First of all, let me say the the Italians are wusses.
Yes, they are pansies.
Pure pansies.
Ok, maybe a little dash of prissy with the pansies.
The kids at the Wyoming Sports Camp could beat the Italians - they topple over at the slightest touch.
If I had a dollar for every time the Italians flopped over like a wounded seal I'd pay off my mortgage AND have enough to buy a Ferrari.
Of course, if they make their cars like they play soccer I'd rather have a Yugo.
That being said, it felt good to see 9 soccer players outplay 10 Azzuri, the "powerhouse" everyone was claiming they are.
Built back the US's soccer reputation, slightly, I think. The ref truly changed the game - the first red card was warranted. The second, however, was not. A definite yellow, not a red. The third was ridiculous. Since when does getting "all ball" get you a second yellow card?
The offsides call on McBride - yeah, it was probably the right call...
But I am getting tired of the flopping and the whining that I see on the pitch. I get enough whining from watching the NBA!
Anyhoo... I went galette crazy this week. A galette is a free form pie (no pan).
I made 3 of them.
One strawberry rhubarb.
One strawberry rhubarb blueberry.
One blackberry.
(ok here's the strawberry rhubarb one, cant upolad the others right now, but you get the point right?)
For the crust I chose to use
Alton Brown's pie crust recipe with a few variations....
14 oz (approx 2 3/4 cups) flour
1/2 cup stone ground cornmeal - I omitted this3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted (cold!) butter, divided, diced.
1/2 stick of margarine - room temp
5 tablespoons of a liquid of your choosing to complete pie dough.
(AB used apple juice concentrate + water, i used small amt of orange juice+water for one pie and honey+water for the other)
Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse to combine.
In a food processor, add the 1/2 stick of margarine to the flour mixture.
Pulse until the fat completely disappears (approx 20 seconds)
Add the chopped 2 sticks butter in two separate batches.
For the first batch, pulse until flour mixture resembles the size of a pea.
For the second batch, pulse only 4 - 5 times (you want big chunks!)
I put in back into the fridge (approx 5 minites) to help solidify the fats.
Get your liqid ready (should be
cold liquid).
Alton uses a spray bottle to minimize adding too much water.
I dont have a spray bottle so I dont use one.
After about three tablespoons of the liquid, check the dough for consistency. It should hold together when compressed but remain relatively dry to the touch.
If it doesnt bind, add more water.
Remove from the processor and form the dough into a ball. Wrap the dough in parchment paper and place in fridge for 20 minutes (allowing flour to hydrate)
Prepare your favorite pie filling.
I used 2 cups strawberries, my over rhubarb and 1 cup of sugar + 2 tsp of tapioca (thickening agent)
Roll out your dough after the 20 minutes are up.
Roll out to about 1/4 of an inch thickness (try to roll in circle...)
Place on jelly roll pan (placing on cookie sheet is feasible, though doesnt stop leakage, as I had that happen with the blackberry one - not a good thing for the oven floor!)
Place filling in middle (one version calls for cake cubes in middle beneath filling, but i dont have cake cubes hanging around, so either bag it or use potatoe bread cubes - it works!)
Fold up one portion of dough onto filling and repeat in a clockwise fashion until a top lip has formed around the edge of the whole galette.
Brush the galette with the egg wash and sprinkle the crust with the sugar.
Bake for 30-35 minutes - the crust should feel like it is going to break if you push all the way down.
Wait until it cools. Serve like a pie with ice cream, milk, or plain!
This crust results in a tender and flaky crust that holds its own yet falls apart readily in your mouth -
Whether it falls more than the Italian soccer team is yet to be determined.
Ciao!
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