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Mom's Apple Pie

I debated about making a fancy dessert to go with Mother’s Day dinner, but when I really thought about it, my earliest and happiest memories with my mom were all about baking apples pies. We would clean off the kitchen table, line all the ingredients up, and I would watch my mom chop all the apples. She would wear her apron, and I would wear my little matching one, and wait anxiously for when I would get to toss the apples with all the ingredients and pat them gently into the pie crust. We would snack on the extra apples she would always cut as we worked. 

 

Once the pie was safely in the oven, the house would smell like cinnamon and vanilla and everything home. And that first piece? Amazing, with ice cream or whipped cream.

 

So I think I’ll make Mom an apple pie. Nothing fancy, just the way I remember it, with Cortland apples from my favorite orchard. The only difference is I’ll use organic sugar so it’s healthier for both of us.

Click on the video to see a chef from www.foodwishes.com demonstrate the best way to do apple pie filling. 

What’s your favorite memory with your mom? Give it back to her on Mother’s Day. She’ll be thrilled that you remembered. 

Experience the Flavors of New Orleans

 

I mentioned Monkey Bread in a post the other day, and it got me thinking about New Orleans. It was the first place I’d tried the delicious dessert -- among other culinary delights -- during my first ever Mardi Gras celebration.

 

The memories make the Monkey Bread even sweeter. 

So I thought I might plan a trip back, and when I started investigating some upcoming culinary happenings, I came across the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience, happening May 25-29.

 

This prestigious event features winemakers, chefs, and fancy foodies all in one hot spot, and I am so there. The agenda includes tons of tastings, wine dinners, and the best of this year’s trends. But the event I’m looking most forward to is the Royal Street Stroll, featuring wine, art, jazz, antiques, and a taste of the city that will leave you breathless. 

 

Seminars are also available, including Let Them Eat Cake, with a local French pastry shop providing sweets, and Think Outside the Bento Box, about a sushi and wine combination.

 

If you can hit the city for this event, do it. While you’re there, don’t even think about leaving without trying some real gumbo. If you have an authentic taste, all the better to make your own when you get back, like this Shrimp Gumbo recipe by Alton Brown from the Food Network. 

 

New Orleans is truly a jewel, and I can’t think of a better event to help you experience it. You won’t be disappointed, and you’ll definitely come home thinking of new ways to cook your food. New Orleans does that to you.