The Waitress

("Baby Don't You Cry" from The Waitress)

It’s so hard to do a cooking project when your oven is broken! Thanks to two friends who lent me their ovens in times of need. I know I am behind, but I want to document my days of cooking I never got around to blogging.

The first was my adventures with The Waitress, starring Kerri Russell. This film has such an odd tone and humor, I never know quite what to think when I watch it. The only sure thing is: I always want to make pie. From the first few minutes of the movie, we learn that pie-making brings comfort to an otherwise dreary life for the blunt, creative waitress. I love the opening scene of Russell in the kitchen. She looks serene, in the place of absolute peace that cooking takes us. One can’t help but wonder whether the crazy pies Russell’s character, Jenna, thinks up actually taste good. Her pies have wild names. I like the idea of Falling in Love pie, Marshmellow Mermaid Pie, Naughty Pumpkin Pie, and Strawberry Chocolate Oasis pie. For the last, Andy Griffith describes it so enticingly:
Nobody in the world can make strawberry chocolate pie like you. Wednesday is my favorite day of the week just cause I get to have me a slice of it. I think about it as I’m waking up. It could solve all the problems of the world, that pie. It’s a thing of beauty….how each flavor opens itself, one by one, like a chapter in a book. First, the flavor of an exotic spice hits ya. Just a hint of it…and then you get flooded with the chocolate, dark and bittersweet like an old love affair…..and finally – strawberry – the way strawberry always was supposed to taste but never knew how…’

During my recipe research phase, I learned that there is a special boxed set of this dvd that includes recipes for some of the craziest pies. I followed (for the most part) one of these recipes for ‘I Don’t want Earl’s Baby Pie’ and for the other, Lonely Chicago Pie, I consulted cyberspace.
Before making my pies, I knew I didn’t want to cheat. I wanted to make my pie crusts from scratch. Have you ever made a pie crust? This was probably the hardest part of my Screen to Table Project. I am not going to repeat the dough recipes here, because frankly, they just did not turn out so well. After patching my holey uncooked shells, my mom told me her secret--double pie crust recipes so that you always have enough. There’s always next time.

Both of these pies are really rich, but really tasty. For both, the recommended cooking time was not nearly enough. I’d go double!

I Don't Want Earl's Baby Pie - this one is a cross between a cheese souffle and a quiche

1 pie crust, uncooked
4 Tbs. butter
3 slices ham
8 green onions- chopped
1 C. brie cheese
1 C. parmesan cheese, grated
4 eggs
2 C. heavy cream
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover pie crust with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake 5 minutes more. Remove crust and reduce heat to 325 degrees. Julienne ham. Sauté ham and green onions with butter. Spread the mixture on bottom of pie crust. Spread brie over ham mixture and sprinkle with parmesan. Combine eggs, cream and nutmeg; pour over cheese. Bake 30 minutes or until set. Cool slightly, cut into wedges and serve. This one tastes great the next day for breakfast!

Lonely Chicago Pie - Throughout this project, I’ve found a large online community of cooks and bakers who have tried to replicate recipes from movies. I found one for Lonely Chicago Pie, the pie Jenna teaches her new-found love how to make. The original recipe I found tops the berries with chocolate instead of the other way around (as Jenna does in the movie). I edited the recipe to more accurately resemble Jenna’s steps as she makes the pie. I will say, this is an odd pie--like a pecan pie filling without the pecans, a dark chocolate bar, and all topped with berries. But somehow, this pie just works. I recommend it for those who want something different, or big fans of the movie.

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp melted, salted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk
1 (10 inch) unbaked deep-dish pie crust
1/2 cup fresh blackberries, lightly crushed
1 cup dark chocolate, chopped into small chunks for melting
½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp salted butter

Preheat oven to 400F.
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Add the beaten egg, butter, and vanilla. Mix well and add the milk.
Pour mixture into crust.
Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F and bake 40 minutes (or until set, potentially an hour or more). While baking, heat dark chocolate in a double broiler. Once melted, add warmed heavy cream and stir. Once the spice layer sets, remove from the oven, and top with the dark chocolate. Top the chocolate layer evenly with crushed berries, return to oven and bake 10 minutes longer.
Let cool completely on rack. Chill in fridge before serving.