Sycamore: Pie-making Extraordinaire?
 

A few days ago, I said that I might make a sweet potato pie. Rho and Warch seemed to think this was funny...but I will have the last laugh...hopefully. :)

Earlier this afternoon, I gathered the ingredients and have begun making said pie. Now let's not bullshit here...I can cook. It runs in my family. But I've never made a pie before, so this should be interesting.

Progress will be noted as it occurs. Currently, I am boiling yams.

The yams are now boiled, peeled, and blended. Truth be told, we could use a real blender. We have one of those Cuisinart hand blenders...it's working for now. I could also use a better potato peeler...this is the first time I've ever used it, and it sucks.

More to come...

All ingredients have been added and mixed into the batter...whipped up nice and smooth--no clumps. The crust has been set into the pan and the batter rolled in. We are now an hour away from success or failure.

*crosses fingers*

Get an OXO. They ROCK. Of course, you could just use a really good sharp knife.

Just took the pie out of the oven...forgot to brush the crust with ice water, so it's slightly burnt. Dipped a knife in it...came out clean. That's a done pie!

We should find out how it tastes in an hour.

Or get a Cutco peeler; they rock even better than the Oxos do, being guaranteed forever and all. I've got one; I don't peel veggies much for the sake of their vitamins, which are concentrated just beneath the peel -- but sometimes I make carrot coins with it, just chipping little rounds of carrot perpendicularly off the end with the peeler blade.

And now the moment of truth...will this pie fly or die?

The verdict is...A SUCCESS! Delicious! I FUCKING RULE!!! Whooohooo!

My only real complaint is that I think there's a bit too much nutmeg in it (1 1/2 tsp), so it starts off kinda strong...but then it goes down gently, leaving a pleasant aftertaste.

So, it's only fair that I pass along the recipe that I used. My recommendation: cut back on the nutmeg--1 tsp should do. I'm going to make sure I write an e-mail to Ms. Collette Ferguson, thanking her for her mother-in-law's recipe.

Tonight, I ate the last of the pie. It was still as fantastic as the minute I took it out of the oven.

And the best part is...I have enough batter and another shell to make another one, which I'll do tomorrow. :)

Gonna have to try that.

Griffs whipping out an apple pie today, the secret ingredients you ask? sharp cheddar cheese and molasses mmmm...

Only cooking advise i can give on pies is don't stop to post halfway though =)

Did I miss the Jason Biggs joke, or has there actually not been one yet?

The pie was NOT used in any manner similar to American Pie.

That's what <b>you</b> think.

It doesn't work as well with a sweet potato pie.

**slowly backs away from sycamore wondering how he knows this** ;)

Don't ask don't tell. :D

Re: Sycamore: Pie-making Extraordinaire? *follow up*
 

I must admit it WAS "da bomb". The extra nutmeg wasn't TOO bad, but overall, veddy veddy good! I just KNEW that you were going to "cheat" on the yams (in other words, canned instead of raw). But, there you were: bringing home 3 lbs of fresh yams. (grinning) I couldn't believe it!

You did a great job! :D

Good work Syc! Fresh produce!
I'm a bigtime sweet potato fan. I like to just plunk them unpeeled into the oven in a shallow dish- 375 for 45-60 min. So easy like a baked potato, 'cept dont eat the skin. Add butter, salt, peppa- yikes, comfort food.

Mr. Warch is a great cook- he made some kickass shrimp on Christmas eve that was so easy, no fail. He got the recipe from Food TV, it was considered an appetizer.

Garlic Shrimp
1/3 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound unshelled shrimp
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1/4 cup medium-dry sherry
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Fresh lemon juice, to taste Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large heavy skillet set over moderately high heat, heat the oil until it is hot, add the garlic and cook, stirring, until it is pale golden, less than a minute. Add the red pepper flakes and the shrimp and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute, or until the shrimp are pink and just firm to the touch. Sprinkle with shrimp with the paprika and cook the mixture, stirring, for 30 seconds.Add the Sherry, boil the mixture for 30 seconds, and sprinkle with parsley.Season the mixture with the lemon juice and salt and pepper, to taste, and transfer it to a serving bowl.

The shrimp may be made up to 1 day in advance and kept covered tightly and chilled. Serve the shrimp at room temperature.

Hell, we just scarfed it down right outta the pan. Then sopped up all the good sauce with some bread:)
Oh yeah, and it would work well with shelled shrimp too.

Syc and I might have to have a sweet potato pie bake-off.

(with plenty of peeps over to help with the judging.)

I have a meeting to go to tomorrow night (no, it's not a 12-step support group!) and we have a potluck dinner at our quarterly meetings.

Usually I opt out of the cooking thing, because I usually don't have time. My work schedule is more than hectic, and doing anything like prepreparing food just isn't me. I'm a last minute kind of girl ... as in "there's a Genuardi's on the way, I'll get one of those big veggie and dip tray things."

I have been in a bit of a baking mood lately (did a chocolate banana bread with chocolate chunks over the weekend) and was flipping through the Mennonite Fellowship Cookbook (Fellowship is church-goer for "feeds an army") and found this relatively simple looking Sweet Potato Pie recipe.

The bad boys just came out of the oven, won't know until tomorrow whether I made great pie or a soupy mess.

I'll report back following the meeting.

Yeah, I completely forgot to talk up this year's pie, which turned out even better than last year's. The secret? Less nutmeg.

The sweet potato pie experiement was indeed a hit ... like any potluck, though, it did get slightly overshadowed by a store-bought raspberry cheesecake, but it turned out GREAT, nicely complemented with a squirt of the extra-creamy whipped cream. (I didn't have the patience to hand whisk actual whipped cream at the meeting, but would do so at home).

Even the guy who mumbled "I'm eating swee ... you mean it's not pumpkin?" and discarded his remainder said that it was good!

I do agree, the recipe I had (which differs from yours a bit Syc) was a bit heavy on the nutmeg. I may try cutting back on that next time out and adding some cinnamon just to see what happens.

Why not eat the skin? Personal preference or some other reason.:confused: