Test and Test Again

Test the pie crust then test the filling then test the sauce then test the pie crust again.

When I noticed there hasn't been a new recipe on this site, I sat back wondering what I'd been doing all this time. Then I realized I'd been cooking. Pie Crusts, Scrapple, more Pie Crusts, Olive Oil Cake, Olive Oil Cookies, more Pie Crust and then Pie Crust again.

My motto: Anything worth doing is worth doing wrong until you get it right.

So I'm still working on the lardy Pie Crust. I've got tasty down pat. Tender, check. Flaky? Still working on getting that just right.

The Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake is yummy. But it's a bit too dense, and so moist that it almost feels dough-y in the mouth. So I bought oranges at today's farmers market, and will try the cake again with another half teaspoon of baking soda to balance the acid in the oranges.

Then there were the Olive Oil Cookies.(I'm not just making this stuff up, these are adaptations of traditional Mediterranean recipes.) Much as I hate to admit it, I don't think the American palate is ready for Olive Oil Cookies. They might be offered as "nibbles," with less sugar and more salt, on trays for a wine tasting party. Or as finger food paired with a  wine-laced goat cheese. Still in Research and Development.

The Fried Plantains with Peanut Sauce are fabulous. But getting a decent photo of the beasts was impossible.

Yesterday we baked Soft Pretzels. Finally, success! I say "we" because my husband had to lift the stockpot of water onto the stove. Who knew pretzels were boiled like bagels before baking? One more batch, and I think I'll have a photo-worthy plate of big fat twists.

The take home lesson in this article is to never get discouraged. Remember Julia Child's declaration about her experience at the Cordon Bleu. "I am fearless!" When you find a recipe worth mastering, try and keep on trying until it is mastered. When you want to create a dish of your own, test and test again; perfection might be just a half teaspoon of baking soda away.