Research trip

I'm taking this pie thing very, very seriously. So much so, that I took last week off for a research trip to the Coast.

Seriously.

I visited the Carolina coast to study up on key lime pie and to interview my aunt, one of the best Southern cooks I know. (Oh yeah, and to visit a boatload of cousins and play on the beach.)

First, the key lime pie:

It was awesome. The perfect balance between tart and sweet. Creamy and decedent. Delicious. And lucky for me, my housemates insisted on keeping at least two in the fridge at all times the entire week. We had it for breakfast, dessert and even a mid-day snack.

I've decided that key lime pie -- good key lime pie -- actually tastes like summer.

As for my aunt, spending the afternoon with her and learning the tips and trade secrets that make her catering business a success, was pure bliss. I learned that pies used to be her specialty and that she was known for whipping one up whenever, wherever -- including once on a camping trip.

She also tipped me off to her favorite pie crust recipe. While she couldn't remember it off hand, she advised me to check out a certain cook book from the 1960s. She's sure it's been reprinted since then and suggested digging up one of the original copies if possible. It may take some time, but I'm up for the challenge.

And so, after 7 days in the South, I returned back to the Midwest tired and slightly sunburned, but eager to get in the kitchen and get back to baking.

I hadn't even unpacked my suitcase before I managed to test a new crust recipe. It's not my aunt's -- that one's going to take some time to dig up.

Instead, it's a recipe that I hoped would yield a slightly more buttery tasting crust.

A little blueberry pie filling and viola! A delicious little tart.

This crust is my favorite so far, although it was a little tough to work with. Next time I'll add more ice water to make it more pliable, preventing it from cracking and crumbling when I roll out the dough.

Tonight, my six year-old son came in the kitchen as I pulled the tart shells out of the oven.

"Mom," he said. "I think you're going to win this."

"I hope to win," I replied. "But it's going to take a lot of practice -- just like you practice playing baseball. I'll get better and better making pies, the way you've gotten better and better hitting, throwing and catching."

He smiled and turned to leave the kitchen, saying over his shoulder:

"I like your kind of practice. A lot."

Me too.