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This is the first year I decided to make a homemade pie for Thanksgiving... um... O.K. I take that back, I've tried before and failed miserably, so this year was my mission to make the first EDIBLE HOMEMADE Thanksgiving pie... And since I was doing all the hard work I decided to make MY favorite... Banana Cream Pie. Clearly I don't consider myself much of a baker, but if you're going to do it you might as well do it all the way meaning everything from scratch -- NO BOXES. Now the important part to mention here is, I probably gained the baker's courage because I was attempting this in my brother's kitchen with all his fancy equipment (or at least baking gadgets and gizmos I don't have), while he was working on the pie crust. My brother Christos is a chef and loves to bake, so I figured if I had any doubts or questions no problem, I was in the right kitchen.
I used a recipe from the Food Network, not realizing 24 egg yolks meant I was baking 3 pies, not just one. As I was already midway my brother said to me, "You know this isn't for one pie right?" I replied, "Um, no why, how many is it for?" Yet it truly was easy enough to make, and it comes out so good people will be flocking over to try it so better to have more than less.
So here goes a step by step process with some tips, and should you like to print out the actual recipe click on the Food Network link above.
First Step:
Mix 8 cups of Milk with one whole, split vanilla bean, or a table spoon of vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon salt over medium heat whisking every so often waiting for it to boil. When it has boiled leave for an extra minute and mix.
Second Step:
As the milk is getting ready to boil, whisk the 24 egg yolks and 2 2/3 cups sugar together until it becomes thick and pale yellow, then gradually add the 1 cup cornstarch. TIP: When Measuring powders (corn starch, flour, sugar, etc.) use a dry measuring cup as seen on the right, whereas when measuring liquids use a wet measuring cup).
Third Step:
When the milk mixture is ready take off heat and add half of it slowly to the yolk mixture while whisking.
Fourth Step: Pour the yolk-milk mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk mixture and cook, whisking frequently and until the mixture boils. Then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for another 7 minutes. Mixture should become thick like a custard.
Fifth Step:
By the time the custard has set, you should already have 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter cut, and 5 big or 6 regular size ripe bananas cut. Then fold both into the custard. TIP#1: I cut 5 bananas and smashed the sixth, while also smashing the ends of the bananas using a fork. This gives the custard more of a banana flavor while also having some cut pieces. TIP#2 If you don't have RIPE bananas like I didn't, you can put them in a brown paper bag over night and that should help, or in my case since it didn't help, the recipe still works wonderfully and tastes delicious.
Finished Product for Pie Filling:
Once the pie filling is complete add it to your pie shell and refrigerate it over night, or for at least seven hours. When ready to serve add the fresh whipped cream, which is simply combining confectionery powder and heavy cream in a beater on low to medium speed. Voila! Magnifique!
Pie Crust:
This is my brother Christos' pie crust recipe for five 9' inch round pie tins (I know... I know... can't be a recipe for one, only 3 or 5). The ingredients are as listed, but you can watch the videos below to see how makes it which isn't as hard as I thought.
2 lbs. Flour
1 lb. Unsalted Butter
5-8 Ounces Water (depending on humidity)
1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
This is the pie crust prior to cooking. Before attempting to roll it out, it is important to let it sit out at room temperature for 5-10 minutes (it will make it much easier to roll and stretch).
Once it is ready to cook, pre-heat the oven to 350F on bake. Line the pie crust with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights which could be rice or beans. It takes approximately 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before removing pie weights. Once weights are taken off, poke bottom of pie crust with fork a few times and return to oven and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until the crust is golden. Which looks perfectly like the picture to the right.
The other plus about making more than one pie for Thanksgiving is you get to dig in before the big dinner... I mean after all that work who really wants to wait. So I can tell you full of confidence and pride that I have made the first completely homemade Thanksgiving pie that tastes absolutely DELICIOUS! Thank you Christos for the moral support and help, and I think we have a new tradition yet again. Happy Thanksgiving everyone... Enjoy the day with family and friends full of great food and merriment!
There are some significant dates coming up that are interconnected. Dates that have inspired me to take a historical glance at food from the 1950s to present day in America, because of two very important men, and especially one in particular.
