These are my home made cheesy pies.
They took me most of Saturday to make. I can't begin to describe the complexity of the operation. No wonder pies, like cars, are made in factories. You wouldn't suddenly decide to make a couple of Audis in the kitchen, nor should you attempt the infinitely complex procedures that pie makers have to perform. I'll be leaving it to Greggs in future.
My pies were going fine. I had blind baked the pastry, cooked the filling, rolled out the tops, poked holes in them, brushed them with milk, etc. etc. It took me hours.
I put them in the oven and fell in front of the TV, mug of Darjeeling in hand. Exhausted, and with the knowledge I had a kitchen that would need several days to bring back into service.
I set the oven timer for twenty minutes but failed to hear it go off.
It was Tom Petty's fault.
I went to see him last week, you see.
It was hot in the Albert Hall. The support band had finished an enthusiastic impression of everything an all-American rock band should be, loud but soft and sentimental. Good enough, but nothing to worry the headline act.
Two large Irishmen shovelled themselves past me, beer in each hand held aloft for presentation. The bigger of the two sat down next to me, I made a quick appraisal and decided that he was exactly twice as big as I was. His chair was the same size as mine causing an inevitable overflow. Fortunately, he wasn't the sort of guy who minded bodily contact, seemingly content to export some of his warmth to me. When I leaned away, he followed, expanding into my space. He stank of beer and fags and cheese and onion. Maybe he's the inspiration behind the pies.
The situation was beginning to get to me when Tom Petty arrived.
He walked on stage and started to sing "Listen to Her Heart" and I became very happy. It's one of my most favourite songs in the whole world. My Irish friend was suddenly forgotten.
I have been to many great concerts but this was the very best.
As I slumped, pied out, in front of the telly, Sky Arts was showing a Tom Petty concert. So I forgot my pies listening to music.
When I remembered, they were a little overcooked. They had also exploded.
The good news is that the oven got a good clean.
The other good news is that it's stopped raining and the chickens haven't escaped today.
Oh, and I rewrote the first 6000 words of Due Diligence for a competition. And a biography of Jenny Parker.
And this blog.
And what's left of the pies tastes very good.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
They took me most of Saturday to make. I can't begin to describe the complexity of the operation. No wonder pies, like cars, are made in factories. You wouldn't suddenly decide to make a couple of Audis in the kitchen, nor should you attempt the infinitely complex procedures that pie makers have to perform. I'll be leaving it to Greggs in future.
My pies were going fine. I had blind baked the pastry, cooked the filling, rolled out the tops, poked holes in them, brushed them with milk, etc. etc. It took me hours.
I put them in the oven and fell in front of the TV, mug of Darjeeling in hand. Exhausted, and with the knowledge I had a kitchen that would need several days to bring back into service.
I set the oven timer for twenty minutes but failed to hear it go off.
It was Tom Petty's fault.
I went to see him last week, you see.
It was hot in the Albert Hall. The support band had finished an enthusiastic impression of everything an all-American rock band should be, loud but soft and sentimental. Good enough, but nothing to worry the headline act.
Two large Irishmen shovelled themselves past me, beer in each hand held aloft for presentation. The bigger of the two sat down next to me, I made a quick appraisal and decided that he was exactly twice as big as I was. His chair was the same size as mine causing an inevitable overflow. Fortunately, he wasn't the sort of guy who minded bodily contact, seemingly content to export some of his warmth to me. When I leaned away, he followed, expanding into my space. He stank of beer and fags and cheese and onion. Maybe he's the inspiration behind the pies.
The situation was beginning to get to me when Tom Petty arrived.
He walked on stage and started to sing "Listen to Her Heart" and I became very happy. It's one of my most favourite songs in the whole world. My Irish friend was suddenly forgotten.
I have been to many great concerts but this was the very best.
As I slumped, pied out, in front of the telly, Sky Arts was showing a Tom Petty concert. So I forgot my pies listening to music.
When I remembered, they were a little overcooked. They had also exploded.
The good news is that the oven got a good clean.
The other good news is that it's stopped raining and the chickens haven't escaped today.
Oh, and I rewrote the first 6000 words of Due Diligence for a competition. And a biography of Jenny Parker.
And this blog.
And what's left of the pies tastes very good.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
