Can Me Have This: The Apple/Cherry Pie - AKA "THE SWEENEY TODD"

Not to steal the words of a wise woman named Mrs. Lovett but I have always wanted to open a pie shop.  I would of course, pay homage to this colorful character and call the shop "Mrs. Lovett's Pies".  Everything (well, almost everything) would have an element of red in it.  A peach pie infused with wild raspberries, an apple pie with dark cherries, strawberry/rhubarb would be a daily special, et.al.  Too dark?  Maybe.  But funny, I think. 


I made a apple cherry pie the other day that was 'to die for'.  (you didn't think I would leave that out, did you?).  The pie was perfect.  Very flaky crust, nice tart apples complimenting the sweet cherries.  More than that, it was chunky.  For those of you who are big "Sweeney Todd" enthusiasts as I am, you just did a collective groan.  You did, I heard it.


No recipes on this post.  Go bake a pie and make it red.  Make Mrs. Lovett proud.

Can Me Have This: Various tidbits, here and there

So the last few months have not been kind to me in terms of getting my stuff done. The trade off is that I get to sit and stare at a little baby boy, while two crazy girls are climbing all over me. Although that may sound (insert your own adjective here), I find it incredibly (insert your own adjective here). In all seriousness, adjusting to three has been much easier than anticipated.

My time to bake/cook has been severely cut down but I manage to whip up some tasty, and oh so fattening concoctions.

My very dear friend, Teresa, not only is an amazing cellist but an amazing cook. She shared with me a very simple, yet, necessary recipe that all should make. Behold, the SCALLOPED POTATO:

Preheat oven to 350

9x13 baking dish

lots and lots of potatoes (Damn you Dan Quayle for always making me look up how to spell POTATOES!!!!)

16oz. cream, yes, the heavy kind. No skimping here

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. flour

minced garlic to taste

pepper to taste

Gruyere, fontina, or any other type of melt-y cheese. I used a combination of both.

ham (optional)

Peel and slice potatoes to about 1/4 in. thick. Layer them in the dish. Slice the ham into edible portions and layer with the potatoes.

Mix everything else and pour over the potatoes. The garlic, pepper, and salt will sink to the bottom so I put some milk in and pour it in.

Grate cheese and cover every possible inch on top.

Bake uncovered for about an hour. You'll know when it's done. Trust me