Curtis Aikens Pecan Pie Recipes

CURTIS AIKENS' ABC SOUP

Steps:

• A is for vitamin A. We all know that Vitamin A is found in carrots, but it's also found in green vegetables like Asparagus and Artichokes 1/4 to 1/2 pound asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces 6 artichoke bottoms (hearts) cut into quarters
• B is for Broccoli. Former President Bush was famous for not enjoying broccoli, but his wife Barbara loved it, and she was dedicated to the cause of reading, all across this country. I hope you'll join me in thanking Barbara Bush for all of her work with literacy. 2 heads of broccoli (and their trimmed stalks) cut into pieces
• C is for Carrots, yummy! I love carrots; they're sweet, crunchy and good for the eyes, teeth and bones. 3 carrots, peeled and cut into pieces
• D is for Daikon, a vegetable used a lot in Asian cuisine. It adds a wonderful flavor to soup. 1 medium daikon, peeled and cut into pieces
• E is for Eggplant, not usually found in soups, but eggplant works, especially if you can find the small green Thai eggplant. You don't even have to peel them, just remove their caps. If you don't find Thai eggplant, purple eggplant will do nicely! 12 small Thai eggplant or 1 purple eggplant, peeled, diced and slightly sauteed in olive oil
• F is for Fungi; that means mushrooms! Any mushrooms will work; White button or Shiitake or Oyster. 2 handfuls of mushrooms, chopped and sauteed with a little bit of olive oil
• G is for Ginger. A fabulous root spice, the best of which comes from our 50th state, Hawaii. 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Ginger root, peeled and very finely chopped.
• H is for HOT. If you like your soups spicy hot, you can add Habanero peppers, which is the hottest pepper of all. Not everyone appreciates Habanero; in this soup they are optional and should be handled by grown ups only! 2 to 3 Habaneros, seeded and finely diced
• I is for Ingredients. This is what cooks call all of the things that go into a recipe. I have never found a vegetable that starts with the letter I. If you can think of one, please let me know!!
• J is for Jicama, a delicious root vegetable, which is quite popular in the tropical regions of the world, and looks very much like a potato. 1/4 cup jicama, peeled and diced
• K is for Kohlrabi, a great vegetable that comes in red, green and sometimes white. The leafy top and globe shaped bottom are all good to eat. A few diced kohlrabi leaves or 1/8 cup kohlrabi bottom, peeled and diced
• L is for Lemongrass, which is used a lot in Asia. If you can't find it, you can substitute a little lemon juice, or a little of its peel. 1 tablespoon minced lemongrass or 1/2 teaspoon yellow lemon peel, grated
• M is for Maize, the Native American word for corn Kernels of 3 ears of corn
• N is for Nutmeg, a wonderful spice that smells good too! 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

CURTIS AIKENS' ABC SOUP

Steps:

• E is for Eggplant, not usually found in soups, but eggplant works, especially if you can find the small green Thai eggplant. You don't even have to peel them, just remove their caps. If you don't find Thai eggplant, purple eggplant will do nicely! 12 small Thai eggplant or 1 purple eggplant, peeled, diced and slightly sauteed in olive oil F is for Fungi; that means mushrooms! Any mushrooms will work; White button or Shiitake or Oyster. 2 handfuls of mushrooms, chopped and sauteed with a little bit of olive oil G is for Ginger. A fabulous root spice, the best of which comes from our 50th state, Hawaii. 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Ginger root, peeled and very finely chopped. H is for HOT. If you like your soups spicy hot, you can add Habanero peppers, which is the hottest pepper of all. Not everyone appreciates Habanero; in this soup they are optional and should be handled by grown ups only! 2 to 3 Habaneros, seeded and finely diced I is for Ingredients. This is what cooks call all of the things that go into a recipe. I have never found a vegetable that starts with the letter I. If you can think of one, please let me know!! J is for Jicama, a delicious root vegetable, which is quite popular in the tropical regions of the world, and looks very much like a potato. 1/4 cup jicama, peeled and diced K is for Kohlrabi, a great vegetable that comes in red, green and sometimes white. The leafy top and globe shaped bottom are all good to eat. A few diced kohlrabi leaves or 1/8 cup kohlrabi bottom, peeled and diced ;
• A is for vitamin A. We all know that Vitamin A is found in carrots, but it's also found in green vegetables like Asparagus and Artichokes .
• B is for Broccoli. Former President Bush was famous for not enjoying broccoli, but his wife Barbara loved it, and she was dedicated to the cause of reading, all across this country. I hope you'll join me in thanking Barbara Bush for all of her work with literacy. .
• C is for Carrots, yummy! I love carrots; they're sweet, crunchy and good for the eyes, teeth and bones. .
• D is for Daikon, a vegetable used a lot in Asian cuisine. It adds a wonderful flavor to soup.
• P is for Pepper, the black kind. I was once asked if I could pick only 2 spices, which ones would they be. My answer? Salt and Pepper! Pepper to taste (in a pot of soup like this one, 1 teaspoon is a good place to start) Q is for questions. My question: Have we forgotten anything, like maybe a delicious green vegetable that belongs in our soup? I say Yes! Let's revisit "C" and add some Celery! 1 small bunch of celery, diced Q is also for Quarter. We need a Quarter cup of liquid; you can add water or vegetable juice for broth, which should be combined with 1 teaspoon of butter for a smooth texture. R is for Rosemary, a herb which goes wonderfully in soup. 2 teaspoons fresh Rosemary S is for Salt, Sage and Savory Spices--all things that wake up the natural flavor of our vegetable soup. 1 teaspoon each of Sage and savory Herb de Provence Salt to taste T is for Tomato, one of my very favorite things to put into soup 4 red Tomatoes, diced T is also for Thyme, another great herb. 1/4 teaspoon Thyme Which sounds like "Time", something our soup also needs. After our alphabet has been completed, bring the soup to a quick boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes. U is for "You"; make sure that you add something that You enjoy. My soup is always made from vegetables, but You may want to add fish or chicken or ground meat. Saute or grill it first, with a little bit of salt and pepper;
• L is for Lemongrass, which is used a lot in Asia. If you can't find it, you can substitute a little lemon juice, or a little of its peel. .
• M is for Maize, the Native American word for corn .
• N is for Nutmeg, a wonderful spice that smells good too! .
• O is for Onion. My favorites are the big white ones, the sweet yellow ones, and the Spring green ones .
• X is for no vegetable that I've ever heard of. If you can think of one, I hope you'll let me know. In the meantime, did you know that some people write the letter "X" as the symbol for a kiss? So when you have a steaming bowl of hot soup in front of you, you might want to blow a kiss into it; it's a lovely way to cool it off. Y is for Yams. Here in America, Yams are a variety of sweet potato. 2 medium Yams, peeled and diced Y is also for Yukon Gold, a yellow-fleshed potato which will help to make our soup nice and thick. 3 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced Z is for Zucchini, one of my favorites! 3 medium Zucchini, sliced into wheels Method: Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes. Your broth will be slowly created in the process. Check your seasoning during the cooking process, and add spices to taste. You may want to add 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil to thicken the broth and to add richness.;
• V is for Vegetable; the Vegetable of your choice that isn't in the pot yet (maybe cabbage, squash, bell pepper, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, garlic cloves, anything you can think of!) .
• V is also for Victory. While I stir this soup, I thank God for my Victory over illiteracy. Not only can I read wonderful recipes, I can write them too, for you to read and to enjoy preparing! .
• W is for Water, which won't be necessary if you cover the pot while the soup is simmering (this may be a good moment for you parents to explain to your kids how liquid evaporates, or rises in the form of steam). .
• If your pot is uncovered, add 1/4 cup water .
• If you plan to use a lid, you can chop some Watercress or Water Chestnuts, to make sure that there is a "W" in the soup.

