by Steve Sakiyama –
You had me at fruit pies (from the TV show King of the Hill ). My love for baking pies all started during my childhood while watching my mother cook. Although she made traditional Japanese cuisine, she also made a mean blueberry pie using a secret recipe rumored to be passed down through generations of master sushi chefs. Her only change to it was to omit the wasabi.
My passion increased during university when my housemates took turns making dinner. The main course was typically a miserable, shoe-sole pork chop accompanied by emaciated grey peas that clattered around the plate. However, whatever the main course lacked, the desserts were over-the-top expressions of our inner Julia Child. My specialty was fruit pies, but the other offerings were Strawberry Bavarian (renamed Strawberry Barbarian after tasting it), Chocolate Mousse (called “Moose” after strategically placing two marshmallow eyes), and Baked Alaska (which sprung a leak while it cooked, prompting us to shout: “Captain Kirk, she’s gonna blow!”).
During these formative years, here are some do’s and don’ts I picked up along the way.
• Don’t make a pie while watching sports.
• Don’t use a hammer and spatula to flatten the dough instead of a rolling pin.
• Do check your face and hair after doing anything with flour, especially if you are rushing out to buy more flour.
• Don’t (and I mean don’t) wear a fuzzy sweater while making pastry.
• Do let the pie cool down before tasting it.
Believe it or not, there is an American Pie Council (the APC). I’m guessing it’s something like the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a watchdog agency that establishes quality standards (like pie filling to crust ratios and things like that). Their role as pie promoters is crucial, as pies are important to life as we know it and critical to the existence of Western culture. I, for one, am thankful for the APC.
Speaking of cooking up wonderful things, during sunny summer days the sun can whip up a “sea breeze” along the coast. As the sun bakes the earth’s surface, the land heats rapidly while the ocean remains cool. The warm land heats the air above it, which in turn rises as it is less dense than the cooler air around it – just like a hot-air balloon (or a good mousse). With warm air rising over the land, cool air from over the ocean moves sideways onto the land to replace it, resulting in a cool, refreshing on-shore wind called a “sea breeze.” Although it can be T-shirt weather inland, you may need a sweater near the shore.
Well, what will the South Island weather recipe be for July? With a dash of this and a sprig of that, the outlook favours a warmer and drier-than-normal month.
No matter what the weather, during July every part of the natural environment is in full swing and bursting with life. Even though the blender of our busy, modern world can leave us stale and bland, do a random act of pie-ness and invite your friends and family to a picnic by the ocean. While enjoying their company, drink in the warmth of the sand, the fresh sea breeze and the sound of breaking waves. It’s a slice of paradise that will nourish your soul.
~ Weatherwit
