Tuesday, November 10

cookbooks

Over my short life I seem to have collected quite a few cookbooks. All of them quite different in scope, few by celebrities most rarely used. I come by this fever quite honestly, I blame my Mom. Haha.

For as many as she may have owned she only really used one. The Modern Family Cookbook by Meta Given. Her copy is from 1964 and has seen better days but I doubt happier ones. It is slowly disintegrating, the binding barely holding together with tape that is now flapping, a cover that has been bent, pages that are falling out, yellowed with age and stained with decades of spills. It is simply the greatest.

Mom uses it for her famous Lemon Meringue pie that was always requested for gatherings, usually two or more. For as many times as she has made that lovely concoction the book is always referenced. It is still my favorite desert.

There are a TON of recipes that we never used and only a handful that we did. I plan on making a few of the ones we never tackled and I'll post them here but for now here is the
Lemon Meringue Pie (my cometary):

1/4 C Cornstarch + 2T flour (i leave out the flour)
1 1/3 C Sugar
1/4 t Salt
1 1/2 C Boiling water
3 Eggs separated
1/3 C Strained fresh lemon juice
3T Butter
1/2 t grated lemon rind (zest)
baked 9-inch pie shell
6T Sugar

Mix cornstarch, flour, sugar and salt in top of double boiler; add boiling water, blend thoroughly. Cook over boiling water, stirring constantly until mixture is thick and clear(mom does this in the microwave, with out boiling the water first, 3-6 minutes. always cover with cling wrap) . Beat egg yolks and stir in a little of the hot mixture(temper); pour back into the double boiler and cook 2 minutes longer with constant stirring. Remove from heat; slowly add lemon juice, butter and lemon rind(zest)(again in the microwave for an additional 2-4 min); mix well. Cool, pour into cooled pie shell. Beat eggs whites until barely stiff, add the 6 tablespoons sugar gradually and again beat until stiff. Swirl over pie filling so as to touch edges of crust all around(once pie is covered, touch with your spatula and pull away quickly to create peaks these will brown nicely). Place in a moderate oven (350 degrees) 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to cake rack to cook before cutting. 5 or 6 servings

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