Clio in 2-D

I never updated you on my pattern drafting class. Here's a recap.

Here's my muslin.

You already heard about week 1. In the following weeks we created our slopers using the measurements we took in week one, and then used it to make a pattern. From the pattern we made a muslin - a sample on cheap fabric - and then tinkered with the fit. Once you have the muslin perfected, you transfer the changes back to your pattern and sloper. So, now I have a pattern for pants that is custom fit to my body. All it needs is style details - pockets, belt loops, zipper placement, etc. in order for it to become real pants.

The class really taught me a lot about the way my body is shaped, why RTW pants don't fit and how I will always have to alter clothing and patterns because of my unique proportions. In fact, looking around the classroom, I realized how different each of us is shaped. No wonder pants don't fit!

Anyway, this weekend, I finally carved out a few hours to tinker a bit more with my sloper; mostly, I was working on the shape of the leg and now I am ready to actually make pants. I'm going to keep it simple for this first run since my focus is on the fit of the pants rather than any stylistic embelishments. I am just going to do a basic dress pants with a side zipper, narrow waistband and no pockets using some black gabardine I bought on sale over the summer. If the pants go well, I will also make a matching jacket from the same pattern I used to make my mom's shrug. Finally, something for myself!

Pie Crust: A Turkey Day Primer

As the holidays approach, my thoughts tend to linger around the kitchen, planning for all the cooking and baking to be done. And, as you can tell, I get really preoccupied with pies. Lately I have been tinkering with the filling, but in the past it has been the crust that has been the focus of my experimentation.

I know there is a faction that believes that pie is all about the filling. But I cringe at the generic, insipid store-bought crust. A good crust can really enhance a tasty pie, providing texture, flavor and some heft.

After testing several variations of crusts - some with crisco, others with part crisco/part butter - I found that I got the best results from an all butter crust. Specifically, the all butter crust recipe in Phineas' White Dog Cafe Cookbook. One bonus is that this recipe comes out just fine in a food processor, which is the way to go for me since I hate cutting in the butter by hand.

The basic recipe is: 2 sticks of unsalted butter, 3 cups of flour, 2 tbsp sugar and a pinch of salt, plus ice water. I assume you know the basic procedure. Here are my tips:

• First and foremost: do not overwork the dough at any stage of the process.
  
• Cut the butter into little chunks and then stick it in the freezer for about 30 min or so to get it really cold
  
• The larger the lumps of butter in the dough, the flakier the crust (ie pea-sized pieces)
• After making, refrigerate your dough for at least 30 min. I usually make my dough days or weeks in advance and freeze it. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
• When you are ready to roll out the dough, make sure to roll from the middle so that you are working the thickness from the center to the edges. Rotate the dough frequently.
• After rolling out the dough and moving it to your pie plate, put it back in the fridge for 30 minutes. This is when I make the filling.
• A final brush with egg wash or milk and a sprinkle of sugar will make for a nice brown, crackly sweet crust.
• Finally, cover the pie crust with a pie crust guard or tin foil. To do otherwise is to invite a burnt crust with underdone filling.

People have told me that pie crust is too much effort - too hard to roll out, too hard to cut in the butter, not worth the effort... This crust is easy to make (thank you, Cuisinart), easy to roll, and comes out looking beautiful and tasting even better - no comparison with a prefab crust. Give it a try.

The Boy Who Trick-or-Treated

Expelliarmus!

Here's my nephew, Orpheus, in his Harry Potter costume on Halloween. He told me that he allowed every kid in his class to try on his Harry Potter glasses and even let one boy try them on twice!

What a Weird and Wild Trip

From the Obama Girl to Tina' Fey's Sarah Palin, this election has at the very least given us a good chuckle. Here's a smattering of my favorites...



The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.





And now we wait.

Pecan Pie Experiment I

With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, I felt compelled to begin working on my corn syrup-free pecan pie recipe this weekend.

