Tag Archives: coconut

Gifts

21 Sunday Jun 2015

Posted by in Coconut Pie

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There are some people you just don’t have to explain yourself to at all. Some people who you’ve seen once or twice or maybe never before but after approximately 30 seconds in each others’ presence you feel remarkably at home. Especially once you notice you have the same asymmetrical haircut.

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Our friends Ben and Naomi arrived in California from Australia in mid-February, bicycles in tow. They went on to fly to New York and begin to bike across the country (last I checked they were at Yellowstone. Amazing.) Luckily for us they had planned to take a couple weeks just to explore our beautiful state and so we were able to share a few adventures, incredible meals, songs, and poetry readings. Ben is an old friend…it had been eight years since either Levi or I had seen him and it was truly a happy occasion to be reunited. And we’d never actually met Naomi, but like I said, there’s a type of person who is an old friend within moments.

Ready for a plot twist? I didn’t end up making a pie for these friends while they were visiting. Naomi made a pie for us!

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And she said you guys can all have the recipe. It’s simple, crustless, gluten-free, and pairs well with a multitude of other flavors if you’re inclined towards an ice cream, sorbet, or topping (N suggests chocolate, cherry, lime, or mango).

Naomi’s Coconut Impossible Pie

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1/2 cup flour or tapioca starch

1 can of coconut milk

1/4 cup coconut (or any vegetable) oil

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

4 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

Mix all the ingredients well. Butter a pie dish and pour mixture in. Bake at 375 until pie appears set and is slightly golden. 

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There was something about this turning-of-the-tables that was very special to me. While I love baking for, cooking for, and otherwise trying my best to look after my guests, I can get overwhelmed. I can get tired from late nights of visiting followed by early mornings at work, though I wouldn’t trade those late nights for the world. But sometimes there are people who make themselves at home so much that the roles of guest and host become blurred and you’re all just sharing in whatever needs to be done so that you can continue sharing in each others’ company as much as possible. It’s a beautiful thing when your friends serve you in your home.

Thanks so much, you two. God keep you safe on the rest of your ride, until we meet again. And to everyone reading: it’s summer! Have a beautiful first day.

“On the World”                                                                                                                  by Francis Quarles                                                                                               The world’s an inn, and I her guest.                                                                          I eat; I drink; I take my rest.                                                                                My hostess, nature, does deny me                                                                    Nothing, wherewith she can supply me;                                                                Where, having stayed a while, I pay                                                                         Her lavish bills, and go my way.

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Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

27 Wednesday May 2015

Posted by in No-Bake Pie

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The question is on the table. For a million (imaginary) dollars, answer the following:

Which of the following is NOT found in Millionaire Pie?

A. Coconut

B. Pecans

C. Pineapple

D. Ice Cream

Oh never mind. I forgot to take away the sign.

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Although this no-bake pie does NOT contain ice cream, it does contain a goodly amount of cream cheese and whipped cream. Due to the simplicity of assembly, I made three of these for Sunday morning refreshments at church (one with a homemade graham cracker crust, the other with standard store-bought crusts. As Ken points out in the recipe notes for this pie, the intent here is to be quick and easy and sometimes I definitely see the wisdom in that.)

The above picture shows the crusts with just the main filling. Below you’ll see the finished pies, topped with whipped cream and pretty pecan halves. Voilà!

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For me, this pie absolutely fell into the category we refer to around here as “the weird ones”. I love to make fruit pies so much that when I have the opportunity to pick a new recipe from the cookbook for a particular occasion, Levi has started to tell me that I “really need to do one of the weird ones this time”. He’s right. This past year was perhaps the slowest yet in terms of my progression through Pie, but not the slowest in terms of overall pie production; I just need to remember to keep trying different things and moving forward. After all, with over 150 recipes left to choose from, it’s not like the pickins are all that slim. And really, I’m always delighted with the results of the “weird ones”. Millionaire Pie won’t make you wealthier, but it certainly has the potential to make you happier. (Unless of course you’re allergic to nuts or lactose intolerant, in which case obviously this is not the pie for you. Steeeer clear.) I loved the texture, the pineapple flavor, the whole delicious situation.

