Waiter, there's an egg in my pie!

This months edition of delicious. magazine included a short section on pies. As I flipped through the pages, a picture of mini-pork pies gave me the inspiration to not only use quail eggs again, but to also join in on this month's Waiter, there's something in my... pie.

It may be a little early for the event, but when something just feels right for the day - I just go ahead and make it. I bought a little pack of quail eggs during the week, and today - I was in the right frame of mind for a good pork pie.

The delicious. recipe used chilies, parsley and paprika which are not really traditional flavours for a pork pie, so after scouring Hugh's meat book I decided to use his mix with sage, thyme, mace, and cayenne. I didn't have any mace on hand, so used a sprinkling of grated nutmeg instead.

To make the pies, I made up a short-crust pastry which rested in the fridge until ready for use. I boiled the quail eggs for approximately 10 minutes and cooled them under a running tap. (This will prevent the yolk from going grey.) To 400 grams of minced pork, I added 4 rashers of chopped bacon. It may sound strange adding the bacon to pork, but it adds flavour and a little fat to the mix - which helps it all bind together. I mixed in a tablespoon each of sage and thyme, a sprinkling of cayenne, a good ground of nutmeg and salt and pepper. Into a muffin tin, I shaped the rolled out and cut dough. I spooned in a good helping of the meat and made a small well in the centre in which the egg could stand up. I covered over the egg with more pork mix and sealed the pies with more rounds of pastry. I brushed each pie with beaten egg and baked at 200 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes.

Next time I'm looking to make a pork pie, I would like to make a hot-water crust. I'm very intrigued to see how hard (easy) it really is! I love the egg as well - it adds texture and interest, colour and flavour. These pies are truly "gala pies".

And so I unveil - The Ultimate Family Feast

"If our family came together in one giant reunion and all had to prepare something for us to feast on, what would they bring? The scenario is hardly feasible considering our family spans half of the world's continents, but the question is certainly interesting when the family is full of foodies.

The Ultimate Family Feast brings together the families’ favourite recipes retaining them for the future. With an eclectic mix - spanning generations and cuisines. From war time rationing, “Mystery Tart” to decadent homemade croissants. From Mexican rice pudding to Finnish “Pulla” and Australian pavlova. The 33 recipes would surely make an ultimate feast for any large family."

And so says the back of mine and Dan's new book, that yesterday we finally uploaded and published on lulu.com. I really can't describe the relief of having it done. It was meant for a Christmas present for our family. Unfortunately, our due date slipped away and we had to make a push this January to really get it done. A good reason, I think, for an absence on the blogging scene.

With this post, I unveil it to the world, including our family - who are still waiting patiently for their Christmas presents. To them: as soon as we receive our tester print - your copy will be in the post!

The book, in some way, also reflects on the kind of cooking I've done in the early months of my blog. During the last 9 months or so, I've rekindled my passion for food, re-discovered recipes I've loved, and lightly dabbled in new techniques and styles.

For the next year, I'm aiming for more experimentation, more recipes, less guff and hopefully, a more technical style. With this last project completed, I can now focus on the future.

Of course, please feel free to head over to our lulu storefront to preview the book, and of course, purchase it if you so desire!

I'm certainly looking forward to 2007!

Just to let you know...

I'm still on hiatus, trying to tie up a few ends that I hoped to have done by now. For entertainment, check out the first banoffee pies that I made and ate! The crust was bit too thick, unfortunately, but it was tasty all the same.

Made for an excellent Autumn dessert - back in October when I made them...