My Favorite Pie Crust!

         I love making pies and this is my go to recipe for them all.  This recipe makes two crusts (top and bottom) so half it if you only require one crust.

• 2 1/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 2/3 Cups Butter (cold)
• 8-10 Tbsp. Cold Water

        First, put flour and salt in a large bowl.  Cut in the butter.  I do this by cutting the butter into small slices then using a pastry blender or fork to chop it up further in the bowl of flour.  The key here is to keep it cold! The butter shouldn't melt or mix very well with flour, it should make a crumbly mixture with tiny circles of butter.  Then add in the cold water, a tablespoon at a time.  I mix it with the pasty blender or fork until the mixture gets fairly wet, then I use my hands to form the dough.  It should be moist enough to stick together but try avoiding adding any extra water.  

        Then flour a rolling pin and roll it out about an inch and a half past the diameter of the 9" pan.  Then lay the dough in and fit it to the pan. Use your thumb and pointer finger on the left hand and use your pointer finger on your right to push the dough, pinching it in that classic pie edge look.  One other trick I learned was to stretch the edges over the side every inch or so, preventing the dough from shrinking when it bakes.  Chill the crust for about 10 minutes.  

        Now, for some pies, the filling can be put in right away, others will want you to par bake the crust, which you can do by putting it in the oven at 400 degrees for 5 to 10 min.  Poke holes with a fork at the bottom of the crust or use an oven safe, heavy object to hold it down, otherwise the crust may bubble.  

        All these tricks I have learned from other, wiser, cooks and by trial and error.  So, if you have any tips, comments, or questions, please comment and let us know! :)

Tarte aux Asperges!

            The first recipe I wanted to share was one my roommate and I made just the other week and thought was amazing!  We found the recipe in the book The Bistro Cookbook by Richard Bertinet.  It was French, so had a few more moving parts than other recipes, but was doable for us on a school night, and was so worth the work.

You will need:

·      1 piecrust

·      1 bunch thin asparagus spears

·      1 package fresh spinach leaves

·      3 extra large eggs

·      3/2 cup heavy cream

·      1 garlic clove

·      10 Cherry Tomatoes

·      Grated Parmesan cheese

Changes we made:

·      Used regular tomato instead of cherry tomatoes

·      Added Mushrooms

The first thing to do is the piecrust.  I made the one we used from a recipe I will share you shortly.  Though, I believe you can buy a crust at a grocery store or make it in a cast iron pan, skipping the crust altogether while making it a bit healthier.  I haven’t tried this method but will share as soon as I do.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Then, put a pot of water on the stove to boil while you clean and cut the vegetables.  The asparagus should be kept fairly long and whole, though we diced the tomatoes and mushrooms.  Once the pot is boiling, put in the asparagus for 1 minute, take out and dry.  Then put the fresh spinach in the pot and remove almost immediately and drain. 

In a small bowl mix eggs (beaten), garlic, and cream.  Season the mixture with salt and pepper.  Lay the spinach at the bottom of the piecrust.  Then, add in tomatoes, mushrooms, and asparagus.  Gently pour in the egg mixture and put in the oven to bake for 35 minutes, or until the filling is set and lightly browned. 
      Remove from oven, sprinkle some grated Parmesan chees on the top and its ready to be served. 

I hope you enjoy the recipe and feel free to ask any questions or leave any tips for us! J

About Me

What defines me? When people first meet you, especially as a college student, there is a list of questions they ask you: Name? College? Major? Future job?  The answers: Danielle Caliendo, UW-Madison, Dietetics, Registered Dietitian.  But is that short list of surface information what defines me?  I don’t believe it does.  I believe so much more influences our lives and decisions and that is why I wanted to start this blog.  I wanted to share my experiences, recipes, what I learn, and in turn I want to learn from others.  The big craze now days is to be healthy, yet there seem to be few people who truly know how.  I don’t want to focus only on what we should eat.  Yes, as a student studying dietetics, there will be a large emphasis on it, but that isn’t the only part to health.  There is also physical activity, mental and social health aspects of it.  So, if you want to learn about food, health, and life, follow this blog and participate in the discussions, and we can all help to better each other.  :)