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Lemon Meringue Pie

Meringue requires more attention than other desserts.

I recently followed this recipe for lemon meringue pie. I was pleased by how it turned out: slightly browned on the edges of the peaked meringue.

Then, I put it in the fridge and planned to serve it the next day. The recipe I followed said it could be made in advance and should be served cold. When I uncovered it less than twenty-four hours later, I found that the meringue had weeped (leaked liquid) and shrunk.

It looked like a very sad little pie.

You can read here about why the pie tends to weep and shrink. The answer to the problem? Cool the pie on the counter and serve it within a few hours.

Other suggestions?

Retro Fondue Night

Fondue has returned along with leggings and tapered pants. We recently purchased a fondue pot at a yard sale and wanted to try it out before the weather turns hot and muggy.

And so, Retro Fondue Night was born. We invited another couple who we knew would enjoy a good laugh over a themed, untested meal (a clear violation of dinner-party rules.)

We started with mixed appetizers from the frozen section of Trader Joe’s: Cheese puffs and pigs in a blanket. Our guests brought potato chips and onion dip. Perfectly retro and delicious!

Cheddar cheese fondue with two types of cubed bread and vegetables to dip came next. The recipe was easy to prepare (starting on the stove top) and deliciously gooey with a slight bite from the dry mustard. Finding the denatured alcohol was a bit of a challenge, but I was finally pointed to the paint section of Mejier’s. There was one container left. See, it's a fact: Fondue has returned!

The denatured alcohol was a bit overactive. When we lit the flame, the fire reached beyond the pot. No matter what stimulating conversations we had that night, the fondue provided our entertainment. No one got hurt (although the paper lanterns above did sway in the heat) and once we extinguished the fire, we enjoyed the boiling pot of cheese.

Not willing to risk the fire again for dessert (and we couldn’t clean the singed pot without an overnight soak), I prepared the chocolate fondue on the stovetop and served it right in the pot. I followed this chocolate fondue recipe and cut up angel food cake, macaroons and strawberries for dipping. Our guests kindly brought two Jello salads, one green and one red. Yum!

Moral of the story? Keep good friends and a fire extinguisher close at all times!

Dates Wrapped in Bacon

Guests on a diet won’t approve, but the cookbook 1080 Recipe’s description of Dates Wrapped in Bacon was amazing enough for me to risk it recently. Crispy and savory on the outside, soft and sweet on the inside, this was delicious and quick to make. The directions? Wrap dates in bacon and fry in peanut oil.

Inherent in those directions are buying dates instead of figs, like I did. It worked, although I think the figs were a bit too big for bite-sized treats. Oopla! Next time: actual dates.

No harm done. They were eaten up before they could get cold.

Detroit Institute for the Arts: The Art of Dining

I pull my chair up to a video-projected dinner of formal eighteenth century French dining on the top floor of the Detroit Institute for the Arts. Plates appear with written descriptions and hands with lacy sleeves show me how to handle the utensils and delicate foods. Middle-schoolers crowd into the other chairs and around the table. I can’t help but wonder along with them at the intricate dishes and formality of the meal.

The museum brought otherwise boring cases of polished silver serving plates to life. The exhibit of the dishes used surrounded us, a surprising crowd on a sunny, Friday afternoon in Detroit.

The DIA, as the Detroit Institute for the Arts is called, was recently renovated and houses an enormous collection of varied works. From Diego Rivera murals to child-friendly and thought-provoking explanations, there is really something for all ages. They creatively present material to make distant customs accessible.

Online, you can watch part of the video or visit their website.

Paella

Paella, a dish I’ve always ordered out, is now a dish I know anyone can make at home.

My mom and I prepared it together for her birthday. We followed the recipe in the Spanish cookbook 1080 Recipes, which you can find in my Amazon store. You can also find the amazing Le Creuset, which I relied on for this dish and use regularly.

Paella isn’t the easiest recipe to make because of the numerous steps. While I don’t mind cooking alone, this is at least a two-person job. A worrier, I was convinced that we were going to overcook something, from the squid to the chicken to the sausage. Nothing like that happened.

While we followed the recipe, we altered it a little for everyone’s dietary preferences and what was available: no shrimp, no monkfish, no peppers and chicken stock instead of fish stock. Phew!

It is possible to “own” any recipe and mold it to fit your tastes. I encourage you to read different versions of the same dish and notice what is always included and what changes before making your final decision. This cookbook has a number of types of paella, from fresh fish to chicken (which includes fish) to sausage to even canned fish.

Happy birthday, Mom! Cent’anni!

Slows Bar.B.Q in Detroit

Slows, a fairly new, hipster BBQ place, was hopping last Friday at 5 pm. Without a dinner reservation, we only waited half an hour with local beers from the tap, including Shorts Brewing Company.

And then we gorged ourselves. Each dish came with two sides and the portions of not-so-light food were generous. My black eyed peas and my husband’s macaroni and cheese were authentically southern, gooey and perfectly salted. Except for the ribs, which were a bit dry, the entrees were simply delicious. The table was outfitted with a selection of BBQ sauces, which you can see above.

The restaurant, with a door fashioned to blend into the wall like an old speakeasy, is very close to the old Detroit train station, the Michigan Central Station.