Banana cream pie with salty bourbon caramel

Happy Valentine's Day!

I couldn't miss a post on my daughter's namesake day :). Whilst we haven't celebrated this day in the past, we will be sure to fill today with plenty of giggles, tickles and love-filled affection.

On another note, when it comes to deciding what to make each week, I must confess that I mostly choose based on looks. If the picture has me drooling there's a good chance it will end up on my plate next week. Back in the day I relied largely on my cookbooks, but lately most of my searching is based online (with great resources such as foodgawker, tastespotting, taste.com.au and pinterest) or from my magazine subscriptions. Being in Australia these consist of Gourmet Traveler and Donna Hay, but thanks to site's such as Epicurious.com I have had access to some amazing American publications, Bon Appetit being one of them. Their photos are drool-worthy and I love that they include the nutritional information as well.

When I spied this recipe it was on my plate a few days later. And even though my eyes bulged when reading how many calories one serving of this delectable pie packs, it didn't stop me for going back for a second serve (and back again for breakfast). What can I say, I'm a sucker for a sweetie pie :)

ease: 3/5. (custards and caramel can be tricky).
prep and chilling time: 3hours.

taste: 4/5. Pie, pie, me oh my,
Nothing tastes better, wet, salty and dry,
all at once – oh, well it’s pie. (from the movie, Michael.)

Let me break this multi-level pie down;
firstly, you have the peanut butter crust, which despite me being unable to pry it from the dish without breaking, was crunchy, buttery and delicious.
Next was the custard filling - unctuous, velvet, creamy delicious custard with a hint of vanilla (I would use a vanilla bean to get more of that gorgeous perfume).
Then you get lovely banana, sweet billowy cream and to top it all off, sticky, deep spiked caramel. The components meld together to create a surprisingly harmonious pie that treads the line of sweetness perfectly with enough flavour variations to keep each mouthful interesting. Everyone thought it was stupendous.

The downside: as lovely as it looked whole, serving it up caused it to ooze all over the place. I ended up scooping it out and tumbling it into bowls or glasses like an eton mess as it absolutely does not hold its form when cut. This didn't stop people taking a 'scoop' home with them tough.

Side note: goes down a treat for breakfast :).

would I make it again: No, it doesn't slice well enough to take to a function, and as hubby doesn't like either custard or caramel it's too much effort to make just for myself.

recipe: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2012/02/banana-cream-pie-with-salty-bourbon-caramel

Mushroom, spinach & feta pies

As the gossamer morning light drapes over me I find tiny hands sprawled across my chest as eyes the colour of the Milky Way, and just as vast in their depth, slowly open to stare into my mine. The silence between us is filled with wonder and curiosity; I kiss the tips of her fingers whilst the flickers of light and shadow catch her eye, transfixing her to their fluttering dance. I do not know for how many ticks of the clock we lie silently together, as we are both content to exist in our stillness. Time has lost all linear structure and instead falls together in pieces. Moments of sleep. Moments of play. Moments of nourishment. Each moment its own individual world. And each just as precious.

Although my body has mended enough to allow me freedom of movement, I find it harder to gather enough minutes together to be able to cook or bake. It seems even in her sleep, my Valentine notices my absence and wakes from her slumber to call for me. I could swaddle her in a sling close to my chest whilst I cook, but I don't feel comfortable having her so close to open flames and scalding water, so instead I am choosing meals with short preps or steps that can be paused to allow for cuddles or feeds in between until I can find larger blocks of time to spend solo in the kitchen.

ease: 4.5/5.

prep time: 20mins.

cooking time: 25mins.

total: 45mins.

taste: 4/5. Moorishly good.

These golden puffed and flaky parcels with their belly of meaty, flavoursome mushrooms, creamily salty feta and mineral-esque spinach satisfy even the canine tooth of a carnivore. I practically inhaled two within minutes. Simple yet suitably satisfying.

I increased the feta to 100g.

would I make it again: Yes, quick and tasty.

recipe: http://www.ledelicieux.com/2011/04/13/mushroom-spinach-feta-pie/

Peach berry pie

Do you ever have those weeks where you feel as though you are perpetually getting in and out of your car with hardly a moment to sit down with a cup of tea? Well, it's been one of those weeks for me. Each hour stretched to seam-splitting capacity with errands and work and no end in sight until next week arrives; couple that with rainy weather that leaves me sitting in my car looking like a miserable soggy cat hoping that my constant shivering is at least burning some extra calories makes coming back to my heated house and doing absolutely nothing seem like heaven on Earth.

