Loretta Lynn
I was torn between Loretta Lynn and her Crisco and Florence Henderson and her Wesson oil. Then I found out Florence’s happy smile went in a bowl of Super Efferdent every night to clean the Wesson oil of her teeth. Loretta was a clear winner. Transfatty acids are indigestible and together with homogenized milk we can’t digest or need that passes through our intestinal walls to make arterial bondo. That said recent studies show that in an average American diet transfatty acids make up less than 2 percent of the fat we ingest. And we have nuclear tomatoes, fake and empty corn, drug crazed cattle and we breathe a cesspool buffet every time we go outside. I say screw it, try to be careful and for no more pies than we make, it won't show up in the toxicology reports from our autopsies. Pete, I'm honored and excited to be tarted in your kitchen. Which mixer did you use?
Steve, I always thought you were cool but I am falling in love with you for asking questions pertinent to all my appliance drivel. A million thank yous. I do like the GE. I was a GM Frigidaire guy and thought they were great. I converted to Maytag upside dishwashers and thanked God for the wisdom imparted to engineers. I accepted the newer Maytag but thought the full size wash arm on the bottom of glasses was over kill. In the Ellensburg house I had a Kitchenaid Superba pulled from the Dean of Central Washington College kitchen in a redo. I bought it for $50.00 and never had a dishwasher that cleaned so reliably. Then off to Seattle for new GE until 2004. Then I began the revolving door of dishwashers and had a Maytag, two Kitchenaids, a GE Triton short tub, an intern GE Ultra Deluxe from the 70's and then into the GE Triton Tall tub. No dishwasher I have ever had, in my life compares. It is eerily silent, parsimonious with water, holds a ton and will clean anything no matter how I load it. The stove as well has rocked the foundations of my vintage sensibilities. I have a hard time baking anywhere else and remembering how to convert to a conventional heat oven. The oven is capacious and loaded to the gills bakes evenly. The stove top is a dream with expandable units and a simmer plate. I enjoy the consistency of electricity. For yesterday’s prep, I seared the meat on 6, deglazed on 2 and finished the dish on lo. The water came to a boil for the pasta is record time and held a steady boil at 3. No guessing, no smell of gas when the simmering gas flame went out, no looking at burned results or charred handles. The fridge, range, dishwasher and over the range microwave we all free from a neighbor of Peter's who remodeled.
Terry, you are the Saint of Autowashervac-land and all its permutations. No one gives more of their time or investment funds to travel, support, participate, host and provide service to all of us. I want to be you when I grow up. I love to cook, I challenge myself to be efficient and make it all appear to be a breeze. I lay out the prep plan to use each appliance, food processor, mixer, blender range etc in a staggered plan of driest to wet and lightest to darkest prep so nothing has to be washed, cleaned or dried in the process. I always keep a dish of soapy water in the sink to wipe and keep anything washed that won't go in the dishwasher. PSC was here, working from home in the office, the carpet installer came to measure and advize on the defective carpet, the SRX was in the shop for it's before the trip to Kansas checkup, so my attention was diverted at times. I began the prep and picture essay at 1:00. I was done, done, table set and last wipe and dype at 4:30. I picked up the car at 6:00, bid PSC adieu, turned on the water and warmed the beef while cooking the zucchini fritters at 6:15. My company began arriving at 6:40 and we had drinks and visited, setting down to dinner at 7:00. We never made it cards. Sean’s' new partner Jonathon collects sunbeam appliances. He has 5 toasters 2 perks and three mixers. Jonathon has an Amana side by side and the auger for the ice maker turns the wrong direction. He’s advised to replace the computer control board. We discussed options. We were on the computer looking at collections, pulling out appliances, eating and talking and they left at 12:00. Our building had a community yard sale and I was putting things out by 6:30 this morning. The sale was a bust, but I took a car load to Salvation Army which 50% had come from there anyway. I leave for Kansas on the 13th. Kati is moving in with Mike and Sara. I am taking a car load of furniture and decor bits, the carpet cleaner and fabric to work with Kati on a mini reno of the basement to be her retreat. Mike is beginning his final quarter of grad school, Farmers bought AIG domestic lines and Sara needs to be in the corporate office every day for 2 weeks, so I'll have grandkid patrol. The plan is to have a yard sale at there place to rid each household of extraneous inventory. I'll be home by the 2nd and begin organizing for my move to Ellensburg. I use distraction therapy when I'm conflicted on what the best decision is. I am open to moving if its what is mine to do and keep hoping a miracle occurs to divert my plan. So the short answer to your question, Terry is about 3 1/2 hours total prep time.
Now, Pete, are the tarts cooled and ready to eat. It takes a true patisserie to make tarts. A big pie is so much less work. Whipped cream is on sale for $2.99 a quart if you need me to pick some up.
XO