I am making this personal connection because as my family and I think about and honor Pappou Jimmy on the memoriam of his one year death, one thing in particular that I remember which connects to President Kennedy, is how Pappou would readily extol to us kids growing up or anyone else for that matter, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." My grandfather had a large portrait of President Kennedy framed over his desk, and would point at it to me while emphasizing, "Education is the key. Be smart."
Those famous inaugural remarks of 1961 resonated so strongly to my Pappou even though he had recently immigrated to the U.S. from Greece in 1955. Pappou Jimmy literally loved President Kennedy and probably for the same reasons as many — the young president's optimism, hope, unwavering belief in accomplishing great deeds, and most definitely his charm, as Pappou Jimmy himself never ran out of charm. For my grandfather, I also believe it was Kennedy's strong sense of family, not only for the Camelot portrait of his elegant wife Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy and two adorable kids in the White House Carolyn and John F. Kennedy Jr., but the enduring bond with his brothers, sisters and parents that of course extended to cousins, uncles and aunts... Let's face it, we're talking about the American version of an aristocratic family which included playing football and admiring the beautiful shores of Hyannisport.
When I was old enough to discuss history with Pappou he would tell me stories on a wide range
of topics whether those be about his homeland in Greece, or his adopted country that he respected and loved for giving him the opportunity to dream big, and make him a successful restaurateur able to provide for his family.
Speaking about meat, guess what Pappou Jimmy's favorite meat was... HINT: he's Greek for crying out loud... drum roll... Of course the answer is LAMB! And one of my favorite ways he prepared it was in his most delicious recipe of slow cooking lamb pieces in a red wine tomato sauce called Moschari Kokkinisto, which he accompanied with either orzo or large noodles. Lucky for me he taught my mom how to make it just as perfect.
1955, Welcome to Worcester... or better yet, to the USA from Epirus, Greece.
Pappou Jimmy quickly learned the staple dishes that were invented during the Great Depression of the 30s, which were inexpensive and used minimal meat, which carried on to the 50's and beyond. This includes: Macaroni and Cheese, Meatloaf, Hamburgers, Chili and any kind of casserole. Pappou Jimmy carried the tradition of his famous Meatloaf Dinner cooking it every week at his daughter's restaurant in Holden, MA called Val's Restaurant. They continue to follow pappou's recipe to this day and is the hit seller every Tuesday. Otherwise the 50s brought on the distribution of processed food because of transportation with our new highway system -- so we're talking frozen dinners, Swanson's TV Dinners, Canned Soups, Frozen Fish Sticks and what better to have on the side of the highway other than... you guessed it: McDonald's. 1964, The West Side Diner, Chandler Street (Fun statistic: Greek Immigrants founded more than 600 diners in the NY region from the 50s-70s.) After a few years of working at different places and learning the language, Pappou Jimmy opened his own place, The West Side Diner. Coincidentally, Worcester is the hometown to the first commercial diners called The Worcester Lunch Car in 1887. Back to Pappou, the West Side Diner sat approximately 25 people and he did the cooking while my yiayia Mary was at the counter taking orders. So all the recipes that he learned, he was putting to good use here offering comfort food listed above, plus any kind of sandwich you could think of.
One sandwich in particular that Pappou was known for which also coincided with the feel of the decade mentioned below was the Monte Cristo -- basically a spin on the French Croque-Monsieur. The Monte Cristo was also elegantly called the French Sandwich :) A sinfully delicious egg-fried sandwich of ham, turkey and cheese dusted with powdered sugar -- oh did I gobble that up when Pappou made it for me.
The 60s brought on the most beloved and animated Chef Julia Child. It was perfect timing for Julia as Jackie Kennedy had just installed a French Chef in the White House. So Julia took us from frozen, processed food to the delightful culinary traditions of French Cooking. This includes some of her classics: Coq au Vin, Boeuf Bourguignon, and Duck a l'Orange. Take a quick look at Julia's down-to-earth, fun personality in one of her signature episodes on her cooking show, The French Chef
1975, Four Pizza Shops
By 1971 Pappou Jimmy sold the Diner and began opening pizza shops in what he called, "virgin territories," which he implied towns with a large enough population for high business volume yet no current pizza shops or many food offerings available. Specifically Pappou opened them with a business partner in the Southeastern Region of Massachusetts: Norton, Sharon, Foxborough and Mansfield. His sauce was delicious adding some traditional Greek herbs such as oregano, with just the right amount of sugar to combat the acidity. During this time he was teaching my mother, Val, everything he knew bringing her to work with him and creating another generation of a successful restaurateur who loved food and people.