Thanks to some skillful organising I managed to scrounge up a large enough time-chunk in one afternoon to bake a pie and actually eat it, s l o w l y. There's nothing like warm pie to give you strength to get back out there and do what you gotta do!

ease: 4/5.
prep time: 1 hour.
cooking time: 1 hour.
total: 2hours.

taste: 3/5. Middle of the road.

This pie was nice; it satisfied a sweet craving but didn't really offer much more than that. It did however, reignite my search for a great pie.


would I make it again: No - there are more pies to try!

recipe: http://www.waitingforgateau.com/pies.html

Shepherd's pie

The next time it rains, when the last drop has fallen to its soil, go outside. Close your eyes... I n h a l e.  
Can you smell it? Amazing isn't it? It's as if the rain has stripped away Nature's cloak with its crystal soak and revealed her innermost secrets. The world suddenly smells alive. Just breathe it in and feel it rush through your veins, pulsating Mother Earth's very life essence through your soul and Really Wake Up.

If I could bottle the scent of newly washed air and dew-laden gardens I would dab it onto my wrist and sniff whenever the world began to look less colourful or my connection to it wavered. So, CHANEL or Dior or anyone, get right on that please :).

Freshly fallen rain not only makes the day smell better, it also makes me hungry. Perhaps it is from the revitalising cool air on my face after hours spent jailed indoors by the water's slanted bars that sparks my appetite, I'm not really sure. But it's not just me either. Once the pitter pattering stops, my male-half suddenly awakes from his laptop trance and asks, "what's for lunch?"

Today, nothing tastes better post-elemental shower than a warm, nourishing pie from the oven. During my short-lived meat-eating-era my favourite savoury pie was a Shepherd's - the combination of pillowy mashed potatoes covering the saucy flavoursome meat just did it for me. What is your ideal rainy day lunch?

Shepherd's Pie
from Gourmet Traveller
serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 fresh bay leaf
800 gm minced lamb (I used 200g less as I wanted it to be more saucy.)
2 tbsp tomato paste
250 ml (1 cup) brown chicken stock (see note)
125 ml red wine
60 ml (¼ cup) Worcestershire sauce
120 gm (1 cup) frozen peas, defrosted
1 cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
Creamy mash
800 gm desiree potatoes, coarsely chopped
250 ml (1 cup) pouring cream
100 gm butter, softened

Preheat oven to 200C. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, garlic and bay leaf and cook until vegetables are soft and start to colour (7-10 minutes). Season to taste, add mince and stir, breaking up mince with back of spoon until brown (5-7 minutes). Add tomato paste and stir to combine. Add stock, wine and Worcestershire sauce, bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce is thick (20-25 minutes). Stir through peas and parsley and season to taste.

Meanwhile, for creamy mash, place potatoes in a pan and cover with cold salted water. Bring to the boil over medium heat and cook until tender (10-15 minutes). Drain potatoes and return to pan. Add cream and butter and mash until smooth. Season to taste.

Divide mince mixture between four 2 cup-capacity ovenproof dishes. Top with potato and bake until golden (10-15 minutes). Serve with extra Worcestershire sauce to the side.

ease: 4/5.
prep: 40mins.
cooking time: 10mins to brown potatoes.
total: 50mins.

taste: 4.5/5. Those shepherd's sure know their pies.

R loved this and was asking for more the next day. Apart from tasting the mash (which was lovely with its buttery downiness) I didn't taste the meat mixture, but I smelt it cooking and it made me swoon with salivation. The smell almost ended my sixteen years of vegetarianism...almost.

would I make it again: Yes.


recipe: Shepherd's Pie

Sweet potato, silverbeet & goat’s feta pies

It is a lovely 27C outside with a light breeze filled with ocean scents blowing in from the Mediterranean Sea through the streets of Marseille to the balcony where I sit, gazing at the marina and out towards the blue yonder.

