My First Pie

It has been a crazy time of late, my mind has been divided and distracted.

Stress has always had its way with me. Even stress born of exciting opportunities can be trying. This week the stress took an interesting turn, and resulted in, um,

A pie.

Not just any pie, the first pastry of any kind I have ever made.

A pie. A 'key lime' pie. With meringue.

from scratch.

As I cooked, I thought:

I will beat the eggs into submissive, fluffy peaks of deliciousness. I will squeeze and squish the last drop of juice out of the tiny, reluctant limes. I will cut the butter into the flour with my fingers and knead and stir the dough with my hands the way the ancient pie-makers of Mesopotamia must have. I will roll out the pastry with a wine bottle for lack of a rolling pin.

I will get a cardio and strength work-out, shake off the week, and at the end of it all, I WILL HAVE DESSERT!

And so, voila - my first pastry. A pie born from the ashes of last week's rollercoaster:

(I once told my friend Mai that in Baltimore the streets were paved with pie; maybe I'm just homesick.)

Attack of the Giant Veg

This was the SMALLEST cabbage my veg man could give me today:

(the recipe said to core it. um...how, exactly? with a cleaver?)

The initial cabbage offering made by my veg man was not only too big for my shopping bag, but it would not have fit on my kitchen counter and it weighed more than my biggest cat (who is enormous, by the way). Fada and I always say that the cabbages here are as big as hubcaps - but when you actually bring home a cabbage as big as a hubcap it is a unique chopping experience! (with DELICIOUS results!)

I also picked up an enormous tray of strawberries (faroula) and assorted veggies. I am now totally ready for the post-holiday calorie count and wii-fit workout challenge!