Cookin' with Uncle Marv- Move over Julia

I've always had a thing for pie.  You can have your cake and eat it too; just make sure you leave the pie for me.  If God forbid I "get" to request a last meal on this earth, the dessert course is going to be one slice of fresh blueberry pie with real whipped cream, and one slice of Duane Beachey's custard fruit pie.  Go ahead and blindfold me against a wall after that 'cause I'll be ready to go. I will have already passed on into pie Nirvana.

Sometime around Thanksgiving my sister sent me the recipe for the world's greatest pumpkin pie. It's so good that if I face the firing squad anytime in the months of November or December there is sure to be controversy swirling around my final bites because one of my afore mentioned choices is getting benched. Here is the recipe for your making pie pleasure: julia-childs-aunt-helens-fluffy-pumpkin-pie.  Oh and how cool is it that it's freaking Julia Childs' Aunt's pie?  "The Pie That Helped Create A Legend"

Make a couple even if it's after Christmas, you will not be disappointed!

Pieology 101

-When cooking with wine or in this case bourbon, it's always important to taste the wares prior to putting any in your dish.  You may have to have a glass and ice close at hand and continuously sip the bourbon throughout the cooking process to ensure freshness.

-If you're going to make a pie with a gluten-free crust then do yourself a favor and buy a pre-made frozen one from your local Sprouts or Whole Foods.  If they happen to be out of said crusts, do not attempt to make your own using a GF baking mix.  There is a good chance that once you pre-bake the crust you will end up with what looks like a biscuit in your pie pan, which once filled and put back in the oven, will burn and have to be tossed.  In that case just make pumpkin pudding for the gluten free amongst you.

-Cooking with Molasses makes me uncomfortable.  That's probably because the bottle bears words like "Plantation" and "Black Strap".  First we have Aunt Jemima and now racist molasses.  What's next; Washington Redskins' stevia?  Thankfully my bottle was manufactured in New Jersey not Mississippi!

-One of the "first world problems" sure to give you fits this time of year is the shear number of aerosol-armed whipped cream related products available at your local Safeway.  Most only vaguely include cream at all but that's to be expected.  The problem only rears its ugly head when you get home and realize that you accidentally grabbed a can that includes words like, peppermint, light, Silk, creme brulee, or candy cane.  Avoid that indignity altogether by grabbing a carton of heavy cream and whipping up your own creamy pie topping yourself (add a dash of vanilla and smidge of powdered sugar towards the end of the whipping process).  Trust me, you'll never go back to that crap from a can again.  The only downside is not seeing your wife go to the refrigerator, grab the can, and fill her upturned mouth with a huge slug of whipped whatever it is.

-There aren't many rules related to the consumption of pumpkin pie.  It's generally eaten around Thanksgiving but that by no means should be considered sacrosanct.  Sorry Texas school book creators, Sacajawea did not in fact bring one to Plymouth for the first Turkey Day.  I would like to advocate that pumpkin pie season so-to-speak be expanded from early October to the end of February. In other words any time it's crisp to cold outside is a good time for a slice.  However there is one commandment that must be followed at all times when eating a pumpkin pastry,  "Thou shalt not eat pumpkin pie heated up"  It has got to be cold folks!  But who am I to cast the stone of guilt at the warmers among us?  I'm ashamed to say that within the walls of my home the woman I left mother and father for has recently become a pie warmer.  Shame on me!