Every once in a while I'll get a crazy baking idea. I'll see a recipe somewhere or read about a dish and decide I want to try to make it. The last time this happened ended in disaster. I attempted to make an authentic Venetian Plum Pie (well, as authentic as you can get in MA). I didn't have a particular reason other than it sounded really good. I've never tried Venetian Plum Pie but I thought it was worth a shot. I ended up almost starting a fire in the kitchen and it took 3 hours for the smoke to clear. And I broke my pie dish ending up with burnt to a crisp plums inside un-cooked pie dough. It was a defeating mess and for a few months, it looked like I had learned my lesson.
Tomorrow we have a work holiday party and I intend to use my co-workers as guinea pigs for my next crazy baking idea: Pear Gruyere Pie. {Note: My crazy baking ideas are not always pies.} Why Pear Gruyere Pie? Well I've recently fallen in love with the TV show, Pushing Daisies. They make this pie in the show and it looks delicious. I found a recipe online and I am very excited to see how it turns out.
I had never had Gruyere cheese before and almost had a heart attack in the store when picking some up - it is one pricey cheese. But, it's the holiday's right? And I am experimenting. So I bought the cheese. I do love cheese but there are some cheeses that I am not a fan of. (Currently I am loving Danish blue cheese in oil.) When I opened the gruyere cheese the smell stunned me a bit. It was not at all what I was expecting and I won't describe what the smell reminded me of until after I taste it; but it was not pleasant and very forceful.
It is currently baking in the oven and I am very curious to see how it will taste sprinkled on pear pie.
I'm not crazy about Gruyere alone, but I bet it'd be great with apples or pears.
ReplyDeleteI hope so. If it turns out well, I may make it for my family.
ReplyDeleteI admire your adventuresome baking spirit.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I have never really enjoyed cheese-fruit combinations. As you know, I'm not a big cheese fan.
I thought I heard you say last night that someone else ate this. Did you at least taste it? I hope you liked it.
And, btw, one kitchen disaster is only a temporary setback. Everybody has 'em, especially when you're cooking stuff you've never cooked before. Take it as a badge of honor.
@drmomentum: yes, a couple other people did eat the pie and said it was pretty good. I did like it but it was a bit too juicy and I'd like to try making it again with crust made from scratch. Also a possibility, mix the cheese into the crust.
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