On Monday, I dropped by the West Hernando Branch at approximately 10 a.m. to return some books. I already knew that the building would not open until noon. ...more

July 23, 2009

What's the secret to flaky pie crusts? Mine always seem to come out tough. With a standard recipe (1/3 cup shortening or lard to 1 cup flour, plus a pinch of salt for flavor), the secret is cold. Have the lard cold. Use just enough ice water to moisten the flour to stick it together, and then handle it as little as possible. If it won't be baked right away, keep it in the refrigerator. You don't want the shortening to melt into the flour at all until the crust is baking. The little balls of shortening covered with flour are flattened when the crust is rolled out, and when they are baked, they make the flakes of a tender, flaky crust. ...more

November 30, 2008

As soon as I tasted it, I uttered something like "Oh." What I meant was, "Oh. This is a biscuit." ...more

January 2, 2008