Blackberry Galette

The Move!

The time has come ...
Here's a move we can all do:

THE BERNIE

I think the bernie can be done almost anywhere and be totally appropriate.  At work, at the grocery store, in the car, at a football game (obvi), or walking down the aisle at your wedding. Seriously, you will never fail to gain respect with this move.  This kid is just proving that point: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcuLSw5aS-8&feature=related.

And when people flock to you because you look SO GOOD you can just push them away like Ray Rice because YOU DO LOOK THAT GOOD ....  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ORn5zft1_o

The Beats!

Welp!  Fall is definitely here. The leaves have turned, the clouds and rain are back for the next 9 months, and I'm sick.  And this is how the season of Becky turning into a weak sauce, stuffy nosed, dude-sounding girl begins.  On the bright side, it means cider, pumpkin pie, and fuzzy blankets, which are some of my favorite things.  Anyway, after waking up this morning barely able to breath I'm going with a fairly mellow playlist.  If you're feeling a little melancholy, maybe it's not the best choice.  But then if you can manage to exaggerate that melancholy you can turn the music up even louder and sway back and forth, arms in the air, singing way too loud with a distraught look on your face and I guarantee you'll feel better by the end.  Yeah, I know the bernie doesn't fit with this music, so make it fit. These are some of my favorite mellow tunes.  The ones where I do just that (the swaying, crying, belting out, ok - maybe not the crying ...).  But most of them have great memories behind them.  Singing loud on a car trip across Montana to see one of my best friends get married, or in the hallway with my roommate with hairbrushes and blow-dryers as mics.  Oh and I used to think I had an obsession of tragic sounds about outer space (Rocket Man by Elton John, Space Oddity by David Bowie, Lost in Space by Aimee Mann ... ) but I've spared you by NOT making that the theme of this playlist.

The Treats!

A blackberry galette from a cookbook called "How to Be a Domestic Goddess"?!  YESSSS.  Cause that's how classy we are.  In pajamas.  In the kitchen.  BUT, with an awesome apron on.  Doing the bernie.  While baking.  BOOOM, you have the best Saturday of your life.  And I'm just gonna be revolutionary and say you can find a way to fit "the bernie" into a slow, sad playlist.  Or go back to a more lively one so that you can at least try it once.  This galette turned out pretty good, although it was one of those recipes where you're just not confident until its in your mouth (I know I'm going to hear back about part of that statement. Shhhhh.).    Maybe it's because Nigella's British, or maybe it's because I eat too much, but the picture in her cookbook looked a little deceiving as it looked pizza sized and said it served six.  It's more like personal pizza sized and if  you have self control it'll serve four.  So if you're making it for company double the recipe and make two, or one big one.  Oh, and really, you DO need the kickass apron ... http://treatsandbeats.blogspot.com/p/few-favorites.html .

Blackberry Galette              

From How to Be a Domestic Goddess
(Nigella say's it serves 6, but I'd say 4 ...)

What you'll need ...

Pastry:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons fine cornmeal
1 scant Tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
scant 1/4 cup cold butter
1 Tablespoon vegetable shortening
1-3 Tablespoons ice water (enough to bind)

Filling:
1/2 pint blackberries
approx. 3 Tablespoons sugar
3 heaping Tablespoons creme fraiche
Cooking spray
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon sugar

In a food processor (or with a potato masher in a bowl like I did), mix the dry ingredients, then add the butter and shortening diced into small pieces. Mix briefly  until it resembles coarse bread crumbs, then add enough ice water to form a dough, mixing gently.  Form it into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator to rest for about 30 minutes (or overnight like I did - I made this on a warm day and had trouble with the dough being too sticky).




Preheat the over to 375 degrees.  Roll the pastry out into a rough circle, transfer to a greased baking sheet, and scatter blackberries on top, leaving 3" margin around the edge.  Sprinkle with 1-2 Tablespoons of sugar, to taste.

