Luck , Love & Lemon Pie by Amy E. Reichert
Luck, Love & Lemon Pie
by Amy E. Reichert.
EGG RATING
Why this book as a first book for the Foodie Book Club?
I’d like to say that it was highly recommended, but the real reason is that i used the good old internet, typed in “books with food in the title”’ and up popped a list. I was lucky that it was a good list , so good in fact , i didn’t know which book to start with. So what did i do? Easy, i put the top 20 titles into a bowl and drew out a name . This is what came out first.
I love a happy ending , and this book gave me just that.
A book about finding yourself, finding ways to discover the love in an old and worn relationship, teenage children and poker. Who could ask for more?
Sounds like a tried and tested formula, right? I guess it is.
Just because the recipes old, doesn’t mean it doesn’t bake well and come out of the oven ready to eat.
Why did I like this book? It was smart and or course the Lemon custard pie. Who can resist a tart lemon with a creamy custard mouth feel and a rich cream topping, not me that’s for sure . (So why did i decide to make a Key Lime Slice , why not?)
As a lady of a certain age, kids all grown up and flown the nest, I related a little to MJ. That feeling of “Is this it? What happens now?” Trying to work out what place you’ve now got in a world with the prospect of it being just you and the your partner. When you no longer have the white noise of others to dampen the sharp edges of your relationship. Where it’s all been about others.
With both of her kids ready to move on, a twenty year marriage and a sex life that was like a colour by numbers book, she wanted to know that the “spark” was still there. So in trying to rekindle this spark, she goes a little astray and has to come to her own realisation that her life is where she wants to be.
She has a lessen in letting go of old grudges and minor hurts. (Like to meet the person who doesn’t do that ). Builds on her already strong relationship with two old friends and learns to forgive.
I would have liked more about the friends and their lives outside MJ’s world. There were points in the narrative where it seemed as though her two friends were too understanding and too non-judgemental. Sometimes a little two dimensional. The question i asked myself here was , because MJ was learning about her self, was she also learning about her friends and family , and was i as a reader, supposed to go on that journey with her? Is that the deliberate writer reason they were not filled out as characters as i would have liked, or am i over thinking it?
What i found interesting was the relationship MJ had with her daughter. Its a great example of how unconsciously mothers can pass learnt behaviour on to her children and a startling realisation for MJ that she was still learning about herself from her children. I can relate to that . My kids are often the ones that teach me how to be a better person, better mum, as well as how to use the internet and twitter. They’ve also pointed me towards some great TV too . I can say that i could probably name most of the contestants from Ru Paul’s Drag Race.
A lesson passed from MJ to her daughter ,passed down through the female blood line from her own mother, was the idea that letting others in to share her world, asking for help was weakness. Throughout this book, with the realisation that she wanted and loved her husband, came the dawning that letting someone in was showing love and need , not a weakness but a strength to be nurtured. .
Would I recommend this book? Yes. Its an easy read , not too many surprises, but smart enough writing to make me want to finish it and find out if MJ was married or divorced by the end if it.
The only down side for me, were the supporting characters. A little too flat, a little too on board with whatever Mj was up for.
2 1/2 eggs
Key Lime Slice
Key Lime Slice - without the Key Limes
Key Lime slice without the Key Lime! Maybe i should just call it lime slice? But if you like to be punched in the face with a tart creamy pie, this is definitely the one for you. Add an extra sweetness to the cream top and you’ve got yourself a perfect finish to any meal.
Or if you’re like me, i just make it to eat it because i love it. Anytime.
What You Need
Top Layer
8 Limes - zest & juice
8 egg yolks
2 x 14oz tins condensed milk
Base
250 gms crushed digestive biscuits
55 gms castor sugar
80 gms butter - melted
Topping
1 carton double cream
1 tablespoon icing sugar
lime zest
Limes everywhere
How It’s Done
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the lime zest until a little lighter and the yolks take on a pale green tinge . By hand, beat in the condensed milk and the lime juice until fully incorporated. Set aside at room temperature until the mixture begins to thicken.
Heat oven to 180c. While the mixture is thickening, mix the crushed biscuits and the melted butter together until all the biscuits crumbs are coated in the butter and moist. Place the mixture into a loose bottomed tin. Press down firmly. Put the tin into the oven and cook for 10-15 mins until the edges are a light gold colour. Let the base cool completely in the tin.
Once the base is cool, pour in the lime and condensed milk mixture and smooth the top until flat. Place back into the oven at 180c for 15-20 minutes . The middle should be slightly wobbly with the edges a little firmer . Once cooked, take out of the oven and cool for about 15 minutes then place in the fridge for no less tan 1 hour - until set and completely cold .
One chilled , run a sharp knife around the edge of the tine to loosen the edges and place onto a serving plate.
Add the icing sugar to the double cream and whip until firm peaks. Decorate the top of your pie with the cream and just before serving, sprinkle a little of the lime zest over the top . Serve chilled
Tip Box
Loose bottomed tin - I’ve used a rectangular tin, but a round 8-9 inch loose bottomed tin is great.
Digestive biscuits - Ive used ginger biscuits with this recipe before. It gives the Lime Slice a little bit of a kick. Try it with crushed bourbons too.
To crush the biscuits, i use a food processor to get a fine crush . If you done have a food processor, put the biscuits into a plastic food bag, seal the top after getting all the air out. Using a rolling pin, smash them until they are the consistency of fine breadcrumbs.
Ovens - all ovens and their heat varies depending in how old the oven is. This is why i give estimates on cooking times .
Lime zest - if you’re not serving the pie straight away , don’t put the zest onto the top . Add the zest on the top just before serving. The lime zest will curdle the cream if left on for too long.
