This cookbook is a lot of fun! Each section has a brief essay upfront. A lot of wit here–and a passion for cooking and devising tasty recipes. Each recipe has a story; here again, considerable wit.
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, preferably a high-fat, European-style butter such as Plugra, chilled, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 to 5 tablespoons ice water
Directions:
In a food processor, briefly pulse together the flour and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture forms chickpea-size pieces (3 to 5 1-second pulses). Add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the mixture is just moist enough to hold together.
Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic, and flatten into a disc. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before rolling out and baking.
Prebaked Crust: Preheat the oven to 375. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the piecrust to a 12-inch circle. Transfer the crust to a 9-inch pie plate. Fold over any excess dough, then crimp the edges with your fingers. Prick the crust all over with a fork. If you have time, freeze the crust for 15 to 30 minutes; otherwise skip this step. Cover the pie with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights (you can use pennies, rice, or dried beans for this). Bake for 15 minutes; remove the foil and weights and bake until pale golden, 5 to 7 minutes more.
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