I’m very interested to hear if any of you have ever heard of/made/eaten Millionaire Pie before. I certainly hadn’t before being introduced to it in Pie. From what I’ve gathered, it probably hails from the convenience-food honeymoon period of the late 50’s or early 60’s, and maybe has Southern (Texan?) associations. To propose a reason for the name, Ken says, “perhaps it was fancied by some well-heeled Texas oilman”. (Or perhaps it’s Regis’ fave?) Please do leave a comment if you have any Millionaire pie encounters you can share!

Coconut Cream Pi

11 Wednesday Jun 2014

Posted by in Cream Pie

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Pi Day came and went again this year with the usual fanfare it always receives at my school. It’s hard to believe this was my fourth year making a celebratory pie…time sure does fly when you’re having fun.

IMG_2796( Someone made a pi instead of a pie…har har har.)

There were many contributors to the feast of pie and the subsequent sugar-induced coma. Pumpkin, raspberry, lemon meringue, apple, chocolate chip, and so many more varieties were all there for the taking.
IMG_2794The naked pie in the center here was mine. My Coconut Cream Pie, awaiting his topping of toasted coconut whipped cream. An important question to consider at this stage would be: Why have I been making pies for five years and have NEVER made a coconut cream pie before?

Anyone?

Yeah, I have no idea either.

IMG_2795Coconut has always been one of my favorite flavors. As a kid I would always try to convince my mom to buy a coconut from the grocery store (I know, I’m weird. Other kids were probably all like, “Buy me Lucky Charms!!” and I was the nerd asking for a whole coconut…) When I got my way it was always a project because my dad had to smash them with a hammer to get them open. Then I would stash a bunch of the broken pieces away to my room and read through my stack of library books while blissfully mawing away at my coconut chunks.

IMG_2799I bought flaked coconut for the making of this pie. No hammers were involved. A quick note I think is worth making; I NEVER buy sweetened flaked coconut; the straight up stuff is a lot more versatile to have around and I just don’t think the sweetened variety necessary, even when recipes call for it. It’s not like the pie is sugar-free, let’s be honest. No need for the extra sweetener. Maybe that’s just my preference. It’s hard to believe, but I’m not actually a sweet tooth.

IMG_2801Here’s me and my Pi Day Pi. All topped up now and ready to serve to the masses of clamorous children and teachers.

IMG_2803I just love how the toasted coconut looks on top of this guy. So pretty.

IMG_2804Oh look, what’s this? A small pie eater? Don’t know what gave it away, other than the smudgy berry-covered face.

IMG_2805Here are the links to Pi Days past if you’d like to check them out.

Last Year (2013)

The Year Before That (2012)

Thanks for reading. As always.

When Friends Come to Visit

19 Monday May 2014

Posted by in Chocolate Pie, Nut Pie

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It’s really great when friends come to visit. It means that we can do fun things such as: run around San Francisco for a couple of days.IMG_1398IMG_1112

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San Francisco’s a gorgeous city, no doubt, and we loved being there with Nathan and Nic. It’s not like we get to see them often–they live in Australia, after all. We just met Nic last year, when we met up and similarly ran around Salt Lake City (you can read that post, “Guilty Pleasures,” here. You should, it’s a good one.) Nathan we’ve known for quite a while now, and we still like him, so that’s good. People often ask me how come I have so many friends who live all over the world, and it does seem strange at first, I admit. But I know exactly why these friendships work and why they are so good; it has to do with Jesus.

If you ever want to know more, just ask. IMG_1263

Whilst running around San Fran, Nic and I stumbled upon this delight of delights. A chocolate factory! I sagely decided to purchase some chocolate baking discs, as I thought that we would probably be able to make use of them in a pie. (I was right, as you’ll see later on.) Tcho is pronounced with a long O, by the way. For a while I was thinking “Tcha”, like what the first syllable of the word “chocolate” sounds like, but pretty sure that it’s “Tch-oh.” You can read about one of the coolest aspects of the company here. IMG_1122

Nic is quite a cook and baker. A fun fact is that she has also acquired a copy of the Pie cookbook (by way of me and another willing Aussie traveler) and has made a few of the recipes on her own over this past year. This is more of a feat when you take into account the fact that all the recipes are written using American measurements, so I applaud her for her efforts. We were excited to get back home and start pie-ing it up.

