— Apple, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie – Jay and Techniques

My sister and I had our second cooking class at Central Market, and it was on Pie and Tarts. Supposedly according to the chef, despite their reputation as a difficult endeavor, great crusts are relatively straightforward. I have to admit in my almost 60 years of life – I have NEVER made a pie crust – mainly because of FEAR. But with Thanksgiving fast approaching, what better time to learn from the best.

We actually made three types of pie dough:

• Basic pie dough
• Pâte Brisée
• Pâte Sucrée

I have to admit I felt very French, and it took me back to our cooking class at the Cordon Bleu this summer. When you take a class at Central Market, they always have something on the table(s) for you to snack on before the class. You can barely see it, but in that one picture there is a white cup with BACON, and not just any bacon – jalapeño bacon flavored with brown sugar. That was a bonus recipe they gave us, and after the class, we went immediately to the bacon section to pick it up. I’m saving it for a Thanksgiving appetizer. It was simply to die for …   Now to the pies and tarts: The top photo is an Apple Galette made with the basic pie dough recipe, the second photo is the Pâte Brisée that we made into a Ricotta Tart. And, the bottom photo shows the Pâte Sucrée with Orange, Almond, Mascarpone filling. The chef also gave us another secret recipe for a quick dressing to go with the mixed green salad. It started by sprinkling directly on the greens: a little Basalmic vinegar, followed by a little bit of Sherry vinegar, and ending with the Olive Oil. It was light and perfect!   So here was my finished Apple Galette which is gone now because Scott ate the whole thing by himself. He even gave the greatest compliment by saying that my crust was better than the pastry chef at DAC – oh no!  That’s a lot to live up to in the future when I’m on my own, in my own kitchen, with my own rinky dink appliances and tools. I’ll let you know how that works out!   XOXO