I’ve been away from this blog for quite a while. I have reasons, excuses, justifications, rationalizations, apologies, extenuating circumstances and just about any other synonym you can think of, but none of them are particularly interesting. I think a little food for thought might be better.
Besides, we’ve all dropped out of life at some point during the course of it, but no one likes to admit to that. I could brag about finishing my Master’s degree; I could tell you stories about the US healthcare systems and a crazy neurologist that would make you want to emigrate to a cold, dark Scandinavian country; I could say that I was running out of recipes, which would be entirely true; I could just pretend it didn’t happen like I do with some of the jobs I leave off my resume, but I think I’m just going to admit to it. I dropped out. I gave out. I burned out.
What I realized while I was out was that being out is kind of unacceptable, in so many ways. Out of the closet, out of the norm, out of touch with reality, out of your mind, down and out; Being out just isn’t in. Yeah, whatever…I’m down with being out. I think it gives you time to take a good look inside yourself.
Besides, while I was out I met someone.
Let’s just call him The Doctor. He’ll like that.
The Doctor is in.
– and he has a thing for pie.
Chai Apple Pie (From http://www.thekitchenpaper.com/chai-apple-pie/)
- 1 double-crust pie dough
- ½ cup sugar + sugar for sanding
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp cardamom
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ⅛ tsp finely ground black pepper
- 8 cups very thinly sliced apples
- ⅓ cup butter
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Roll out one crust and fit into a pie plate.
- Combine ½ cup sugar with the tapioca starch and all spices, mix well. Toss with the apples until they are well coated.
- Pour the apples into the prepared crust, and dot with butter.
- Roll out the second crust and crimp it on top of the first, making sure there is some sort of vent.
- Brush the top crust with the cream, and sprinkle heavily with sugar.
- Bake for 60 minutes, tenting with foil if the crust becomes too dark.
OlyEats 