Pappou Jimmy on far right showing how to cheese a pizza
Pappou's favorite pizza toppings: Onion and Pepper
Pizza History in USA
Pizza first came to America's shores at the turn of the century in the early 1900s with the great immigration wave, specifically 4 Million Italians. It was known as inexpensive peasant food and was first provided in places like New York City; Trenton, NJ; New Haven, CT and Boston. What all these cities had in common was the factory work available as to sell this ethnic food to poor immigrants.
But after WWII when American GIs returned from Italy they wanted the pizza they discovered overseas in their own hometowns. So the equipment was invented, such as the Hobart Mixer and pizza ovens. By 1960 pizzerias were sprouting up across the country, and now not just by Italians but Greeks also. Pizza became the perfect communal food that was inexpensive and was also great for families.
Thus pizza became an American Staple just like hotdogs and hamburgers.
1980s, Jimmy's Pub
By the 80s with the onslaught of Reagan, Trump and the excessiveness from the stock market came "Nouvelle Cuisine," with its lighter, more delicate dishes emphasizing presentation and high price tags. Of course Pappou Jimmy didn't go gourmet, he stuck with what he knew best and did it best. He expanded the Mansfield House of Pizza, building a separate restaurant with pub style food including his staple menu items and famous Fish and Chips. By the mid 80s he retired and soon after he returned to the kitchen doing what he loved at my mother's restaurants.
One of the best memories I have growing up in my family's restaurant is when my grandparents worked side-by-side on busy Friday nights on the frialator section, with my old Uncle Mike, and one would batter the fish, while the other dropped the fish and fries in the frialator, and the last person scooping coleslaw and packaging togo — all while yelling at each other saying even worst things than "let's go damn it!" Imagine Lucy and Ethel meets Archie Bunker -- priceless comedy for all the customers to see. Boy do I miss those days.
Yiayia Mary & Pappou Jimmy at their daughter's, Val's Restaurant
Later when my mother moved to a larger location and opened a full-blown restaurant serving more than 250 guests, believe it or not so came the three stooges on frialator section. When they eventually hung up their aprons, my yiayia went back to her roots taking orders on take-out, while my pappou let his personality shine welcoming guests in the dining room, and if he got the urge, even sitting down with them to have dinner together!
My grandparents bringing me to work with them in Mansfield.
I suppose we all have our ways of keeping our loved one's legacies alive. My mother followed in her father's footsteps and sees pictures of her parents hung up all over the restaurant honoring them. My brother moved into my grandparent's house renovating it and keeping the feel of yiayia and pappou alive right next door. Living in New York City not close enough to their home or pizza shops, I have them both in the one place they can never leave and always follow me along, my heart. There's not a day that goes by, my family doesn't think of pappou and yiayia, laugh, cry and remember his larger than life personality. May we all treasure the memories that keep us connected to our best selves.
Rest in Peace President Kennedy
Rest in Peace Pappou Jimmy
God Bless America... and our Patrida
Of course Paris has a Grand Prix for the Best Baguette each year! Scroll over the link to see which boulangeriewas the winner for 2012, which also gets the honor to supply the Elysee Presidential Palace for one year of freshly baked baguettes. Being the magazine hoarder that I am I didn't realize I had the winner from 2008 until just now, considering how nicely crisp and wrinkle free the page was. But tasting the baguette from Gosselin was as if they were still the winner this year. France's iconic food did not disappoint having a crunchy crust and a soft interior also known in French as "La Mie"(we need an English word to describe the soft inside of bread too).
The second find was for best croissant, and you bet that I looked on the same article finding the 2008 winner, Maison Kayser. I was wondering how a croissant could be so much better than the next one, almost like saying best bagel for New Yorkers -- but oh it was certainly clear when I bit into Eric Kayser's croissant! I honestly don't think I have ever had a better croissant, granted I didn't have this year's winner, but just the same... It was warm, buttery and crusty on the outside with a soft fleshy inside. The almond croissant was fantastic as well, but the plain butter croissant was the best. Thankfully my tiny shorts reminded me not to go for the chocolate croissant in this sitting and wait for tomorrow.
