Food: Pumpkin Pie

 

Pumpkin is native to North America, so it's only natural that pumpkin pie is the official dessert of Thanksgiving - probably Christmas, too. Uploaded by files.list.co.uk.

It’s the official dessert of Thanksgiving. You could say the same for Christmas. And while we may not think of it at other seasons of the year, it’s good any time.

Pumpkin pie is a natural for this list, since pumpkins are native to America. There are lots of recipes for pumpkin pie, ranging from the simplest (pour pumpkin pie filling in a pre-made pie shell) to Martha Stewart-like complex. One famous chef who knows her desserts is Paula Deen, so let’s take a look at her recipe for pumpkin pie, courtesy of the Food Network:

Uploaded by blogs.creativeloafing.com.

Ingredients:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional
• 1 piece pre-made pie dough
• Whipped cream, for topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.

I couldn’t find a video of Paula making her pumpkin pie, so here’s a completely different pumpkin pie video:

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Person: Rachael Ray

She's been a success at just about everything she's tried. And it seems like she's done it all in 30 minutes or less. Uploaded by womantribune.com.

“Hi, I’m Rachael Ray, and I make 30-minute meals. That means in the time it takes to watch this program, I’ll have made a delicious, healthy meal from start to finish.” On her first network show, 30 Minute Meals, Rachael didn’t try to teach us haute cuisine, or to use advanced chef techniques. Instead, she showed how to prepare family food within the time frame the average person has to fix a meal.

Her girl-next-door beauty and effusive personality made her a star, and more television opportunities followed. The Food Network, recognizing her star power, gave her two additional shows: Rachael Ray’s Tasty Travels and $40 a Day. But others were noticing her as well, including the Queen of All Things – Oprah. Harpo Productions launched Rachel Ray, a talk show that goes beyond the kitchen to explore Rachael’s other lifestyle interests. Launched in 2006, the show won Daytime Emmys in 2008 and 2009 for Outstanding Talk Show (Entertainment).

Photo by Andy Kropa, uploaded by cache.daylife.com.

Now Rachael has her own magazine, Web site (of course), best-selling cookbooks, and lots of product endorsements. She even got her signature “EVOO” (for “extra virgin olive oil”) into the dictionary. She’s lived a charmed life, and she knows it.

“I’ve just sort of gone with the flow and I ended up here,” she said. “Crazy. I’m not going to start planning anything, my life is way better than anybody could have planned it.”

Here’s an excellent interview that demonstrates why America loves Rachael Ray:

Americana: Tailgating

It's hard to beat an SEC tailgate. Uploaded by a.espncdn.com.

Long gone are the days when tailgating was limited to fried chicken and potato salad. Go to a ballgame today and you’ll see exclusive set-ups that would be the envy of a Beverly Hills caterer.

One group at an NFL stadium builds a football temple each week. Three pop-up tents contain gas grills, cookstoves, 10 folding tables, a satellite dish, and a wide-screen TV. And the food would make the Food Network jealous. Lobster tails, steaks, crab, and turducken. (Yes, it’s what it sounds like.) And, of course, lots of adult beverages.

Hokies are as good in the parking lot as on the field. Uploaded by vtmagazine.vt.edu.

Of course, most people’s idea of tailgating isn’t to build a mobile four-star restaurant. Take me, for example. I’m happy with burgers on a hibachi, barbecue and baked beans, homemade banana pudding, and sweet tea. Oh, baby.

Here are 10 things to bring to a tailgate (which you could easily forget), courtesy of tailgating.com: 1. Jumper cables 2. Toilet paper 3. Plastic trash bags 4. Extra ice 5. Rain gear 6. First-aid kit 7. Sun block 8. A newbie 9. Comfortable shoes 10. Antacid