Cookbook Review of the Month - June 2007
This month's selection is In The Kennedy Kitchens. I choose this book since June is the month for Father's Day, barbeques, clambakes, and beaches. Neil Connoly was Rose Kennedy's personal chef, and thus he bacame the personal chef for the entire Kennedy Family. This is a wonderful pictorial history of the Kenndy family, their favorite recipes, and the important events that shaped a Presidency and a country. It's a great read as well as a great cookbook.
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This is a very beautiful cookbook filled with wonderful recipes. If you are a Kennedy-a-file, you will really enjoy the cookbook, a reminiscent trip back through Camelot. I was in the fourth grade when President Kennedy was assassinated, and couldn't understand the impact. Why was everyone so upset, after all he was already "old." Now, as I look back, you see how truly young he, and Jackie in particular, were. Even if you aren't a Kennedy fan, as a history buff, or a cookbook collector, or just someone looking for a cofee table book, you will find something to love about this book. |
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Sample Recipe from the book: I choose the Key Lime Pie for this month's selection. I'm not a pir lover, but I do like Key Lime Pie, and this recipe intrigued me because of the Graham Cracker and Pistachio Pie Shell. As you know, the Kennedy's spent a lot of time in Florida in Palm Beach, and therefore Key Lime Pie was a favorite in the Kennedy compound.
Key Lime Pie
Ingredients:
- Graham Cracker and Pistachio Pie Shell (recipe follows)
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Key Lime Juice, fresh or bottled
- 2 cups heavy cream
PREPARATION
1. Prepare the graham cracker and pistachio Shell as directed and let cool completely.
2. In a heavy medium saucepan, preferably enameled cast iron, combine the milk with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Redice the heat to low.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the cornstarch, the flour, and the Key Lime Juice. Gradually pour this mixture into the simmering milk, whisking constatnly. Bring to a low boil, whisking until the filling starts to thicken. Immediately remove from the heat.
4. Pour the Key Lime Filling into the pie shell. Refrigerate until cooled and set, at least 3 hours.
5. In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters, beat the cream with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar until stiff peaks form. Using a spatula, spread the whilled cream over the Key Lime Pie to cover the filling or pipe decoratively on the top. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes a 10-inch pie; serves 8.
GRAHAM CRACKER AND PISTACHIO PIE SHELL
Makes a 10-inch Pie Shell
1 1/2 cups graham crcjer crumbs (about 6 ounces)
1/2 cup finely chopped pistachios
1/2 cup melted butter
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, toss together the grahan cracker crumbs and chopped pistachios. Add the melted butter and mix with a fork to moisten evenly.
2. Turn the crumb mixture into a 10-inch pie pan and spread evenly with your fingers to cover the bottom and the sides. Usins a second pie pan, press it down firmly on the crumbs to mold them into place, forming the shape of the pie pan.
3. Bake for 6 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool completely before filling.
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