Poetry on Wednesday

Song for Autumn

In the deep fall
    don't you imagine the leaves think how
comfortable it will be to touch
    the earth instead of the
nothingness of air and the endless
    freshets of wind? And don't you think
the trees themselves, especially those with mossy,
    warm caves, begin to think

of the birds that will come — six, a dozen — to sleep
    inside their bodies? And don't you hear
the goldenrod whispering goodbye,
    the everlasting being crowned with the first
tuffets of snow? The pond
    vanishes, and the white field over which
the fox runs so quickly brings out
    its blue shadows. And the wind pumps its
bellows. And at evening especially,
    the piled firewood shifts a little,
longing to be on its way.

Mary Oliver

Experimental Pie Awesomeness!!

Gingered Honey Melon Mango Peach Pie

   I totally feel like a rock star!  This is my acceptance speech.  The speech where I thank all of those that helped me create this magnificent pie.  The speech where I say something about not being where I am today without the tireless efforts of others.  And while that is all true.  It's more like thanking those who listened to me go on and on about it.  Believe me when I say I talked to a lot of people about the mango melon pie!  So thanks to all of you who participated in one way or another.
   The pie above is a slight departure from the original idea of mango-melon.  Because, as was mentioned in a previous post, I had some difficulty wrapping my head around the idea of mango in a pie.  After almost a year of thinking about how to create this pie, a friend suggested reducing the melon and then adding it to other fruit.  This seemed like a good plan.  And I like a good plan.
   I had previously mentioned that I wanted to use ginger and honey in combination with the fruit.  So what I ended up doing was this; I put honey and fresh ginger in a pan with cantaloupe and reduced the hell out of it.  After letting it cool, I added it to the fruit.
   For the fresh fruit portion of the pie, I chose half mango and half peach.  I have to say that this is a brilliant combination even without the smoke and mirrors of the gingered honey melon reduction.  Along with the fresh fruit and the reduced melon, I added a bit of Saigon cinnamon and a pinch of cumin...just because.  I also had to add a generous amount of cornstarch to thicken the whole mess.  This was a little worrisome because I had to make an educated guess.  In the end, I put more than I normally would and it was perfect.
   I should also say that no other sweetener was used in the making of the pie.  I used only the honey in the reduction.  And once again, I was pleasantly surprised by the end result. For the crust, I made my standard all butter crust recipe then added 1 tsp of honey, as well.
   There are a few things that I might tweak a bit.  But, I think it's safe to say that it is the best pie that I have ever made. The lesson learned - listen to your friends.  They are pretty smart. And they tolerate your incessant ramblings about pie. That says a lot!

Poetry Sunday

Litany

You are the bread and the knife,
            The crystal goblet and the wine...
               -Jacques Crickillon

 You are the bread and the knife,
 the crystal goblet and the wine.
 You are the dew on the morning grass
 and the burning wheel of the sun.
 You are the white apron of the baker,
 and the marsh birds suddenly in flight.

 However, you are not the wind in the orchard,
 the plums on the counter,
 or the house of cards.
 And you are certainly not the pine-scented air.
 There is just no way that you are the pine-scented air.

 It is possible that you are the fish under the bridge,
 maybe even the pigeon on the general's head,
 but you are not even close
 to being the field of cornflowers at dusk.

 And a quick look in the mirror will show
 that you are neither the boots in the corner
 nor the boat asleep in its boathouse.

 It might interest you to know,
 speaking of the plentiful imagery of the world,
 that I am the sound of rain on the roof.

 I also happen to be the shooting star,
 the evening paper blowing down an alley
 and the basket of chestnuts on the kitchen table.

 I am also the moon in the trees
 and the blind woman's tea cup.
 But don't worry, I'm not the bread and the knife.
 You are still the bread and the knife.
 You will always be the bread and the knife,
 not to mention the crystal goblet and--somehow--the wine.

Billy Collins

September Spawned a Monster?.... A Pie Considered.

   So it's September.  I totally believe that our perception of time changes as we move along in life (notice I didn't say "get older").  Because now years seem to just fly right on by even though the days continue at the same speed.  Wasn't it just yesterday, when I was up until 2am writing and listening to some Indie band?  Oh wait, that was yesterday.  But the fact of the matter is that our perceptions of everything in this life are in a constant state of flux.  And yet, a lot of the time, we trick ourselves into believing that there is a constant.  We trick ourselves into believing that there is one answer and that we have it and that it is the right answer.
    Why am I talking about this?  Not sure really, except that it is September.  I can't believe that it is September.  Time to start thinking about making seasonal pies, specifically apple pie.  This is the time of year to embrace apple pie.  Apples are at their best.  You can get almost any kind of apples from the farmer's market.  And you can spend hours and hours slicing, coring and peeling apples by hand.  Or you can invest is a little device that will do that for you without much effort.  And believe it or not, I have yet to purchase this time saver.  To be honest, I have been getting some shit for this.  Not sure exactly why I have been putting it off exactly.  Maybe because, I like the process of dealing with apples by hand.  Although, at about six apples in, I begin mentally kicking my own ass for not purchasing the peeler/corer.
   But on this particular September evening, I am contemplating a mango-melon pie.  Some time ago, a friend of mine suggested this combination.  It seemed strange then and seems rather strange now.  I can totally get behind mango.  It's the melon part that has me stumped.  I'm not really a huge fan of melon.  But I am determined to make this pie work.  In fact it has been on my mind for a while (kinda in the back hidden away, but there).  And it's been stumping me.  So now, I see it as a challenge.  There has got to be a way to make melon work in combination with mango. Here are a few thoughts:

• There will be mango.
• There will be melon.  Jury is out on what kind of melon.  Could be Honeydew. Could be Cantaloupe.  Could be both.
• There will be honey.  There will be ginger. In what combination? Heaven only knows.
• The melon may be grilled or sauteed.
• The melon may be reduced and added to another fruit.
• It may end up as a rustic tart. Or end up as a fresh fruit tart rather than a pie.
• This is a concept pie much like a concept car. And the actually pie may be entirely different.
• It's a challenge. I like a challenge.
• It could be a disaster. 
• It could be amazing.  Let's go with amazing.

   But what I need from all of you that read this crazy little post is simple.  I need you to weigh in with your thoughts and ideas about a Mango/Melon pie.  What do you think? How would you do it? I know you have thoughts as you are reading this.  So give em' to me.  Let's make it the most awesome Mango/Melon pie experiment ever!
   For some reason this song came to mind.  Thank goodness it's not November yet.  And hopefully this pie experiment doesn't spawn a monster.   But just in case....