The Leftover Report

[gerisullivan]

The stuffing is much better reheated by pan-frying, adding a welcome crunch to the texture.

The pumpkin pie was good warm (late, late last night) and is really good cold (today). I think the extra cloves, ginger, and cinnamon I put in helped as well as the quality of the Penzey's Vietnamese cinnamon. Served cold, the pie is clearly superior to store-baked, supporting my own view and experience in contrast with Garrison Keillor, who said:

"Pumpkin pie is the epitome of mediocrity. The best pumpkin pie you ever ate isn't that much better than the worst."

The turkey remains tasty. This is a good thing, as I'll be eating it for awhile yet.

Comments

[voidampersand.livejournal.com]

It's a mystery to me. The only thing I can figure is that a good pie crust is delicate so it comes out better when made by hand. Cookies have a lot of oil in them and can take being made in a mixer. Bread needs to be kneaded. I enjoy making bread by hand but it would be a lot easier with a big mixer and a temperature controlled rising box. But that still doesn't explain why someone doesn't figure out how to make a good pie crust in quantity. I don't know. Are frozen store-bought pie crusts any good?

[jennlk]

Surprisingly, yes. In many cases, better than homemade. Many of the experienced bakers I know (by which I mean old farm wives who've been making pies for 60+ years) use frozen pie crusts rather than making their own.

The biggest problem I've found with store-bought pies is the filling. It's either too sweet or too bland or rubbery. Sometimes all three.

[voidampersand.livejournal.com]

Real pie is when my grandmother would call me and ask if I could pick a gallon of blackberries for her. Or when she would come back from a you-pick orchard with a car full of Gravensteins. I can't expect a store-bought pie to have filling that good, but at least it should have a tender and flaky crust and that is what disappoints me most often. My crusts are not perfect by any means, but I have fun making them and usually they are better than store bought. And through some miracle I have a big bag of Gravensteins waiting in the kitchen.