One night, Nic showed me how to make a chicken and mushroom pie. I’ve ranted on this before, but, truly, we Americans do not eat enough savory pies. Not even close to enough. Cause they are delicious times a million.

IMG_2675Someday I’m going to try making my own puff pastry. Or maybe that’s a lie. Either way, it didn’t happen on this particular night, but I have no qualms about store-bought puff pastry until they discover a less time-consuming way to make it at home. I think it takes approximately seventeen hours and pounds of butter. Ain’t nobody got time for that.IMG_2678Here’s the finished product, all warm and flaky and lovely. Leave a comment if you’re interested in making a chicken and mushroom pie yourself and I just may be able to share the recipe.
IMG_2686IMG_2689IMG_2683Even Obi suddenly appeared at the table when he smelled the pie. What a little sneak. *Disclaimer: We do not actually feed our dog at the table, nor we do let him drink wine.*IMG_2695

Now let’s turn our attention to dessert. Remember those Tcho baking discs that came home with me from San Francisco? They made an excellent addition to Macadamia-Chocolate Chunk Pie.

IMG_2705Can anyone tell me why macadamia nuts are so delicious? Is it just all that good fat? The rich, buttery flavor? I have no idea, but there is a lot of attempted self-restraint that goes on when I have an open bag of macadamias around. It’s a massive struggle that looks something like this:

Me: I only need one and a quarter cups of macadamia nuts for that recipe, and I bought two cups. I’ll just have one small handful.

Me: Well, just one more small handful. That’s fine. Then I’ll clip the bag and put it away.

Me: I still have enough left for the recipe, so who really cares? I’m going to take out the bag and have only a couple more. Then that’s IT!

IMG_2707The end result of this pie has a texture that’s sort of half like a nut pie (pecan pie is what I’m sure we’re all the most familiar with), thanks to the egg/corn syrup/brown sugar base. It’s also half cookie-like, with lots of chopped macadamias, chocolate chunks, and coconut flakes. There are a lot of goodies in there. IMG_2719

When friends come to visit, it’s really nice to cook and bake and enjoy each others’ company. And unintentionally wear lots of maroon and take Apple Photo Booth shots of yourselves, as it turns out.

4-up on 2-21-14 at 9.47 PM (compiled)Hopefully it won’t be too long before we are reunited. Australia 2015? Sounds great to me.

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A Beautiful Mess

16 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by in Chocolate Pie, Cream Pie

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Okay…if Green Tomato Pie didn’t get you too excited…from the poll results it looked like about 30% of you had serious doubts…maybe this one will.

The Hammett House Famous German Chocolate Pie. I’ve never been to the Hammett House Restaurant (namely because it is in Oklahoma) but I get good feelings about it. Really good feelings.

First let’s just take a look at the way the coconut and pecans are being folded into the chocolate cream filling here…it’s a thing of beauty. Literally, this picture makes me drool.
IMG_1803As if the homemade graham cracker crust and luscious chocolately filling weren’t enough, the pie gets topped with chocolate whipped cream with more pecans and coconut mixed in. It’s almost too good to be true.

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IMG_1805The end result just looks like a mess. A beautiful mess. It’s also MONSTROUS in size. The hugest pie you will probably ever encounter.

It tastes even better than it looks.

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We got to share this pie with our friends Jenny and Tyler, who are not only lovely people but some of our favorite musicians. Check them out here if you haven’t listened to their music before. IMG_1809You may remember that J&T did a house show at our place back in March, so we felt pretty lucky to get them back for another one only about half a year later. I think it has something to do with the pies…

IMG_1814Thanks again, guys. It was a beautiful night. But no more pies unless you bring baby Jane next time. 😉

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Urth, Mint, and Pie

31 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by in Berry Pie, Custard Pie, Pie Destinations

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Just throwing out a plug for LA’s Urth Caffe, best known for its amazingly delicious coffee (not being a big coffee-drinker myself, I’m taking the word of others on that. All their coffee also happens to be organic and fair-trade…you can read about their standards here.  I did a bit of investigation at Urth, as I sometimes feel it is my duty to do, and discovered that their coconut custard pie is nothing short of pure bliss. Honestly. Best coconut pie I have ever had, hands down. And I’ve had a few.

