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Olallieberry Peach Galette

Olallieberry Peach Galette

Olallieberry Peach Galette is a fabulous summer dessert. Without all the waiting and pie making the ethereal combination of a buttery crust and sweet summer berries is all yours with Olallieberry Peach Galette.

“Liza was rolling out pie crust on the floury board. She was so expert with the rolling pin that the dough seemed alive. It flattened out and then pulled back a little from the tension in itself. Liza lifted the pale sheet of it and laid it over one of the pie tins and trimmed the edges with a knife. The prepared berries lay deep in red juice in a bowl.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Olallieberry Peach Galette is more instant dessert gratification than pie. Especially with Olallieberries. These are fragile and juicy berries, a pie cut too soon will be a glorious mess of sweet, fragrant berry juice. Waiting for the Olallieberry pie to firm up is more self restraint than I wanted to impose on myself. With Olallieberry Peach Galette
the ethereal combination of a buttery crust and sweet summer berries is all yours, without all the waiting and pie making. Who has time to make pie when Olallieberry jam needs to be made? READ MORE . . .

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Old Fashioned Apricot Pie

Old Fashioned Apricot Pie

Blenheim Apricot Season

“When the match went out the night was blacker than before. Charles moved slowly on and struck another match, and on and struck another. He searched the road for signs. At last he gave up. His right hand rose and he threw the hatchet far off into the field. He walked rapidly away toward the pinched lights of the village.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

It’s almost the 4th of July. We celebrate our America. I think back to a year ago, before the presidential election. I was filled with hope, so many promises. So many words. We have no way of knowing what’s fake news and what’s not. We see and believe whatever suits us personally. I suppose it’s always been this way. The stories are stark, the future is portrayed as dim. I am ambivalent about our country. But not about pie, the quintessential American dessert. I was raised by a pie and quilt maker. The older I get, the more I understand. There’s not much that can be done to change the narrative but one can make the best of what we’ve got. It’s almost the 4th of July and we will have pie. READ MORE . . .

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Dark Chocolate Tart

Dark Chocolate Tart

For the Love of Chocolate

“Busy though as she was with her teaching, Olive longed for the metropolitan life, and when the young man who had built the flour mill in King City sued properly for her hand, she accepted him subject to a long and secret engagement.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

There are many types of love. As we grow older our understanding of love expands. The idealistic dreams of a perfect romance bend and sway, get shoved in the storm, often breaking. We try again and again. It’s bittersweet. Just like dark chocolate. READ MORE . . .

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Pumpkin Pie Inside a Chocolate Cake

Pumpkin Pie Inside a Chocolate Cake

A Spectacular Thanksgiving Dessert

“Cal turned down Alisal Street, went into the post office, and looked in the glass window of box 632. It was empty. He wandered back home and found Lee up and stuffing a very large turkey.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

You know how the election went, I want to tell you about the dessert I made that fateful day. A dessert that would make a spectacular Thanksgiving statement and keep both the pumpkin and chocolate lovers happy. I’d seen magical pie inside a cake desserts on-line before. Crazy, intoxicating, a dessert that would change any conversation. It was election day and I needed to keep busy. In need of a diversion that would calm my nerves and settle my mind, I baked. I bought a pumpkin pie at the grocery store and buried it inside a chocolate cake. I spread a thick layer chocolate ganache all over the Pumpkin Pie Inside a Chocolate Cake. I cut the cake while it was warm and some of the ganache melted. I took photos anyway. I watched an election that was messy, imperfect, with mind blowing, spectacular results. I found that a bright orange pie hiding inside a dark chocolate cake was lots of spectacular, a bit messy and imperfect too. A perfect metaphor for the election, and life really. READ MORE . . .

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Apple Cranberry Pie

Apple Cranberry Pie

Getting Ready for the Holidays

“Did you put some fruit in his room? He asked. He loves fruit. Pears, apples and muscat grapes, said Lee.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

I’m the one who must try all the different apple varieties each fall. Of course I end up with too many apples. More than I could possibly use as my afternoon snack or for our evening salad. I can only make Warm Cabbage, Onion and Apple Slaw so many times each month, before we tire of the simple goodness of the recipe. I try to buy just five apples each week. When I go through the refrigerator to finish up our weekly shopping list there will be leftover apples. Then at the store or farmers market I’ll be seduced by another gorgeous apple variety. At some point I begin baking with all this apple goodness. Maybe that was what I wanted all along, an excuse to make pie. READ MORE . . .