That's Amore, eh?


When the moon hits your eye
Like a big-a pizza pie
That's amore

 
There are a lot of pies happening in this house today, and let me tell you, that's amore.  As in, that's not necessarily the food of love, but definitely a labor of love on my part.

I don't like making pies.

If you were to invite me to a potluck meal and if you asked me to bake a cake, I'd say "sure!"  If you asked me if it would be a bother to make a cheesecake, I'd say "not at ALL!  What kind would you like?"  If you asked for a trifle, or a batch of cookies, or a tiramisu, or a layered jello dessert, or any such similar dessert option, I'd be delighted. 

However, if you asked me to bring a pie, I'd cry for mommy.

I CAN bake pies.  I know HOW to make pies.  I'm even pretty good at pies.  But I don't like making pies.

I think pies are high maintenance, really.  All that "make sure your ingredients are chilled" and "only add enough liquid until it just comes together" and "don't handle the dough too much or it will be tough" - I don't know.  That seems kinda high maintenance to me.  There is no mercy with pie.  No leniency that "if your ingredients aren't chilled it will all work out".  No casual "add about 1 cup of liquid".  Nope.  Just rules, rules, rules, and you never know when you've crossed the line of too much liquid or handling or whatever until it's too late!!!  Yeesh.  I don't mind sticking to the rules in pretty much anything in life, but I don't like crossing that invisible line without knowing it.  It's like the police officer who gives you a speeding ticket and tells you "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, we changed the speed limit on this road but we didn't put up the sign but you get the ticket even though you didn't know you were speeding."  That's the same notion with pie crust.  "Your pie crust is a complete failure because you added too much liquid and rolled it out too vigorously, but there's really no way to know that you added too much liquid or rolled it out too much until you sit down to taste it."  WOW!  Is that ever a lot of pressure to work under.  And I don't like pressure.

Oh I know, there are some pie crust professionals out there.  You're laughing at me right now, because there probably IS some way of getting the feel for pie crust.  But frankly, I'm not interested because there is only one pie per year that I have to make and that's Peach Pie. 

And that's what got me going on this pie theme today.  The summer cannot pass by without one good feed of Peach Pie.  I stumbled on the recipe quite a few years ago and, I don't know, it beckons to me every summer.  A summer without Peach Pie is an opportunity wasted and that's a pressure I admittedly bow to pretty well every summer.

So, to make a long story longer, I bought my peaches on Friday and determined to make my pie during this week.  Then my parents decided to come and visit me, they'll be here tomorrow.  Then, on Sunday, I cooked a turkey.  A big turkey.  And then the whole pie thing just went silly on me.

My (short) Pie To-Do List This Morning:
1.  Make a Peach Pie sometime.
2.  Make a Peach Pie for Mom and Dad's visit on Wednesday.
3.  Decide what to serve Mom and Dad for dinner on Wednesday.  (think, think, think - leftover turkey...)
4.  Decide that if I'm going to make Peach Pie for Mom and Dad's visit on Wednesday, I could try making a turkey pot pie for their dinner on Wednesday as well.
5.  Realize that I will need to make a full batch of pie crust.
6.  Hmm, if I have to cut up all of that turkey for the turkey pot pie, I may as well cut some up and make something for supper tonight.  Hey how about.....
7.  BBQ chicken (TURKEY) pizza!!!
8.  Make pizza dough and let it rise.
9.  Make big batch of pie crust.  Chill.
10.  Cut up turkey.  Set aside.
11.  Mix up ingredients for turkey pot pie filling.  Set aside.
12.  Peel peaches and mix up filling ingredients, getting it all wrong because I mis-read the instructions.
13.  Go to Wal-Mart with Ben to pick something up.  Oh, never mind, that's got nothing to do with pie.
14.  Roll out pizza dough and finish assembling the toppings, enlisting help from hubby, because, after all, this pie thing is getting demanding.
15.  Put the pizza pie in the oven.  One for adults, one for kids.
16.  Roll out the pie crust and fill it with the now-watery peach pie filling.
17.  Take the pizza out of the oven.  Call the family.
18.  Put the Peach Pie in to the oven which is too hot, and realize that the filling will likely run all over the bottom of the oven, but it's too hot to fiddle with a tin foil "catcher".
19.  Sit down, realizing that I don't feel like eating pizza pie or anything, for that matter.

Darn  pie.

Well, it's too late.  I did it.  I made the pies.  I smell the Peach Pie baking right now, and it smells pretty good.  And I'll survive getting the rest of the turkey pot pie together tomorrow. 

But don't count on getting any pie from me again, until, oh say, about next summer when peaches are in season again.  And if you ever DO get a pie from me, be assured, it is a labor of love.....amore!!   It could be one of my highest expressions of affection for you because there's no way I'd do that pie thing just for fun. 

I close, making the most of this day, having sprinkled my face generously with a dash of flour, singing along with Dean Martin "When the moon hits your eye, like a big-a pizza pie, That's amore!!!"  Can't you picture it?!!  ;)


PEACH PIE

10 fresh peaches, pitted, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup flour
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup butter

Pastry for a double crust pie..

1.  Mix flour, sugar and butter into crumb stage.
2.  Place one crust in the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate.  Line the shell with some sliced peaches.  Sprinkle some of the butter mixture on top of the peaches, then put more peaches on top of the crumb mixture.  Continue layering until both the peaches and crumbs are gone.
3.  Top with second layer of pie crust, either in lattice strips, or with a full layer of crust, venting the shell.
4.  Brush small amount of coffee cream on the top crust and sprinkle a small amount of sugar on top.
5.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until crust is golden.  Allow pie to cool before slicing.






Comments

  1. so you're not up to another pie making bee like we had a few years ago? However, if my memory is correct, I made the crusts and you cut up the apples. Talk about teamwork!!

    And now, Dwight wants a peach pie too! sigh! :)

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  2. I was thinking about that pie making bee this afternoon! Would love to do that again! But, yes, I'll take care of the fruit!

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