THE BEST PECAN PIE

Steps:

• For the crust: Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Using your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles yellow cornmeal mixed with bean-size bits of butter. (If the flour/butter mixture gets warm, refrigerate it for 10 minutes before proceeding.) Add the egg and stir the dough together with a fork or by hand in the bowl. If the dough is dry, sprinkle up to a tablespoon more of cold water over the mixture.
• Alternatively, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor fitted with the metal blade until combined. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles yellow cornmeal mixed with bean-size bits of butter, about 10 times. Add the egg and pulse 1 to 2 times; don't let the dough form into a ball in the machine. (If the dough is very dry add up to a tablespoon more of cold water.) Remove the bowl from the machine, remove the blade and bring the dough together by hand.
• Form the dough into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.
• Roll the dough on a lightly-floured surface into a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan and trim the edges, leaving about an extra inch hanging over the edge. Tuck the overhanging dough underneath itself to form a thick
• edge that is even with the rim. Flute the edge as desired. Freeze the pie shell for 30 minutes.
• Arrange the racks in the center and lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Put a piece of parchment paper or foil over the pie shell and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake on a baking sheet on the center rack until the dough is set, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and lift the sides of the parchment to remove the beans. Continue baking until the pie shell is lightly golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
• While the crust is baking make the filling: Combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and, stirring constantly, continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts, bourbon and vanilla. Set it aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. (If the crust has cooled, return it to the oven for 5 minutes to warm through.) Whisk the beaten eggs into the filling until smooth. Put the pie shell on a baking sheet and pour the filling into the hot crust.
• Bake on the lower rack until the edges are set but the center is still slightly loose, 40 to 45 minutes. (If the edges get very dark, cover them with aluminum foil half way during baking.) Cool on a wire rack. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

ROASTED PECANS

Steps:

• Melt unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne. Pour this mixture over 2 cups pecans, tossing to coat them. Bake the nuts on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until nuts are beginning to brown. Remove immediately to drain on paper towels.

PECAN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, butter, water, and cornstarch. Bring to a full boil, and remove from heat.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Gradually beat in cooked syrup mixture. Stir in salt, vanilla, and pecans. Pour into pie shell.
• Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until filling is set.

THE BEST PECAN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Refrigerate while preparing filling., In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add pecans; cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant and pecans start to brown, 4-5 minutes. Remove pecans with a slotted spoon, reserving butter in pan. Stir in brown sugar, maple syrup, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. In a bowl, whisk a small amount of the hot mixture into eggs; return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Stir whiskey, optional, and vanilla into brown sugar mixture; stir in pecans. Pour into crust. , Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 55-60 minutes. Cover edges with foil during the last 30 minutes to prevent overbrowning if necessary. Cool on a wire rack. If desired, top with whipped cream and cinnamon. Refrigerate leftovers.

CLASSIC PECAN PIE

Steps:

• Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla using a spoon. Stir in pecans.
• Pour into pie crust.
• Bake at 350 degrees F on center rack of oven for 60 to 70 minutes.
• Cool for 2 hours before serving.