I discovered the world of Graham

Vienna

I had my first key lime pie a month or so ago and it was really very good. I imagine that each bite has about a million calories – so it is not something I will eat very often – but I had this notion that I might try and make one.

I have never made a dessert of any description so had no idea how to make the base or sides of the pie – although I imagined it would involve eggs and milk – and maybe biscuit crumbs.

So when I started this process I discovered that I needed to prepare Graham cracker crust. (?) When I delved into Graham crackers I discovered this cornucopia of all things Graham. Crackers, crumbs, prepared crusts – all of this amazed me. A whole world of which I knew nothing.

I often wander wide-eyed along the shelves at Marsh and Fresh market – mesmerized by the vast array of things of which I had never dreamed until I came to America.

So apparently all I have to do is make the crust, line the pie dish, fill it with the ingredients and bake it. Sounds like something I can do. I could do it for the dinner party on Saturday nite – but that would be tempting fate.

A problem with baking is that we have this really jazzy Italian oven – a Bertazzoni Professional – but it does not do some basic things – for example – enabling us to set a precise temperature -  and telling us what the temperature is inside it.

When we first got here Cate told me that then red light on the front showed when it had reach the right temperature. Turns out she made this up. The red light on the front tells only that the oven is on. So if we are using the oven to cook meat we can use the remote thermometer – but other than this we are on our own. This has led to some interesting cooking outcomes.