We have eaten Bertillon ice cream beneath the Eiffel Tower, bought ripe peaches from Mister Collignon's fruit shop, lathered our brioche with lavender honey from Provence and danced in the Place de L'Horloge in Avignon to the haunting sounds of a pan flute during their Performing Arts Festival. And now, we rest our aching feet in Marseille before leaving for the Cote D'Azure tomorrow morning for sun, sand and self-indulgence.

Til my feet are back in Melbourne, here is a post to tide you over.

(Apologies for any spelling errors, my husband has no spell check on his computer and I must admit, I have let my spelling skills slacken with years of its use).
ease: 3.5/5.
prep time: 2hours (includes chilling - make filling whilst pastry chills).
cooking time: 25mins.
total: 2 hours & 25mins.

taste: 4/5 - delicious parcels of goodness.

I adored was enamoured with this pastry. It had the perfect texture for this pie and was an excellent base for the fillings. The tart itself was a mixture of sweet, salty, creamy, tangy and smooth - great balance of flavours. As usual I added more garlic and goat's cheese (I always use the same one - Meredith's Dairy goat's cheese in olive oil it also has pepper and thyme in it, if you 're from Australia I am sure you are familiar with it) - this cheese pleases all palates, thought it was worth a mention since I've used it for every goat's cheese dish on here, and as you know, the flavour and texture of a dish changes depending on which cheese you use, (and in case you were wondering, I am not affliated with any company, I buy every product on my own dime, or sometimes my husband's ;).

The only thing I would change would be to use less sweet potato as there was quite a lot and it skews it too far to the 'sweet side' for me.

would I make it again: Yes.


recipe: Sweet potato, silverbeet and goat’s feta pies

Moroccan-style chicken pie

Sweet & Savoury - generally opposites, but sometimes great friends.

I have played around with the idea of sweet and savoury main courses as well as desserts before. Take for example, the addition of cinnamon to meats such as lamb or chicken. I love cinnamon, absolutely adore it. I also liked adding it to meat dishes back when I was a meat eater. It especially helped if the lamb was nearing its use by date.

My brother was in need of a good meal seeing as though my dad and his partner hadn't been home in over a week, so I wanted to make a big, warm meal that would be perfect on a rainy, damp night. I love Moroccan and Moroccan-inspired meals; they use such gorgeously fragrant spices that create truly flavoursome food.


ease: 4.5/5.
prep time: 50mins (includes cooling time).
cooking time: 30mins.
total: 1hour & 20mins.

taste: 4.5/5. Ryan really loved this - ate every last bit - 'almost perfect'. Modifications I made:

• 8 phyllo sheets - 4 on the bottom and 4 on the top
• 1 1/2 tbs plain flour
• No cilantro
• 1/4 sultanas in place of golden raisins (didn't have any on hand)
• 2tbs raw sugar in place of 3tbs powdered sugar

As I don't eat chicken I can't tell you the overall taste, but I had a little bit of the pastry with some sauce and it was divine. Perfect balance between the sweet and savoury tastes - not overpowering or boring.

would I make it again: Yes. Would use the golden raisins next time otherwise I would keep everything else the same.

recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Moroccan-Style-Chicken-Pie-351511

Lamb and rosemary pies

Not much to say today. Wanted to make something with minimum prep and hands on time. I love making pies for this reason as they are substanital enough to serve with just a side salad.

ease: 5/5.
prep time: 40 mins to get everything in the pan - then simmer for 25mins.
cooking time: 20mins in the oven til the pastry is browned.
total: 1hour - only 15mins of hands on time.

taste: 3.5. The boys liked this pie more than this pie. A better meld of flavours. I might add some potato next time though.

would I make it again: Yes. recipe: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/14554/lamb+and+rosemary+pies

Lamb, rosemary & garlic pie

Today I knew I would be working all day and in the evening I would be demolishing my bathroom to get it ready for the tiler when he comes in 4 days, so come dinner, I would not have time to stand at the stove cooking.

