Using the past to help the future
What feels like 100 years ago I was a new missionary in Minnesota. Got to talking with the mission president's wife, Sr. King, about cooking. She gave me her family recipe for pie crust. Odd thing. Required 5 or 6 cups of flour, darned if I can remember how much shortening, 1 or 2 eggs and 1 or 1/2 & cups milk. (Notice, no vinegar, lots of milk based pie crust recipes do). Just cannot remember the amounts, lost it years ago, because it has some draw back. The first being that it made 6 or more pie crusts. Once or twice upon a time I remember making it, rolling out the pie crusts, freezing them. But it became a bother, so I lost it. Fast forward 40 years and I'm gluten intolerant. How to make a pie crust with flours that don't bind like gluten does. Oh, an dI didn't want to make 6 pie crust. So I played. Only wanting 3 pie crust, I used 2-1/2 Cup Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour. Mostly because it's highly accessible. I think I will play with other flours as time goes by. 3/4 cup shortening, the natural stuff, 1/2 egg (you figure that out, it's really easy with a stick blender) and 3/4 cup milk. I'm thinking I'm going to play with a whole egg next time. This time it was a bit dry, but. Mix together just like any pie crust and roll it out just like any pie crust. It worked. Yes, you have to dust your board and pin, frequently. And the smaller pies that I like to make were a lot easier than the big pumpkin pie I made for the family. BUT, IT'S NON GLUTEN AND IT HELD TOGETHER. I won't say it was as easy to use a regular flour, but I learned a lot, and I learned not to fear it. This is all about adapting. I've been saying I was getting "bored" with the normal food we've always eaten. Time for a change. Should have made the change awhile ago. To bad the Dr's are fighting it. I really think everyone should get tested, just like you do for cholesterol.
