored as in the first round, but was more assertively fruity including the taste of pears. I am not used to a Pinot Blanc wine being so present, and I like this change. My last meal consisted of a cheeseless broccoli, mushroom, and zucchini quiche and mashed potatoes. While the wine was powerful and quite fruity, it did come up short. The first cheese was a French goat's milk cheese that really seemed more like a Camembert. At the first sips the cheese sort of cut off the wine. Later the results were somewhat better; the wine was moderately acidic and somewhat fruity. Then I went for a Swiss Gruyere with a lightly sharp, nutty flavor. This combination was even better; the Pinot Blanc came out nice and fruity. I usually don't go with a non-imported cheese when tasting wines. However, I am making an exception for a Canadian Asiago cheese that our local supermarket almost never carries. I think that this is the best cheese I have tasted in quite a while; in my opinion it clearly surpasses its Italian Asiago cousin. When I like a cheese that good, I really want to try it with wine. The result wasn't disappointing; this gem intensified the wine's fruit and acidity. Final verdict. There is no doubt in my mind, this wine is a winner. And the price is reasonable to boot.

About The Author
Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he definitely prefers drinking fine French or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his global wine website is http://www.theworldwidewine.com which links to his other web sites.