Pies are a favourite of mine, as although they take over an hour, there is little hands on cooking time.

ease: 4.5/5. A decent amount of prep work involved.
prep time: 1 hour. 20mins to dice and get everything into the one pan where it simmers for 40mins - so only 20mins active cooking.
cooking time: 25mins in the oven.
total: 1hr 25mins.

taste: 3/5. The criticisms were that it was too salty - probably due to the stock I used, I have to find a less salty stock as this as happened a few times before. And that the rosemary was too strong. I used fresh rosemary out of my garden so it may have been a bit bitter. Next time around I will use dried rosemary and no added salt whatsoever. I did not bother to line the base of the dish with pastry, nor did I add cornflour as it didn't need it. I halved the recipe but I also more than halved the cooking times as they were too long.

would I make it again: Yes - with a few tweaks here and there.

recipe: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/19416/lamb+rosemary+and+garlic+pies

Chicken & Leek Pot Pie

1 tbs olive oil
2 leeks, sliced
2 chicken breasts or 6 chicken thighs, chopped
1 tbs thyme leaves
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 1/4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup cream
sea salt and black pepper
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 200C. Heat oil in large fry pan over medium heat. Add leeks and cook for 4mins or until soft. Add chicken, thyme, potatoes and stock and simmer for 20mins or until chicken is tender and potatoes are soft. Stir through cream, salt and pepper. Pour into baking dish. Cover with pastry and brush pastry with egg. Bake for 15mins ot until golden. Serves 3.
ease: 3.5/5. You cook the inside beforehand and then cook it with the pastry in the oven.
prep time: 25mins to cook the filling.cooking time: 15mins to cook in the oven.Total: 40mins.

taste: 4.5/5. Really yummy, the puffed crust was tasty and the filling was lovely. Would add a little more thyme maybe as the flavour wasn't that pronounced. Make sure you properly salt and pepper the filling when its in the fry pan. Ryan and I both had seconds.

would I make it again: Yes. Good pie - makes enough for 3 people in one square pan.

Chicken, Fennel & Parsnip Pie

My favourite thing about Winter - Big, Warm Pies. Parsnip is one of the few vegetables that I have never eaten. So I decided to give it a go.
Tonight there was actually a 5 minute wait to get a lottery ticket for tonight - even my partner, who can't stand people who buy lottery tickets, bought a ticket tonight. $50million is just too enticing to pass up the chance to win it. Goodluck to everyone who bought a ticket.

Some Facts About PARSNIP:

• is a root vegetable related to the carrot.
• In Roman times parsnips were believed to be an aphrodisiac.
• The parsnip is richer in vitamins and minerals than its close relative the carrot

Ease: 3/5. Prep: 10mins. Cutting up vegetables and dusting chicken.
Cooking Time: 40mins. 20mins for cooking vegeatble and chicken and 20mins to cook in oven.
Total Time: 1hr 20mins (includes cooling time for vegetables). Takes a long time all up, but probably only around 30mins of actual active cooking.

Taste: 3.5/5. Not bad, the overall dish didn't have a lot of flavour, probably tasted the pastry the most as I seasoned it before baking. I only used two chicken thighs and3/4 of the amount of liquid, but I kept the other amounts the same. Made enough for 3. Parsnip wasn't very strong in flavour, quite sweet.

Would I make it again: No. I prefer the Chicken Tarragon Pie, which was tastier and easier to make.

Recipe here: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/18582/chicken+fennel+and+parsnip+pie

Eggplant & Walnut Phyllo Pie

Ease: 2/5. A HUGE amount of prep. The eggplant is a pain in the ass to do. Took around 1 hour before it finally goes into the oven. 1.5 hours in total.

Taste: 3/5. Nice flavours but WAY too greasy. The eggplant soaks up oil like it is a diabetic that needs insulin - couldn't eat much at all.

Would I make again: No.

Recipe here: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/EGGPLANT-AND-WALNUT-PHYLLO-PIE-242307

Chicken and tarragon pie

Ease: 4/5. Some chopping involved but otherwise a two pot dish. I made one pie rather than individual ones so I only used 1 sheet of pastry.

Taste: 4/5. Tasty - would use less salt on the pastry next time though. I used 2 chicken breasts which were around 500g total. Pie made enough for 3 with the smaller amount of chicken. Took 30mins in the oven.

Would I make again: Yes - good pie for winter - took 45mins in total.

Recipe here: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/1050/chicken+and+tarragon+pies