JOE'S BISCOTTI RECIPE

PEGGY'S ORANGE CRANBERRY RELISH
From Park McArthur

I'd like to give a little introduction if that's okay.  I'm including two recipes for two grandmothers, so, here it goes:

The following two recipes are examples of food's intimate connection to memory.  Each is courtesy of a grandmother--one who I did not meet and one who I've been able to love each day of my life.  Peggy Herman, my mom's mother died many years before I was born and my mom makes sure this relish is a permanent fixture at our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner tables.  This dish, in combination with photographs and the occasional story, help me remember someone I never knew.  Nancy Herman, my mom's stepmother and my grandmother extraordinaire, introduced me to (among many things) the bent paperclip as a handy cherry pitter.  Her pie recipe is a sweet and tangy legend.


Peggy's Orange Cranberry Relish

1 bag of fresh cranberries (4 cups)
2 fresh organic oranges
1 cup of sugar (or to taste if you like it a bit sweeter)
1/2 cup unsalted roasted pecans or walnuts (whichever you prefer)

Halve the oranges, taking their seeds out but leaving the peel on.  In a food processor or blender add cranberries, oranges, sugar, and nuts.  Pulse-mix until well blended, leaving small gravel-sized pieces of fruit and nuts for a nice texture.  Served chilled or at room temperature.  Makes 1 quart of relish.

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NANCY'S DE-LUXE CHERRY PIE
From Park McArthur
(From the baker herself: my recipe is really a work in progress because I'm working on improving it and we haven't had cherries for two years now, but here goes...Enjoy!)

Filling: 
4 cups sour cherries, at least  (ours are Mount Morency)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
1/8 t. salt
1/4 t. almond extract
3/4 cup cherry liquid

Flaky Pie Crust Recipe - from Better Housekeeping Cookbook, 1955 edition:

2 1/4 cup sifted flour
1 t. salt
3/4 cup Crisco
5 T. ice cold water


For filling: mix 3/4 cup sugar with cherries and let sit for awhile until some liquid forms, hopefully 3/4 cups of liquid.  Mix corn starch and remaining 1/4 cup sugar and salt.  Gently heat liquid and stir in cornstarch/sugar/salt  mixture, also gently to blend well.  Stir until thickened.   Remove from heat.

Start heating oven to 400 degrees.

For crust: mix flour and salt.  With pastry blender, add Crisco and cut until you have a bowlful of coarse sized mix...Sprinkle tablespoons of ice cold water over all and mix with fork or fingers until dough holds together.  Handle as briefly as possible.  Divide into two balls (or more if you want to "stretch" the dough further).

Cut two sheets of waxed paper and get out the rolling pin.  Flatten the first ball into a disc and roll between the waxed paper sheets.  Do not overdo, but roll until quite thin. ( I can even make two pie crusts, one 9" and one smaller from each of the balls, if I want to cut down on calories. )

Pull the top paper off of the dough, slowly, and turn the dough into the pie pan, holding the paper underneath.  Center the dough on the pan and gently remove the remaining waxed paper.  Press the dough slightly to the sides of the pan.  Cut the extra dough from the pie plate edge with a butter knife, going around the edge with the knife to remove the dough that overhangs the pan.  You might use the leftover pieces to make some shapes to decorate the top of the pie.

Roll out the top crust, using the same pieces of waxed paper again.  Make some cut out shapes into the top crust.  Use knife to make your own decorations or use small cookie or canape cutters.  This allows steam to escape, and also makes a decorative pie.

Add cherries and prepare to add to unbaked pie crust (below).  Top with a little butter scattered around (about 1 T or less).  Add top crust, centering it on the pie.  Then crimp the edges together, using fingers or fork.

If you want to make a glaze on the top, here is an option.    Brush with slightly beaten egg white, cream, or melted butter and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Put in the 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, reducing heat to 350 for 45 more minutes.  Keep an eye on browning of edges near the end.  You may need to cover the edges with foil to keep it from getting too brown.

Serve with whipped cream!  Hopefully the interior of the pie will stick together but not be too sticky!  It may take some trial and error to manage the most suitable texture!