Pushing Daisies was a charmingly quirky series about a pie-maker who could bring the dead back to life by touching them – a second touch would kill them again.
The characters lived in this visually stunning whimsical world, where they solved bizarre murders using the pie-maker’s abilities.
Pie was a central theme in the show, with much of the action taking place in the pie-maker’s shop, the Pie Hole.

Pushing Daisies made me really want to bake a pie! And to this day, I can’t think of baking a pie without thinking of myself as a ‘pie-maker’ – said in narrator Jim Dale’s voice.

I had a few firsts last year as far as culinary expeditions go; I baked my first apple pie!
I’ve been meaning to bake a pie for a while now; it’s on my to-make list, I’m just not ready to delve into the complexities of pie crusts yet.
In Pushing Daisies, the pie-maker’s girlfriend bakes Gruyère into the crust of the very special apple pie (laced with homeopathic antidepressants) she sends to her aunts.
One day I shall try my hands at the perfect flaky crust, there’s vegan coconut oil crust I’m itching to try.

Being my first try, I figured I’d be forgiven for using store-bought pie crust.
I chose the TJ’s crust for its simple ingredients; flour, butter, palm oil, water and salt.
And the pie filling is an old recipe I’d been holding on to for years, it’s simple too, apples, lemon juice, sugar and spices.

Unfortunately something went wrong and my crust fell apart, it thawed and broke into pieces.
I just piled them on the apples and hoped for the best.
In hindsight, I should have re-rolled the dough.
Still, the pie turned out really well for a first try.
I feel hopeful… I’m on my way to becoming a better pie-maker

I wish I had a more sophisticated palate, sadly, I don’t think my palate developed beyond that of a ten-year-old’s.
I wish I was more open to all the wonderful varied food out there, yet there are so many things I just can’t bring myself to like – such is the plight of the picky eater.
I was at a fancy restaurant recently where everyone was excited to try roasted bone marrow, everyone but me, “I’m a vegetarian” I said – I’m beginning to hate that label, it feels limiting.
“That’s ok,” says the waiter, “We’ll find you something equally special.”
I ended up with an un-special plate of pasta with tomato sauce, and watched my dining companions literally moan with pleasure at every bite.
I should be eating that! I thought to myself, my people were sucking marrow from bones centuries before Fergus Henderson put roast bone marrow on the culinary map.

For over a decade I wouldn’t eat soup because my family kept reminding me that I hated soup as a child.
And then one day I was stuck in a cabin and all we had was minestrone, I didn’t want to seem irrational so I ate it. I realised then that maybe I didn’t hate soup after all, and now I can’t imagine why anyone would hate soup, especially with so many kinds out there.
Soups aren’t only heart-warming and nourishing; soups warm and nurture the soul.
Soups are healing, uplifting and comforting, there nothing more satisfying than a warm bowl of homemade soup on a cold dreary day, or when sick or feeling a little down.
I wish I made soup often – especially around this time of year when every day feels like a soup day; did you know that January was national soup month in the US?
I’ve been collecting soup recipes and working my way through them this winter…
I knew I was going to love this soup the minute I saw the ingredients; carrots, coconut milk, ginger and curry powder.

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Prep and cook time for this easy recipe is 30 – 40 minutes and serves about 6 – 8

This is by far one of the best meals I’ve ever made; the thing about this soup is that, it’s not just good… it’s really, really good. It‘s spicy, creamy, and savoury with a hint of sweetness from the carrots.
It’s also soothing, the week I made this, I had a bowl every night at dinner and could just feel my worries slip away with every spoon – it’s restorative.

I have a sweet tooth, there’s no denying it, and I don’t make excuses for it –
I own it… which is why I’m always ten pounds away from my ideal weight.
I love healthy food too, almost as much as I love junk food, so I’m constantly on the lookout for food that is all healthy, sweet and junk-ey.
Because let’s face it, as blasé as I am about my sweet tooth, the potential health implications aren’t lost on me.
So while I’m trying to put my days of polishing off a pint of ice cream in two servings behind me, I still like to indulge.

This is where recipes like this sweet cashew cream comes in; it satisfies the sweet tooth but it’s not all junk food.
Cashew cream is used mainly in raw-food diets as a substitute for dairy; raw cashews are soaked overnight, and blended into a smooth cream that can be used in both sweet and savoury recipes.
For this sweet cashew cream, I used roasted and salted cashews –
Roasted cashews are sweeter with a rich nutty flavour.
And salt is the greatest flavour enhancer.

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This sauce is amazing! It’s delicious; I slather it over bagels, toast and crackers.
It’s wonderful over ice cream, cakes, and other pastries, and as a dip for fruit.
I like to experiment with other nut butters too, almond butter, peanut butter, etc.

I probably wouldn’t have liked okra as an adult if I hadn’t grown up eating it.
It’s not like I really liked it growing up, in fact I’ve always been wary of okra.
Okra is one of those vegetables that divide people, some love it and some hate it.

Not everyone appreciates okra’s mucilage, but I remember my mom’s okro stews and soups… rich thick stews full of vegetables, meat and crab, and savoury tomatoey soups loaded with smoked fish.
Okra isn’t readily available in these parts, but every once in a while I’ll find them at the store, imported fresh from Mexico.
I buy it mostly for nostalgia reasons, and while I can’t recreate my mom’s awesome soups or stews, I still try…

Roasted okra and black beans – I’m all about simple recipes; which is why I love roasted vegetables, it’s easy and delicious.
Roasting cuts down the slime of the okra, it caramelizes and turns slightly crispy.
Combined with the other vegetables and black beans, it creates a perfectly intense melody of flavours.

Try it over rice or quinoa…

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Have I ever mentioned that I was baptised in the Presbyterian Church?
No? That’s ok; it’s not something that usually comes up in conversation.
Unless you find yourself on a long train ride, with a group going to a conference on baptism – then, you’ll have tell your baptism story and even say; “I guess I’m a Presbyterian, sort of.”
Do you know what else is ‘sort of Presbyterian’? Graham flour! (I know, stay with me for a second).
So back in the 19th century, Presbyterian Minister and presumably health food nut Rev. Sylvester Graham was convinced that processed white flour was ‘teh evilz’.
He invented Graham Bread believing that the bran and germ were healthiest and most nutritious part of the wheat and vital to health.
With Graham flour, named for Rev. Graham, the bran and germ of the wheat kernel are coarsely ground and added to finely milled endosperm to create coarse-textured flour.
I buy graham flour mostly because I like the texture; it’s similar to whole wheat but has a higher bran content and not as dense.
It makes the most wonderful bread; nutty, lightly sweet and soft.

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