Name This Recipe

Last night was one of those busy nights when I didn't have any dinner plan and didn't have a lot of time to make dinner either. So I looked around the kitchen and came up with a pretty tasty meal--even the kids really liked it! But what would you call this dish?

NAME THIS RECIPE

1 lb. spaghetti
1 pkg. (12-16 oz.) breakfast sausage
1/2 -1 tsp. fennel seed, crushed
1/2 large white onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
thyme, to taste
oregano, to taste
lemon pepper, to taste
a few handfuls of fresh spinach
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
feta cheese, crumbled

Put a pot of water to boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente.
While the spaghetti is cooking, brown the sausage in a large frying pan. Add the fennel seed to the sausage while it is browning. When the sausage is mostly cooked add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are limp. Add the garlic, thyme, oregano and lemon pepper; cook for a minute or so. Add spinach and cook until it's wilted. Stir in the tomatoes and remove from heat.
By now the pasta should be all cooked. Drain it, then return it to the pot and stir in the sausage mixture and about half of the feta cheese. Add salt, to taste. Top with remaining feta cheese and serve immediately.

Pretty darn good, but what would you call this?

The Best Pie Crust Ever!

Anyone will tell you that I make a really good pie crust. Truly! I'm not just bragging on myself again. That's because pie crust really is easy. You've heard, "easy as pie," right? Well, it's true. The biggest "secret" to a great pie crust is to make it fast and make it cold. There, you've got it. And make this recipe--it really is fantastic.

FABULOUS, FLAKY PIE CRUST

1 large egg yolk

1/2 tsp. lemon juice (fresh-squeezed is nice, but not necessary)

2 1/2 Tbsp. cold water

2 1/2 Tbsp. cold milk

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups shortening

In a small bowl, mix together the egg yolk, lemon juice, water and milk. Put in refrigerator until you need it later.

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar and salt together. Drop pieces of shortening into the flour mixture [use all the shortening, but cut it into chunks before you drop it in. Probably not really necessary, but that's how I do it because it spreads the shortening around kind of evenly. Whatever.] Using a pastry blender [for my kids, this is what I call the "pie cutter"], cut the shortening into the flour until it's all crumbly. Pour the refrigerated mixture over the flour mixture and cut it in, using the pastry blender. The mixture should adhere, you shouldn't see any really wet spots, but it shouldn't be in one big mass of dough either. This makes enough dough for two single-crust pies, or one double-crusted pie.

To roll: Get a plastic grocery bag and cut it across the bottom, up the sides and cut the handles off. Now you have two pieces of plastic just the right size for rolling a pie crust in.

Spread one sheet of plastic on the counter and place 1/2 of the dough in the center of it. Flatten the dough slightly and place the second sheet of plastic on top of it. Roll the dough into a circle, pretty close to the size you'll need it to be.

Peel the top sheet of plastic off, replace it, and then flip the whole thing over [now the bottom sheet is the top sheet, right?]. Peel off the new top sheet and replace it. Roll again, until the dough is the right size--it should fit into your pan with a little overhang.

Peel off the top sheet of plastic, replace it, flip it over and peel off the other sheet of plastic. Slide your hand, fingers spread out, under the plastic (the piece with the dough on it). Invert the whole thing into the pie pan, fitting it into the edges, and peel the plastic off.

Flute the edges of the crust.

> Refrigerate your pie crust for 30 minutes before you bake it! <

For a pre-baked crust (usually for cream pies): Using a fork, poke holes in the bottom and sides of the crust; refrigerate for 30 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10-12 minutes, or until it's browned the way you like it. [If you're really worried about the crust shrinking or bubbling you can line it with foil and fill it with dry beans before you bake it. This works, but I think it also makes the crust just a little tough.] Let the crust cool to room temperature before you fill it.

If you cook the filling at the same time as the crust, in a single crust (pumpkin pie, pecan pie), still refrigerate the crust for 30 minutes before you fill it. Fill crust and bake according to recipe instructions.

For a double crust pie (apple pie, fruit pies), fill the pie, put the top crust on and flute it. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Bake according to recipe directions.

Easy as pie. (And fabulously flaky too!)