by Neta Jackson
For a two-crust pie, repeat the above, and lay second crust over the filling, leaving 1 inch extending beyond the edge. Use a knife or pastry scissors to trim excess dough to 1-inch overlap. Tuck top overlap under the edge of the bottom crust.
Make a fluted edge by pinching the dough edge with thumb and forefinger of the left hand while pushing forefinger of the right hand between the pinch. Continue all around the pie. Cut slits in the top crust to release steam while baking. (Jodi cuts eyes and mouth to make a happy face. Of course, when the juice dribbles out the slits, it looks like the happy face is either crying or slobbering.)
Bake at required temperature for the filling (e.g., for apple pie, bake in an oven preheated to 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then turn down the temperature to 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the edges of the crust are golden brown).
Florida’s Sweet Potato Pie
Florida says, “The recipe below is for one pie, but you better make two! Ya gotta have enough pie for all the drop-ins, know what I’m sayin’?”
2 lbs. or 2 to 3 sweet potatoes
1 stick butter (1/4 lb.)
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups soy milk or 1 can evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
Piecrust (see Jodi’s Flaky Piecrust recipe)
Boil the sweet potatoes with the skins on until tender. Cool under running water until you can remove skins. Place the yams in a mixer and whip on medium speed, stopping occasionally to remove “strings” clinging to the beaters.
Add butter until melted and mixed. Then add the remaining ingredients and continue mixing until smooth. If the batter is too thick to pour, add additional soy milk until smooth.
Pour your batter into an unbaked pie shell, sprinkle a dash of cinnamon on the top, and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until brown specks appear on the surface of the pie and an inserted knife blade comes out clean.
Allow to cool at least 1 hour. It is also delicious chilled.
Serves 6 brothers or 8 “sistahs” on a diet.
Ruth’s Potato Latkes
Simple to make, kids like them, and they’re kosher! (Of course, if you have twins trying to “help” and the phone rings . . . even “simple” has its limits.)
4 medium potatoes
1 medium onion or three scallions, finely chopped
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup matzo meal (bread crumbs or 3 tbsp. flour may be substituted)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Vegetable oil for frying
Grate the potatoes into a large bowl. Discard any liquid. Stir in onions, salt, pepper, and parsley. Add the matzo, mixing well before stirring in the eggs.
Heat oil in a large frying pan. Use 1/4 to 1/3 cup of batter for each latke, spreading it with a fork into thin cakes about the size of your palm. Cook 4 to 5 minutes per side or until golden brown. Drain pan-fried latkes on paper towels. (Or heat a griddle to 350 degrees with just a spray of oil on it. Griddle latkes may not turn out so crispy, but they contain far less fat.)
Serve hot with a scoop of cold applesauce and a dollop of sour cream. Serves about 4.
If desired, accompany with sausages. (But don’t tell Ruth if they’re not kosher.)
U. S.TO METRIC CONVERSION TABLE
CAPACITY
1/5 teaspoon = 1 ml
1 teaspoon = 5 ml
1 tablespoon = 15 ml
1 fluid oz. = 30 ml
1/5 cup = 50 ml
1 cup = 240 ml
2 cups (1 pint) = 470 ml
4 cups (1 quart) = .95 liter
4 quarts (1 gal.) = 3.8 liters
WEIGHT
1 oz. = 28 grams
1 pound = 454 grams
Notes
1. From a letter written by colonist Edward Winslow, dated December 12, 1621, and published in Mourt’s Relations, by George Morton, 1622, London.
2. “Ready My Heart,” © 1976, Lois Farley Shuford. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Available on the CD by Steve Bell, The Feast of Seasons, © 1995 www.signpostmusic.com.
3. Latin hymn from the twelfth century, translated by John M. Neale, 1851. The original hymn had seven or eight verses. These four match the weekly themes best.