Posted on 12/15/2017 4:39:44 PM PST by Jamestown1630
While enduring a ‘bug’ this week that left me unable to do much but sleep or sit in front of the TV, I happened upon Clarissa Dickson Wright’s series, ‘Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner’, which you can find on YouTube, and which is a really interesting history of how our 'three squares', and the ways we partake of them, have evolved over time.
In the Lunch episode, she featured a pasty (yes, no 'r') crust design, executed by food scholar Ivan Day. This was so beautiful, I had to find the design, and know more about it.
On the way, I found some interesting stuff – including Day's great website on historic food:
http://www.historicfood.com/portal.htm
The pasty design seems to have been derived from Edward Kidder’s ancient ‘Receipts of pastry and cookery, for the use of his scholars’, published in 1720 (you can still buy a copy on Amazon ;-):
http://www.historicfood.com/Edward%20Kidders%20Lamb%20Pasty.htm
I’m not personally a fan of British pasties; but it seems to me that we could decorate our sweet or savory pies just as beautifully – it just takes practice, and starting small! And you don’t need cutters to do this; just find a design, make a cardboard cutout of it, and find a sharp knife to cut the pastry to each of the shapes; then do some detail on the pieces.
Food52 has a lot of starter ideas for ‘fancying up’ your pie:
https://food52.com/blog/8744-9-ways-to-fancy-up-your-pies
-JT
It’s a great recipe......glad it turned out well for you.
Yes, the size of the eggs would affect the moistness.......and so would the “light eggnog.”
Yes, the size of the eggs would affect the moistness.......and so would the “light eggnog.”
Should note that the “slightly dry” comment (for the second batch with light eggnog and large eggs) came from a woman with quite a baking background...Her mom did a TV show on cooking/baking, and her son went to culinary school and is now working at one of Chicago top restaurants...tough crowd for my first foray into this ;)
Well, I will make notes and be sure to use regular eggnot and I think I will go with the medium eggs too :)
Oh good, I have to admit I forgot all about it. I bought some eggnog and ended up drinking at all :-( I’ll have to see if I can still get some. I’m not sure when it’s available… I never look for it except at Christmas time.
I was sick on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, so though I had planned to bake more, I waited because I did not want to give germs with my gift ;)
Did find some eggnog (the low fat...use whole milk eggnog), but had looked into making my own should my search be unsuccessful. I don’t think it is that difficult to make—but still easier to just buy it ;)
Tough audience for your endeavor.
LOL well, yes, altho they still said it was “yummy.”
That said, others said it was delicious, wanted recipe and “gobbled it up” ;)
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