Mrs. Quinn and Memories of Pie

For the past month or so, our Cook the Books Club has been reading and getting inspired to cook by Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame.  I originally read and recommended it for our group, based on liking the tale of a Seasoned Citizen going out and being adventurous!  However on this second reading, I realized how much I had forgotten of Jenny's back story!  That part she had been keeping from her husband, Bernard.  If you haven't read the book, be prepared for a spoiler!  

When she realizes he has found out about it accidentally, she hurries home, devastated and worried that she has lost him for good!  So, it was a whole different take on the book, with more of the plot brought to mind than I had remembered.  The novel does keep you involved and interested, as it is quite well written.  All this is aside from Mrs. Quinn's rise to fame with the Baking Competition.

My cooking inspiration was due to that back story.  When in her teens, Jenny was stuck in a home for unwed mothers, (yes, they had such things in those days) where the young women were treated with disgust and contempt, made to work very hard, and then parted from their newborn babies. 

 Jenny has kept that part of her life secret from Bernard, from shame and fear he would reject her at the start of their relationship and then later out of fear that her deceit could still destroy their lives.  

Back in the day, when she arrived at that home and is unpacking her suitcase, she discovered, tucked inside, well wrapped in greaseproof paper, a Cheese and Onion Pie!  Her father had forgiven her at least a little!   But enough to make and send that pie with her to the home.  To her it was a sign of his continued love for her.  There is a chapter in the book: Cheese and Onion Pie, which details this part of her life.

As it turns out, a Cheese and Onion Pie in shortcrust pastry, is an old English staple, a sort of popular comfort food in that neck of the woods!  It sounded like something that would have comforted me.

Cheese and Onion Pie

PREP 20 min
COOK 30 min
TOTAL 50 min
YIELD 8 slices

Ingredients

600g onions, finely chopped
50g butter
200g mature cheddar cheese, grated
100ml whole milk
2 slices white bread, toasted (for breadcrumbs)
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
500g ready-made shortcrust pastry
1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Cook the onions:Heat olive oil and butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté for 10–15 minutes until soft and golden. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Prepare breadcrumbs: Toast the bread slices until golden, then pulse in a food processor to create fine breadcrumbs.
Make the filling: In a bowl, combine the grated cheddar cheese, milk, parsley, and breadcrumbs. Stir in the sautéed onions until fully mixed.
Assemble the base: Preheat your oven to 180°C fan / 200°C / gas mark 6. Roll out half of the pastry and line a 20cm pie dish. Press the pastry into the edges and trim any overhang.
Fill the pie: Spoon the cheese and onion mixture into the pie crust and level it out.
Add the lid: Roll out the remaining pastry and lay it over the filling. Seal the edges by pinching or crimping with a fork. Cut a small slit in the centre for steam to escape.
Bake the pie: Place in the oven and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.
Serve: Let the pie cool for 5–10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with peas, salad, or your favorite sides.
Recipe, thanks to The Flavor Nest - https://flavornest.net/classic-cheese-and-onion-pie-recipe-a-comforting-british-favourite-with-buttery-pastry/

My choice of side was a quick salad with radicchio, a good contrast, the bitter with the sweet. As is this story.  I'm coming in here almost at the deadline! You have until September 30th and if you'd like to join in, click here.  Watch for the Round-up of all the contributions on this selection, coming soon.  Our next book selection also promises to be intriguing - The Kamogawa Food Detectives!

The Latest News Around Here

 Only the news that's fit to print!  An update here for Sunday Salon, and the world at large.  Sunday Salon, hosted by Deb Nance over at Readerbuzz, is where we get a chance to link up and share what we've been up to, visit other blogs and maybe join in with their conversations.

Actually this was posted August 29th, deleted today in error and, thanks to Simona from our Cook the Books team, recovered.  What a whiz! The only thing still lost are the comments!

 

In my world, it's often something in the garden that gets me excited.  This week was memorable!  Here are the turmeric plants blooming.  Prettier close up.

And, really it's not too unexpected, after all most plants probably bloom at one time or another.  The comfrey decided to join in.  I couldn't resist and picked the stalk for my flower arrangement. 

Then, noticing berries on a Curry tree, decided to see if they were edible.  Glory to God, they are and have a nice herby, slightly citrusy taste. Which, I read are sometimes incorporated into curries. But that would be troublesome as they have an inedible seed.  Apparently not all varieties have a seed, but the ones I tasted all did.

 

We will get to the books, I promise! 

 

Do you remember that variegated Hawaiian banana I discussed last time? With variegated fruit? Here's the new baby! So there's more of those bananas to come.

The Books Read

 

Yes, we do have some books to mention.  Two from Jacqueline Winspear.  I do seem to go through favorite authors for a time.

 

An excellent stand-alone from the author of our much-loved Maisie Dobbs series.  Set in Post War England.  

 

Here Maisie Dobbs investigates the death of an Indian woman in 1933 London.  Another moving and nuanced novel by this author.

 

And another by Peter Lovesey!  I enjoy his quirky hero, Peter Diamond.  As the Publishers summarize: "When an autistic Japanese child is mysteriously abducted in London, ex-police detective Peter Diamond begins a desperate search that takes him from the sumo-wrestling world of Japan to New York's high finance district."  A very unusual plot, wandering, but absorbing.

 

Currently Reading: 

 By the author of The Henna Artist.  So far, enjoying the story quite a bit.  Goes from Bombay to Europe in 1937.

 

Then, just a bit for the Food and Wine Section

 

Ongoing fermentation of my Pineapple Wine.  Three gallons coming up, just a matter of waiting!  And waiting, racking and waiting for the finished product a year or so down the road.

 

Food and the Cookbooks Referenced:

 

Skillet Spanakopita with Phyllo.  This was a terrifically good and novel use for the Phyllo languishing in my freezer.  It's so finicky to work with, but this just put crumpled pieces on top of the delicious filling.  Thanks to Christopher Kimball, author of Milk Street Shorts.  I will probably make again!

 

Then there was Southwestern Quinoa Salad from Gourmet Today, courtesy of Ruth Reichl. A very scrumptious combination of ingredients. However, disclaimer here: If you had never prepared quinoa before, you might be put off by the lengthy and unnecessary directions for preparing that portion of the recipe. I stupidly decided to follow them just to see if I had been omitting something vital to my health. No, and I melted down the plastic portions of my sieve in the process. Live and learn. I hope.

We should be lots better here, now that hurricane Lala has come and gone.  Sadly some folks are still without power.  So many trees down!  And Gardens messed up!

 

That's it for now folks!  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and upcoming week.