Enjoying Eric Kayser's Croissant for breakfast with a Cappuccino.
Onto the last find which was certainly well worth the manhunt and hours-long search. Christian Constant may be considered the world's best chocolatier. My husband has the patience like no other willing to wander neighborhoods in Paris trying to find this small chocolate boutique near Luxembourg Gardens. We had left the apartment quickly and I didn't write down the address. Meanwhile, I thought anyone in the neighborhood would know where the "World's Best Chocolate" is... except that wasn't the case for this hidden gem, and there was no wifi to even find the address! After a few hours of roaming around asking each shop along the way with my best Fresh accent, which is pretty bad, we finally found it! Christian Constant is serious about chocolate, as a "Scholar of Chocolate History," writer of three books on -- you guessed it -- chocolate!
The exquisite chocolates of Christian Constant
ABSOLUTELY EXQUISITE CHOCOLATE! It was not what I was expecting at all. I thought it would be more traditional, old-world truffles with intense flavors of hazelnut or ganache. Rather, the chocolate was refined and much more about the texture and quality of the cocoa instead of distracting flavors. That is why I use the word "exquisite," as it is clear to taste the craftsmanship and the highest quality ingredients in this chocolate.
Christian Constant who may be considered the world's best Chocolatier!
Exotic flavors ranged from Verbena Flowers, Yemen Jasmine and Green Tea, Tahitian Vanilla Flowers, Orange Blossoms to savory, unique flavors such as Safran threads, Cardamom from Malabar and Cinnamon from Ceylan. Surprisingly the price was also reasonable for this caliber of chocolate. You may pay $10 for a cup of coffee in parts of France, but thankfully the chocolate is much more fairly priced!
I also had to mention MEERT, one of the oldest Parisian outposts for Flemish style gaufres since 1761. The flagship location is in Lille, but we visited the small boutique in St. Germain des Pres off Rue de Seine. These waffle delicacies are filled with vanilla cream from Madagascar and drenched in syrup -- VERY VERY SWEET. Other than the gaufres, the chocolates were delicious. Especially memorable was the dark chocolate truffle filled with a single-malt scotch from Scotland and the chocolate apricots.
This week is National Farmers' Market Week supporting local farmers and better, healthier food. As much as this may be an oxymoron, living in the city makes us especially privy to some of the freshest local produce because of farmers' markets. Living in New York City and having recently travelled throughout France, city-goers have a great appreciation for farmers' markets because we value that green space and the fresh, local produce that we get to enjoy from it. So in honor of National Farmers' Market Week instead of running to Shaws or even Whole Foods, go to your local farm stand and buy some fresh produce! And before you run off to go get those nutritious rich goodies, read the rest of my blog and please share.
One of many Sunflower Fields in Provence
Every weekend I try to make it a point to go to one of many neighborhood farmers' markets (for me it is either Union Square or Abingdon Square) to get my fresh fruits and veggies, peruse the plants and flowers, try various cheeses and jams, and even buy some seafood and baked goods.
Union Square Farmers' Market with Gigi
An Artist showcasing her original artwork in St. Remy de Provence
Having recently done a tour de France starting in Paris going through the countryside to Provence and ultimately finishing the trip on the Riviera in Nice, it was clear to see the love of farmers' markets throughout the country. Firstly, it was beautiful driving throughout France and noticing the thriving agricultural industry throughout the country with farming in all different sectors. Everyone knows how proud the French are, and as well they should be for their prosperous farming that even in this day in age so much of their produce, dairy and cattle is still farmed in their own country. And as a point of distribution for farmers, open-air markets are as consistent and in abundance throughout the country. The biggest word to the wise is beware of days and times. Many varying markets are either on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, and then of course the weekends as well.
Flower Market in Nice.
Open Air Market in St. Remy de Provence
I really wanted to go to Marche Raspail while I was in Paris. It is the largest, organic market in Paris that is held two times a week, although those exact days are questionable. Online I saw the market was held on Tuesdays and Fridays, however, when I was about to go and asked for directions, I was told it was the artists' market on Tuesdays, and the food market is Wednesdays and Saturdays. Needless to say I missed my opportunity while in Paris since I was there for only a few days, but with all the open air markets in the city, it's not hard to find one.
