Almost done. Bought the third-to-last pecan pie–no artificial additives, thank you Trader Joe’s,theirs is not only better than anyone else’s, it’s better than mine: they don’t ever end up with the filling hiding under the crust and the pecans tumbling around wondering where it disappeared to.
Family and food and pies. For me, the ultimate comfort food is tri-berry pie (raspberry boysenberry blackberry). There’s a restaurant near Tacoma, Washington that served just the best version of it, sized for one large appetite with many berries and just enough crisp crust to do the job.
My parents and my brother and I had all flown in for several days for our niece’s wedding the time I ordered that pie, hoping for the best and getting even better. I bet if you ask my dad the name of that place now, 15, 16 years later, he would know: Dad always remembers the places where we stumble across the best meals. Always. Our family’s previous trip to the area had included some exquisite clam chowder–I was three. It was the Seattle World’s Fair. So on this trip about 35 years later, he was going, I bet I can remember where…
We thought there was no way, but we were wrong, he found it: on the waterfront, with old Indian canoes and paddles on the walls for the decor and a floor that sloped up and down like hiking a small hill.
And I can hereby testify, their clam chowder was very good.
We went back later to that other place to get more of that perfect pie for breakfast before our flights home.
Oh wait–tomorrow. Almost forgot the cranberry sauce. Can you boil water? A cup of water and a cup of sugar going at a good roll, some say for this long, some say that long; doesn’t matter. Boiling. Then you pour in the bag of cranberries and simmer ten minutes till they burst for joy, stir if you feel like it. Easy as pie.
Pardon me while I go get that done too.
(Coming back to the computer.) Okay, sauce, done. But if you ever stop at that restaurant–what’s that name, help me out here, Dad–come on by. I’ll trade you for a chocolate torte.
(Which is what Richard’s aunt really wants us to bring for dessert tomorrow. It’s ready and waiting.)