Since the main ingredient in my normal recipe is corn syrup, I decided to forgo that recipe entirely. Instead, I settled on John Thorne's well-reviewed recipe, which calls for Lyle's Golden Syrup, rather than corn syrup. This recipe is a little more involved than the mix and dump recipe on the back of the Karo bottle.


First I had to boil the brown sugar, Lyle's syrup, rum and butter. While it cooled, I rolled out the pie crust, and then I beat the eggs with vanilla and salt.

Finally, I beat in the semi-cool syrup mixture. This was not nearly as easy as it sounds. Lyle's is a good deal thicker than corn or maple syrup. And when I boiled it with the sugar and it began to cool, it thickened even more. It required more beating to blend evenly into the egg mixture than I thought. Plus, it was a sticky process - pouring thick caramel into a mixer while it is still warm enough to pour, but not hot enough to curdle the eggs.... I got warm sticky caramel everywhere. OH, two changes I had made to the recipe: the addition of 1 tsp of vanilla and a sprinkle of kosher salt on the top before I bakes it. Both were good ideas.

Naturally, I forgot to take a picture of the pie when it was ready for the oven. However, the end result was pleasing, aside from some aesthetic issues. (What the heck happened to my crust?) The filling was less aggressively sweet, but more complex. The cream in the recipe and the excessive beating made it cook up lighter and puffier. Also, it was a very nutty pie. Yum.

Final evaluation: This pie was different from my normal pie. It was very good, but not exactly what I was looking for. The cream gave it a somewhat different texture. Plus dealing with the molten syrup was a messy hassle. So, I am not entirely sure I will do this again.

I think my next pie will be my regular recipe with Lyle's as a straight substitution. Stay tuned.

'Tis now the very witching time of night, When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out, Contagion to this world. ~ William Shakespeare

It seems appropriate to post about my latest obsession, Twilight, on Halloween.

A few weeks ago Polyhymnia lent me the 4 book series. In all fairness, she did warn me that Twilight was addictive. But I didn't take her warning seriously and now I am stuck - obsessed with a neo-gothic teen vampire romance. I called her when I was half way thru and accused her of being a literary crack dealer.

Yes, I know how cheesy that all sounds - teen vampire love. And the books are not without flaws. The author's gratuitous use of the words "dazzle" and "smug" are reason enough for censure. However, the world and characters she's created are compelling. Love blazes in the all-or-nothing, forbidden fruit way that the teenage girl lurking in the back corner of your mind will devour. Fans have even been saying that Edward (our hero) is the new Harry. Nonsense, I say. Harry was never as sexy.

OK, so am I encouraging you to read these books? NO. Absolutely not. Consider yourself warned: Twilight is like crack- highly addictive, chocolate coated crack. Thank god I only have to wait until November 21 for my next fix, when the movie comes out. Other addicts are welcome to join me and Poly at the midnight showing.

Bike Ghana

Right now my trusty (and now shamefully slightly rusty) bicycle is in a shipping container bound for Accra, Ghana.


On Sunday my dad finished his "Bike Ghana" fundraising and bicycle raising drive for Bishop Dominick's parish in Techiman, with a collecting and packing party. He was hoping to send 50 bicycles, some donated clothing, and a few odds and ends, and collect enough in donations to cover the $4k shipping and container rental fees.

In the end, he received 150 bicycles, a large amount of clothing, 2 computers, 4 sewing machines and some religious art destined for Bishop Dominick's diocese. He also received enough in donations that he could pay the overhead and still stock up on spare tires and parts. Since the container only fit 100 bikes he was able to send just the best/most suitable ones (mountain and hybrid bikes in good shape). The remaining bikes are going to be fixed up and sold on ebay to make further donations to the Ghanaian diocese.

My Pop is a constant example to me of how one person can make the world a better place. He saw a need and worked to fill it in a meaningful and creative way. I was so happy to see him pleased with the success of his efforts, and to see him share that success with the many volunteers who came to support the bike drive.