On our way back from missing Marche Raspail and going shopping instead, right in our neighborhood was a small cheese, meat and bread market. The cheeses were scrumptious and plenty, and even if you don't want to taste every single one, good luck explaining that to the nice guy force feeding you.
Trying an Assortment of Cheeses from the local market in St. Germain de Pres, Paris.
Fresh Bread and Salami, Jamon and Prosciutto
Enjoying one of the BEST Blue Cheeses I've ever had on our balcony in Paris ... or should I say Roquefort from the South of France... With the rest of my Farmers' Market Booty: chocolate oranges, fresh peach, & really good, cheap Bordeaux that I don't even know the name of.
Seafood Stall in Nice, with camera shy vendor.
Shucking oysters at a farmers' market in St. Remy de Provence.
Tasting some wine at a St. Remy de Provence market. Moving onto the Champagne stall to bring with me while eating just shucked oysters. See Charles below...
Best Farmers' Market in St. Remy de Provence! 4Euro Champagne + Just Shucked Oysters= Tres Bien!
One of the best restaurants we ate at in Paris offering haute cuisine wasn't prepared by a local Parisian chef, rather a Bostonian chef, Braden Perkins, who is living la vie en rose cooking up specialties in Paris with his business and life partner Laura Adrian.
Tucked away on rue de Richelieu across from the Palais Royal is Verjus, an intimate restaurant and wine bar that offers modern cuisine using only the freshest local ingredients.
We were lucky to get a reservation since walk-ins are not accepted, and there is limited seating emphasizing the focus on execution for high quality food and service. There is one tasting menu offered at 60E or accompanied with wine pairings 100E, which for the cuisine and service given was well worth it. By the end of our dinner it was clear that during any visit in Paris, one MUST have dinner at Verjus.
Starting from the amuse all the way through to the double dessert we couldn't have been happier. Each course was prepared perfectly combining wonderful flavors and textures, let alone a more than satisfactory portion. One of my favorites was the "skillet cooked trout from Banka, with chanterelles, guanciale, pickled chilies, chives and a roasted corn soup." I couldn't hold back from using my spoon for every last bit of the corn soup-- phenomenal!
Since this was early on in our trip I was really looking forward to my first duck entree in France -- I was not let down! Wonderfully cooked seared crispy on the outside and a tender inside with an orange, rye au jus. The red Sancerre 2011 paired with the duck was clever and couldn't have worked any better.
The only thing we didn't think worked well was one of the desserts. The espresso panna cotta with Bing and Ranier cherries seemed to clash. The lemon polenta cake with blueberries, lavender honey and a Greek yogurt sorbet was more than sufficient for dessert, and considering how creative and delicious it was nothing else was needed.
It was refreshing and inspiring hearing the story behind the owners opening Verjus. The professional and kind manager who was also our server explained how the owners started having supper clubs at their apartment when they first moved to Paris more than 20 years ago. From such popular dinners and word of mouth growing, they realized there was a high demand for the dinners. Local friends were willing to invest in the Americans so they could take their passion for homemade culinary affairs to the public in a restaurant setting.
Can't stop raving about Verjus and definitely look forward to trying their famous Fried Chicken in their lounge next time we're in town. Although we would definitely recommend the dining room over the downstairs bar since it is simply too good too pass up.
Even the flower on the table made me happy. I had never seen such an exotic shimmering color flower where it was between a beautiful periwinkle and silver color... Come to find out after seeing the flower at an open-air market the name is Chardon.
I used a recipe from the Food Network, not realizing 24 egg yolks meant I was baking 3 pies, not just one. As I was already midway my brother said to me, "You know this isn't for one pie right?" I replied, "Um, no why, how many is it for?" Yet it truly was easy enough to make, and it comes out so good people will be flocking over to try it so better to have more than less.
Pour the yolk-milk mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk mixture and cook, whisking frequently and until the mixture boils. Then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for another 7 minutes. Mixture should become thick like a custard.
This is the pie crust prior to cooking. Before attempting to roll it out, it is important to let it sit out at room temperature for 5-10 minutes (it will make it much easier to roll and stretch). 
