ALN Cooks!: Not Your Mama's Pie

Monday, January 7, 2013

Not Your Mama's Pie

Food has become boring to me. Are you shocked?

Oh come on, it happens to all cooks. We cook the same thing, the same thing...the same thing. Mostly because our families like to eat the same thing. Cooking a repetitive menu is another matter entirely.

So I'm diving across the pond. Time to get my Brit on.

The rumor, Stateside, is that British food lacks luster. I wouldn't know, having never been to the United Kingdom, but I do know of a British celebrity chef who has a tasty spin on foodstuffs from his home place. Jamie Oliver has been one of my favorite chefs for years. I appreciate his take on food - real, fresh, simple, and good for you (mostly). It's wholesome eating.

I recently purchased one of his latest cookbooks, "Jamie Oliver's Great Britain" (thanks, Mom and Dad, for the gift card!) and was thrilled to see a particular recipe in his Pies and Puddings chapter. I love a good savory pie, but I've always wanted to make a fish pie.

Sounds dreadful, doesn't it.

Trust me, it's not at all dreadful. Full of flavor, simple ingredients, and none of them chemically enhanced. No nasty "cream of this or that" soup from a can. No flavor packets claiming to be sans MSG.

Now, I won't post the recipe as it's not mine to post, but I will show you that just because something sounds odd doesn't mean you should avoid giving it a whirl. Toad in the Hole will probably be my next British venture, a combo of Yorkshire pudding batter and bangers (sausages). And maybe, just maybe, the Brits will convince me to eat PEAS. Yep. I hear they're good for you, but I avoid those annoyingly cheerful veggies like the plague.

So sit back and enjoy tonight's dinner. It was divine. Served with a nice hard cider and baby lettuces tossed with a lemon vinaigrette. Bravo, Chef Oliver!