Dollop with creme fraiche.  Sprinkle a further Tablespoon of sugar over, dampen the edges with water, then wrap them over themselves to form a knobbly, ramshackle rim ... this is why I love Nigella - a "knobby, ramshackle rim?  Ok, no problem".








Put in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the pastry is cooked through.

Apple Pie

The Move!

I'm trying something different with the beats this week ... country.  I'll explain that in a minute.  BUT, I still really wanted to put a "normal" move up here, ya know, something like The Bernie or Jerkin or The Stanky Legg.  But then you really couldn't put the move and the playlist together.  At all.  Siiiiigh, I guess I will put country moves on here (i'm whining if you can't tell).  I get in trouble at just about every wedding I go to when they start playing country music.  First I say "no", then I say "I don't country dance" and then finally "FINE! I warned you!"  Then one minute later I hear, "Wait, you're from Wyoming?  Why don't you know how to country dance?  Wyoming girls always try to lead."  Seriously dude, I don't want to be out here either.  Annnyway, maybe someday I'll learn so I can avoid that conversation altogether.  

The Tush Push??  Whaaaat?! ... HAHAHA.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AupZaN1ZP-c&feature=related
  
The Beats!

Ummm, I don't really know what happened but for some reason I thought apple pie ... and I thought country music.  This never happens.  To be honest, I've never really had any interest in classic country.  I like bluegrass, I like folk, I don't like depressing, whiny music.  My roommate in college used to listen to country on Sundays and when I would come home and turn on the stereo ... I would realize what had happened.  Sometimes I was forced into hearing a few lines before I could find the remote to change back to my thug station.  Anyway, I'm making an exception today.  But since I've never listened to country I asked a friend to come up with a list of his favorite songs.  He sent me the names of 36 songs and I recognized 1 of them.  I added a few of my own, one of which I'm not even sure qualifies as country, but it's close enough.  Here goes:



 
The Treats!

Here's the apple pie, as promised.  I collected the apples from a park down the street while my dad and step-mom were visiting ... Carolyn climbed up the tree to knock the best looking apples down to my father (attempting to catch them) while I jumped from below, snatching branches and shaking them until they pummeled me and the ground.  I'm sure we made a scene, maybe more entertaining than the nearby cricket match.  Anyway, the apples were tart and flavorful, and free.  I don't dislike apple pie, but it's never been my favorite (which somehow seems un-American) but this recipe is ridiculously easy and it is pretty darn good served warm with vanilla icecream.  And maybe with caramel sauce ...  

Apple Pie              

From Cooking Light Complete Cookbook

(makes 1 pie, 10 servings or 5 ramekin pies)
 

What you'll need ...

1 crust (bought or homemade)
8 cups thinly sliced peeled apples 
(about 8 medium apples, something tart like Braeburns)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt


Cooking spray
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon sugar


Well, after the blackberry pie, and now this you've probably guessed that I don't usually make my own pie crusts.  My grandmother always made delicious pie crusts, but I just find it too tempting to pick up the pre-made crusts and within five minutes have a pie put together.  If you prefer homemade crusts I'm all for it.  Also, if you'd like, you can turn this recipe into "personal" pies, made with small ramekins.  Follow the same instructions, cutting the crust into smaller circles. Check the pies before the full baking time, as they may not require the full time.

To prepare filling, mix apple and lemon juice in a large bowl.  Combine 2/3 cups sugar and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl.  Sprinkle sugar mixture over apple; toss well to coat.

Place crust bottom into pie baking dish, spread with lightly beaten egg.  Spoon filling into dish, brush edges of dough lightly with water.  Place crust top over filling and press edges of dough together.  Fold edges under; press together with fingers (flute).  Brush crust top with lightly beaten egg, cut 4 1-inch slits into top of pastry using a knife. Sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon of sugar.

Place pie (or ramekins) on baking sheet, bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake an additional 40 minutes or until golden.  Cool on a wire rack.