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My Passionate Palate
 
Home Town: Flint, Michigan, USA
Living In: Lakewood, Washington, USA
Member Since: Apr. 2009
Cooking Level: Expert
Cooking Interests: Baking, Frying, Stir Frying, Asian, Mexican, Indian, Southern, Dessert, Quick & Easy, Gourmet
Hobbies: Gardening, Boating, Biking, Fishing, Reading Books, Music, Painting/Drawing
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At home with Christ.
About this Cook
I am a 44 yr. old female "Steeler Fan" with one 19 yr. old son whom is my pride and joy (him loves his momma's cookin'...yes him does). He attends CMU going for--wait...let me get this right..."Environmental--- Biological...Engineering". Whew! What a mouth full! I have a sweet husband who (until he met me) ate only what I call simple basics: Hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken (baked or fried) and some "cave man stew" he swore was 'good stuff' (looked more like...well...umph!) So when he married me, he married a cookbook on legs. I must put my signature on anything I make. I had to laugh at my hubs once because he said, "Bey (short for "baby" for those who don't know)...can I just have a PLAIN hotdog this time.."??? Now that's funny. Anyway...The kitchen is my favorite place in my house. It is my sancturary...my "padded room" so to speak. I been coming to AR for about 7 years so it was time to join. I suppose.
My favorite things to cook
Cakes. I love experimenting with them and even with mixes, you can create wonderful, tasty and beautiful 'hunks of love' with a love for the kitchen and a creative mind. Oh...and of course a well stocked pantry.
My favorite family cooking traditions
You want a family tradition....??? Eat what I cook. Per Donna Summers "I work hard for tha' flour". Wait...ummm...she said money...didn't she?
My cooking triumphs
Making cakes. They use to defeat me. For me, I felt like a poor cook since my cakes were not up to par. I could cook most anything I attempted with good end results but cakes...I hated. I despised (with humor that is) those who could produce such fluffy layers. Oddly enough a "ghost Chef" by the name of Steve online (yep a real chef) actually answered my cry for help via email. Come to find out...I wasn't really doing anything wrong he just showed me how to get the results I was looking for. Now, I could make a cake everyday! No sweat. That's how much I love how they turn out. They are as tasty as a Julia Childs cake, fluffy as a fresh bag of Kraft Marshmallows and tall as my son who is 5'9". Well...not that tall.
My cooking tragedies
Pie Crust. I get "Vertigo" (ummm...not to be confused with "Vitiligo") when I attempt to make a pie crust. I start sweatin', my palms get all extra moisty (yes, that's a word--mine), I get dizzy and crossed eyed and it all ends in a fit of "Tourettes". I don't even want to discuss it. Makes me cry like a wimp. It just hurts my little cooking heart. Thank goodness for Pillsbury. Everytime, I go to make a pie crust they....never mind--my eyes are gettin' all watery again and the floor is startin' to move. Vertigo I say...VERTIGO!!!
Recipe Reviews 11 reviews
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Cherry Cheese Pie II
Setting Issue***KNOX GELATIN...will correct problem. I've done this for years. Into your 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, mix in 2 tsp. of Knox (unflavored) Gelatin. Note**Strain your juice or break the pulp. Let stand 1 minute before incorporating into cheese/milk mixture. No need to reduce lemon juice (if you think to much liquid) nor add more cream cheese. For me--adding more cheese cuts into the other flavors. If you reduce your lemon juice to half...use maybe 1/2 - 1 tsp of Knox. Either way let stand 1 minute before use. It will thicken (swell) but don't worry--use it. I prefer sweetened strawberries or frozen cherries mixed with sugar. I don't use cherry filling anymore. Never really cared for it but when I did use it, I believed it aided in filling not setting like I would have liked. I also think that 'cherry goo' is too heavy (weight) & wet for a cream pie. For this reason I thought it made for a poor 'potluck' pie because after cutting it started looking unappetizing later. Mine was never 'runny' or 'soupy' but I always thought it could be bit firmer without sacrificing taste & texture. The recipe is good. Always has been but Knox WILL give a firm, CREAMY, clean slice of pie. TRUST me. As long as you don't use too much, it will not be 'gelatinous' in texture but creamy. Yes, I know it's pretty with the topping covering pie but try spooning over individual slices instead. This will prevent a 'sagging' pie. Firmer, better looking...tasty. Now it's a potluck pie.

1 user found this review helpful
Reviewed On: Nov. 29, 2009
Cherry Cheese Pie
HINT***Knox (unflavored) Gelatin...for those who have problem with pie setting. Mix 1 1/2 to 2 t of it into your fresh squeezed, 1/3 cup of lemon juice & let it stand for 1 minute before incorporating into cream cheese/milk mixture. If you use fresh--crush your pulp or strain it. I've experimented with flour & cornstarch & while both did thicken, it gave pasty-chalky texture to filling. Thus the reason I tried gelatin. It lends no flavor, keeps the creamy texture & you DON'T have to decrease lemon juice which is key for the pies delicious taste. I sometimes add 1 T of fresh grated lemon peel to my filling. You could always add (instead of gelatin) an additional 1/4 cup of cream cheese but I think it cuts the intensity of the lemon juice. The original Kraft/Phildelphia recipe calls for putting the Cherry Pie Filling on top of whole pie but I believe this aids in the filling not setting well enough for clean slicing. I think it's just too heavy & wet a topping for a cream-type pie. It also makes pie look terrible after a few days (leaking). Anyway, I've always diplored that part of the pie. I HATE, Yuck, HATE that gooey, gelatinous glop of 'over processed' mess. Did I forget to say I hate that stuff?. I prefer thawed sweetened strawberries, frozen cherries or fresh strawberries macerated in sugar & a large dash or two of Grand Marnier. Whatever topping you choose, try spooning over individual slices instead...gelatin or not. But gelatin will give solid slicing. Promise.

0 users found this review helpful
Reviewed On: Nov. 29, 2009
Cherry Cream Cheese Pie
For Firmer Pie: Try Knox (unflavored) Gelatin. Into 1/3 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice, mix in 1 1/2 to 2 tsp & let it stand for 1 minute (lemon juice will 'swell' or thicken). Incorporate into cream cheese/milk mixture. If you use fresh--crush your pulp or strain it. Do not use too much of the Knox or your pie will be more gelatinous than the creamy texture this delicious pie is known for. Using the Knox means you don't have to sacrifice your lemony flavor by cutting it due to 'soupy' problems and you do not have to add extra cream cheese either which to me, cuts into the other flavors. Try not putting all that 'cherry glop' (sorry, I hate tha stuff) on the whole pie but spoon over individual slices. This will keep pie filling from 'saggin' because of the heavy weight of filling. It also keeps pie from leaking after a few days (if it last that long) making the pie look 'unappealing'. I have never had a problem with soupy-ness or a pie that doesn't set at all. The Original recipe itself just yields a pretty soft texture. However, I experimented years ago with unflavored gelatin because I like my pies to cut 'clean'. This will do just that for you. And because it is unflavored...you don't interupt the original taste of the recipe. Call it an 'invisible band-aid'. I use sweetened thawed strawberries or frozen cherries mixed with sugar. I lost the recipe & knew someone would have it here. Thanks for posting.

1 user found this review helpful
Reviewed On: Nov. 27, 2009
 
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