FestaPIElooza

^^ that was obnoxious; you know it, i know it, move on.

I told a friend I've been on a real pie kick lately, to which he responded, "Baking or eating?" Fair enough...BOTH. It's so hard to find a good pie, don't you think? When is the last time you ate a pie that WAS NOT apple or pecan? Like never ago? Time to get more fun with our pies, folks. I want to eat flashy pie.

In that spirit, i potentially over-committed to making three flashy Thanksgiving pies. Notwithstanding my former kitchen experiences (weren't those so fun), i would say my attempts were marginally successful.

Front to back: Mango Chili, Honey Rose, Chocolate Chip Pies

In case you have any interest in reproducing any of these (I won't even be offended if yours look better), here're the deets:

1. Mango Chili Pie - Once upon a time, little bRob went to Mexico and had the best Mango Chili ice cream of her life. Really, the best ice cream of her life bar none. Since then I've been mad obsessed with the sweet-spicy flavor palate. The flavors in this pie were so spot on. The texture of the mango, however, was a bit of a turn-off. Textures don't typically freak me out, but mango is kind of stringy. Also, in case you're interested, Grandma was mad the pie was so spicy. By the way - I used the pie crust recipe from this recipe by simply doubling it. I am proud to say I have never used a pre-made pie crust. For better or worse.
Verdict: 4/5 pie stars

I might try this again with papaya. Then again I might just grow out of this hobby in a week or two.

2. Salted Rose & Honey Pie - I love a good honey chess pie, and I've been wanting to use my rosewater ever since I bought it. This pie was fairly simple, though after refrigeration the crust was very tough. I can't tell if this is a bRob problem or if that's how it's supposed to be or if it's the recipe, though I doubt it because look at her pictures with their moody lighting and raw wood tables and organic honey. I would trust her over me. I think the pie came out according to plan, tough crust aside, but the floral notes are a little jarring. I enjoy rose, but my dad describes the pie as tasting like "a bathroom deodorizer". If you, however, are more open to the florals, then this pie is for you.
Verdict: 3.5/5 pie stars

3. Chocolate Chip Pie - After a visit to Royer's Round Top Cafe outside of Austin the other day, I fell in love with their famous Chocolate Chip Pie. Obviously this pie was not as good as the actual pie, mostly because I overcooked it. There is nothing I hate more than a burnt crust. I'm getting angry just thinking about it. My beef with this recipe is that it tells you to cook until the knife comes out clean, which never happened....trust me, I overcooked the pie waiting for it to happen. I should have remembered that the pie is pretty tender and gooey on the inside, which would mean it would never come out clean. Regardless, this pie is a crowd-pleaser. Despite the toasty crust, my family ate the entire pie. Verdict: 3.5/5 pie stars (the pie will be a huge hit no matter what - i mean it's cookie pie - but i'm just so mad that it got burnt). Crust: http://flossysfuel.com/lemon-lavender-pie/

I also baked a Lemon Lavendar Pie a while back. It was alright. Note to self: Do not use a regular grater to zest your lemons unless you want giant chunky lemon zest. It was a little gross.

I also tried making bread from scratch for thanksgiving, thanks to Pinterest (duh). It actually went fairly well, though it was stickier than I anticipated and I never got loaf-y ball shape. Mine looked more like an amoeba or something. Whatever. it was delicious. Don't forget to take the lid off if you want that romantic brown crust. 

Also, check out that Le Creuset in her post. Now that I'm so good at bread-ing, I kind of need one. Wouldn't it be the perfect Christmas gift for that darling aspiring baketress in your life on whom you wish to spend $300? I actually found another dutch oven on sale, but the name isn't french so i'm not interested. hashtag bougie.

(this color is called "Ocean". love.)

So that's me and my initial foray into baking. It's actually been very good for me, and I think I've worked up enough courage to try, oh i don't know, real food. Not today, but soon.

In other news, I'm going to Vietnam over Christmas, I am still in love with Jason Schwartzman and this guy I found in an LL Bean catalog, I'm mad obsessed with Blacklist, and I'm looking for a new sitcom since I finished It's Always Sunny (recommendations?). I want my next cooking adventure to be  Egg Tarts. If you never hear about the tarts again, it's because it didn't work. I'm looking to move to either Denver or Boston, so if you have any advice, hit me up. Finally, I should wrap up this post and go pack for tomorrow's early early flight. Let me tell you how thrilled I'm not about Monday morning flights.

Anyways, I hope you're doing well.

I'll just be over here living my baking dream, which may end with me quitting my job, moving to New Zealand, and opening a bakery, and maybe marrying a sheep farmer from Australia.

tschau,
bRob