Ooh and then there’s this little guy. A mini blueberry pie that my Kiwi friend Josh ordered. Helloooooo.

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IMG_1014Josh, show us what it looks like inside.

IMG_1015Yes, yes. There are definitely blueberries in there.

Urth also has amazing tea lattes, a commodity hard to come by. This is a Moroccan Mint latte made with almond milk. Levi said, “That looks like grass.” Yeah, yeah. It tasted better than grass. Looked prettier too.

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In conclusion: Check. It. Out.

*Locations: West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and downtown.

The Love of my Life

30 Wednesday May 2012

Posted by in Berry Pie, Chocolate Pie, Cream Pie, Nut Pie

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….is not pie. It is my husband, Levi.

We’ve been married for three years today. Three whole years! It’s both hard and easy to believe.

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If you’ve read the “Why Pie?” section of my blog, you already know that I received my now well-worn Pie cookbook as a wedding present. What you may not know is that Levi and I opted have pies instead of a wedding cake…much to the initial chagrin of my very traditional Italian relatives. (Although I happened to look through my Nana’s wedding album shortly after our wedding and discovered that she and Pop-Pop had a big heaping platter of Italian cookies instead of cake at their wedding. Needless to say, I drew her attention to this incriminating fact!)

Our reasoning for this decision went something like this:

1. We really like pie.

2. We don’t like wedding cake.

3. Wedding pie it is.

A decision that was less easy to make was, “What KIND of pie should we have?” So we had five kinds. Pecan, Berry Medley, Key Lime, Chocolate Chiffon, and Coconut Cream. Something for everyone. (If you were in attendance, what kind of pie did you choose? If you weren’t, which one would you pick today, three years later?)

Levi and I sampled every pie, I’m not ashamed to say. Each was as wonderful as the last, just as the years of our marriage have been. Three years later, I’d still pick you, Levi. You’re my favorite, favorite one, my very best friend, the love of my life. Happy Anniversary.

(Professional photographs taken by the incredible Elisabeth Millay. Her blog is super gush-worthy.)

Tie Dye Pie

06 Tuesday Mar 2012

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But not really, cause that would be gross.

If you have read my previous posts, think back to the aforementioned group of ladies I get together with once or twice a month and do fun things with. They feature again in this post. This time, we didn’t make mini pies together, but we did make something. And then ate pie. Almost the same story. (I can hear the jealous whispers…why do these girls get to eat so many pies? Right place, right time, my friends.)

So we had a lovely dinner together and then my friend Mimi stirred up some large smelly pots of Shibori dye and we had at it with dishtowels and white shirts from the Salvation Army. I claimed this tiny child-size shirt as my own.

And now presenting…Almond-Coconut Pie! A few quick comments about this one. First of all, as Ken had mentioned in his notes, this is a very cakey pie. I’d say almost about as cakey as a pie can get. But think coffeecake, not birthday cake. Second thing: It’s totally justifiable to eat the leftovers of this one for breakfast. I know this from personal experience.

Pie Features: whipped cream on top (the real deal, of course), All-Butter pastry, easy to make (all in the food processor, baby!)

Pie Feedback: texture surprisingly reminiscent of…cornbread? Yet not in a bad way. (Don’t take this the wrong way, little pie!) Also surprising, one friend who isn’t into coconut or almonds really liked it. Unless she’s lying. Or maybe she just loves cornbread. Ah, the mystery.

Here’s a badly-composed picture of the Almond-Coconut pie hovering mysteriously, UFO-like, over someone’s tie-dyed dishtowel, drying on a bush. In the night. Under a full moon. (Okay okay, maybe not that last part.)

If mystery isn’t your thing, how about history? Because my friend April send me this great link the other day with fun/shocking facts about pies in the olden days. Did you know that pie birds(decorative funnels used to let steam out of pies) are shaped like pies because bakers used to set full-on BIRDS on top of their pies to identify the contents? That song about four and twenty blackbirds wasn’t a joke. Ugh. Give me almonds and coconuts inside my pie any day over peacocks.