Perfect Pies And More By Michele Stuart

Sweetness in the Belly by Camilla Gibb is a moving, heart-warming tale about a young woman, who suffers from insecurity and self-identity through a world where she is considered an outsider. The novel’s protagonist is Lilly Abdal, born to British vagabonds as she is left in the hands of the Great Sufi Abdal, who raises her to become a white, devout Muslim woman in East Morocco. The author seamlessly weaves in Dr. Aziz, an Ethiopian man who creates sparks in Lilly’s heart, only to be separated once Lilly’s embarks to London, England. Camilla Gibb takes the tale of an outcast, spun with religious beliefs and morals, to create a powerful story that challenges and uplights the reader’s mentality on religion and what it means to follow religious and cultural traditions.

      When Mrs. Penn is baking her husband's favorite mince pies, we become aware of the first historical relationship. The author described her face as "full of meek vigor which might have characterized one of the New Testament saints." The author continues to express that "however

The book is a testimony to the strength and determination of her grandmother, her mother, and herself and their resourcefulness in recreating themselves during

The book begins when Polly Portman, a famous pie maker, passed away. In her will, she left the secret piecrust recipe to her Lardo, and she left her white cat, also named Lardo, to her niece, Alice. Furthermore, there is a person, possibly a pie maker, who is persistent to find the perfect piecrust recipe. Together, Alice and her friend Charlie Erdling reveal the searcher of the recipe and also something even more important: the secret to fulfill happiness, family and friendship in life.

“The American Dream”, when you hear that there are many definitions you can think have as an American, such as being free. But for immigrants that term has a deeper meaning. Most immigrants that came to the United States in the 1920’s came with a goal--- a dream, to achieve the American dream. As stated, whether you are an American or an immigrant you may have the same views, but they can hold a stronger meaning of the term, for example Americans have strived to accomplish their goals, to do better than themselves, and move up in the social class system. Bread Givers, by Aniza Yezierska is a novel that shows how immigrants try to strive for the American dream. The American dream being: the act of freedom,

Have you ever known somebody that liked for everything to be neat, orderly, and perfect? If you do you would probably say they have OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder, it is defined as a psychiatric disorder characterized by obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions, such as cleaning, checking, counting, or hoarding), but they are most likely just a perfectionist. In the story "Pancakes" by Joan Bauer, the character Jill is a perfectionist. In the story she tells us that she can not stand dirty mirrors, which is not hard to believe because I do not like dirty mirrors either. When you read that Jill has a stain removal kit in her top dresser drawer, it is a little hard to relate to because I sure do not have one in my dresser. I know people

If you want to add some fun and exercise to your routine, go apple picking to get these tasty fruits for your Thanksgiving desserts. Consider making a mouthwatering, no bake apple crisp. Slice 4 cups of cooking apples into thin wedges. Simmer them in a large skillet with 1/8 cup of low-calorie cranberry juice and 1/8 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the apples are tender with a bit of crispness. Sprinkle nutmeg and cinnamon over the apples. Let them cool slightly the top off with toasted oats and slivered almonds. If you want total decadence, top with a half scoop of sugar-free vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of fat-free, sugar-free caramel

Cut out a piece of the rolled out dough big enough to line a pie tin. I like the kind with holes in the bottom. Then put in your dried apples that have soaked all night and been sweetened, or your apricots, or your blueberries, and then take another sheet of the dough and drape it gracefully over the top, soldering it down at the edges with your fingers. Cut a couple of slits in the top dough sheet and prick it a few times with a fork in an artistic manner.

I was fortunate enough to have been able to travel the world from childhood to now, my early twenties. I have visited countries such as Argentina to the cold forests of Romania, tasting traditional meals and treats in every new place I went. I am not a sweet eater, but when visiting France on a family trip, the tour guide took my family to a local bakery, and there is when I fell in love with French Macarons. The crisp outer shell with a hearty layer of flavored filliing in between, feels like your eating a perfect, edible cloud. Even though individuals can have different levels of cooking skills, learning to bake easy recipes and being able to follow simple steps with few ingredients can make anyone feel like a skilled baker making one of the world's most popular French treats, French macarons.

In her novel, My Year of Meats, author Ruth Ozeki redefines what it means to be a family. Readers follow Jane Takagi-Little as she travels the country in search of the “perfect household” to feature on her Japanese cooking and lifestyle program. The preceding excerpt comes from an email to Jane Takagi-Little at the beginning of the novel explaining what the producers do and do not want to see in a family featured on My American Wife! The headings, “DESIRABLE and UNDESIRABLE THINGS”, immediately introduce the idea of subjectivity into the discussion of what makes the “perfect” family. At first glance, the passage appears to be nothing more than an instructional email from the producers to Jane; but a closer examination reveals the

In this article it talks about how some areas have fresher Peaches then others; while others get lucky to have one or two a season. But at the end of Grant Cornett’s Article he describes how to create a “Perfect Peach Pie”. The purpose of this article was to inform people about fresh peaches and give them a detailed recipe for a “Perfect Peach Pie”. The audience of this particular article would be anyone who likes to cook or try new things. It could be teenagers, or mothers, or grandmothers, or restaurant owners thinking up new desserts for their customers.

When it comes to preparation, this, of course, takes place in the kitchen. The kitchen during Christmas time is covered in dazzling Christmas lights. The aroma in the house is quite distinct, it is quite sweet and calming. The Christmas décor is homely. Me and my mother make this dessert on Christmas Eve. This tradition started on my mother’s side of the family with my great grandmother. Since I am older I usually do most of the preparing besides dipping it into the chocolate. I start off

Lemon meringue pie is a dessert pie that’s constructed in three parts. The crust is a shortbread pastry crust, the filling is lemon curd or lemon custard, while the top is a delicate and fluffy meringue. The shortbread crust is prepared beforehand and is lightly baked before constructing the pie. The texture and taste should remind people of a light cookie. The lemon custard is a standard custard made from egg yolks, cream, sugar, and lemon juice. The meringue is constructed by beating the egg whites, cream of tartar, and adding sugar at just the right time to create a fluffy meringue. The baker will know

America is recognized profusely as the land of opportunity and prosperity with a unique allurement. America has confidently obtained the title as one of the greatest locations to thrive. These recognitions of America come to light in the context of “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan. The story is primarily about the burgeoning struggle for power and the cultural difference between an Asian immigrant and her Asian American daughter, Jing-mei. The mother has high hopes that her daughter will be a great success as an american prodigy. First, she attempted to mold Jing-mei into a child actress, but that failed. Then she had Jing-mei attempt intellectual tests clipped from popular American magazines. Finally, the mother had Jing-mei take a swing at the piano.

fledgling baker flew out the door, past any customers sipping tea, with the owner nipping at her heels while cursing in French and Creole. It was known throughout the Quarter that the madam demanded perfection in petit fours and unquestioning dedication from her staff. In exchange one of the luckier neophytes had once told March, "She coaxes us through the birth pains on our journey to become superb French-educated pastry chefs extraordinaire, that is if we survive her wrath." The young woman who had dashed out screaming about being beaten, which was not true, and inept at baking, which possibly was, would not be seen again at least at Le Petite Patisseries.