Christmas Special: Homemade Apple Pie

It is high time that this dessert featured on my blog and allow me to tell you why.

I was a teenager when I developed a love for cooking. It wasn't as if anyone in particular influenced me. My mum never insisted that I help her in the kitchen nor did I volunteer 😛 Back then, I wasn't even a foodie. I was a scrawny teen who swore by the philosophy "eat to live" (can't say the same now 😝). As a child, I used to be an exasperatingly fussy eater, enjoying only the limited spectrum food that appealed to my taste buds and not being adventurous at all when it came to trying new dishes. As I grew older, I gradually started to appreciate food much more. I didn't (still don't) have much of a sweet tooth. My weaknesses in food & drink included soda (cola exclusively), chocolate, anything containing cheese, deep-fried snacks and those, I'll readily admit, still continue to be to this day.

During those years, I started watching various cookery shows which ignited the fire in me to explore the culinary world. My mum had plenty of cookbooks in her pantry so I began flipping through them. I was curious to know if I could make some of my favourite dishes on my own. As good a cook my mum is, baking is something she never did and so that was one area that piqued my interest in particular.

I remember quite clearly, almost like it was yesterday, some of the dishes I used to make all those years ago. Vegetable fried rice, potato rösti, potato kebabs, fried cheese balls, Chinese noodles, mug cake, fruit trifle and apple pie are some that come to mind off the top of my head.

Among all my mum's cookbooks was a Party Cookbook by noted Indian food writer Tarla Dalal. In that book was a simple recipe for homemade apple pie. It was one of the first desserts I ever attempted. 

Back then, I was a baking novice. I had absolutely no clue about pastry tips and techniques. I had no idea how the variety of apple would influence the final taste and texture of an apple pie. In my small sleepy hometown of Mysore, only one or maybe two varieties of apples were available in the local market and I'd just go pick up whatever I could get my hands on. Our kitchen had a medieval oven with a gas fuelled burner that had to be manually ignited (I was too afraid to do it so I'd ask my mum to). The temperature of our oven wasn't precise so I couldn't trust the settings and I didn't know about the existence of an oven thermometer so I'd just end up taking a gamble on the baking temperature and time. In my naïve mind, as long as the pastry was cooked and the complimentary flavours of apple and cinnamon married together, I had a winning dessert. 

Looking back, I realise that the apple filling I'd make used to turn out mushy every time and although the pastry was cooked through, it wasn't flaky like how it is supposed to be. But we didn't know any better so to us, it tasted delicious and elicited requests from family and friends to make often. It went on to become my signature dish and is the only dessert I so distinctly remember from my childhood. Every time I bite into an apple pie, no matter where I am in the world, it takes me on a trip down memory lane and that is the reason, this dessert holds a special place in my heart. 

An old-fashioned apple pie with a flaky buttery pastry crust and juicy apple filling perfumed with cinnamon is the perfect dessert. When apple pie is served warm topped with good quality vanilla bean ice-cream, it is the ultimate indulgence. I know that apple pie is popular during the fall and frequently graces the tables at Christmas but it really is an all-year dessert. Making an apple pie from scratch does take some time but trust me, it is a fun endeavour and time well spent. I would like to make apple pie "my thing" again hoping that it will be something my kids and future grandkids will remember me by 😊

Okay, so let's get down to business. When it comes to apples, to each their own. You will see hundreds of recipes floating around recommending a particular variety or varieties of apple for "the best apple pie" and it can all get very confusing. You may think that choosing the right apple for a pie is all about flavor, but there's another equally important element: pectin. Pectin is the biological glue that holds together plant cells, giving fruits and vegetables their shape and structure. When apples are cooked, this pectin breaks down, and the apples turn mushy. Pectin breakdown is inhibited by low pH levels (that is, it breaks down less when the environment is acidic). Thus, the tarter the apple, the more likely it is to hold its shape upon baking. That is why a lot of apple pie recipes you see out there would mention Granny Smiths or Royal Gala apples. But then again, tart apples hold up well during cooking but don't offer the best "apple-y" flavor. In contrast, sweet apples provide wonderful flavor but often turn to mush. Based on the availability, I'd suggest using a mixture of apples to strike the right balance between flavour, texture and fragrance. Varieties such as McIntosh, Cortland, Braeburn, Pink Lady, Granny Smith and HoneyCrisp generally seem to be good choices for apple pie.

I stuck to a classic apple pie recipe but modernised it with a lattice crust. I didn't add in a lot of spices because I wanted the apple flavor to shine through. Using a combination of sweet and tart apples made the filling perfectly balanced with the structure of the apples intact as opposed to a gooey mush. The husband likes the apple filling to have a hint of savoury flavour so I've included a little salt in it. This is purely a personal preference. I followed most of the pastry techniques so ended up with a nice and flaky pastry. All in all, it was a delicious dessert and it brought back so many fond memories.

I'm usually very generous with the desserts I make, reserving only a minuscule portion for myself and dividing the rest among my family, domestic helper, friends and sometimes even boss and colleagues. But this time, I kept a lion's share of the pie polishing off the whole thing in a record two days 😄 If only the adage 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away' could be extended to include apple pie as well *sigh*

So that is why I said at the beginning of this post that it is high time to feature this recipe on the blog. And although I was aware of it at a subconscious level, I must thank one of my sister-in-laws for pointing out the lack of pie recipes on my blog and motivating me to change that. So, Ramya, this post is dedicated to you 😊 Hoping for more pie exploits in the new year.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone!

Book review: Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett

Since my last novel, I've taken way longer than I had anticipated to finish the next. I had so many things going on the past few weeks that I was unable to find the time to read at a stretch. I did it in short stabs stealing whatever spare time I could.  

After I devoured six books by Greg Iles back-to-back, the next author I set my sights on was Ken Follett. The Welsh author of thrillers and historical novels has sold more than 160 million copies of his works. Many of his books have achieved high ranking on best seller lists. I'll admit that I had never read any of his books before. But that has since changed (obviously) and I now have an entire collection on my Kindle that awaits.

Eye of the Needle was Follett's first successful, best-selling effort as a novelist, and it earned him the 1979 Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America

***Plot***

Contains spoilers

The premise of the novel is a fictionalized account of events preceding the most important military operation of World War II: the Battle of Normandy. As most history buffs are aware, the Western Allies of World War II launched the largest amphibious invasion in history when they assaulted Normandy, located on the northern coast of France, on 6 June 1944. In the months leading up to the invasion, the Allied forces conducted a huge near-impossible deception operation, aimed at misleading the Germans with respect to the date and place of the invasion. The objective of 'Operation Fortitude' was to trick the enemy into preparing for an invasion via the Pas de Calais so that on D-Day, the Normandy assault would have the advantage of surprise. 

A big part of this covert operation were the spies that operated on both sides, Germany and Britain at the time. Under the watchful eye of Winston Churchill, The British were able to turn several German spies into double agents who would then feed falsified information to Hitler's camp. 

From this point in history onward, Eye of the Needle enters the realm of fiction. A single German spy working for the Nazi's known only as Die Nadel or 'The Needle' has the capacity to foil the entire ruse. Being the Führer's number one agent, Die Nadel has in his possession, photographic evidence to prove the presence of a massive dummy camp near Calais and he is on the move to deliver the damning information personally. The British intelligence MI5 who have recruited a network of 'spy catchers' consisting of soldiers, historians, scholars, barristers and the likes must come together to decipher cryptic codes, monitor suspicious activity and undertake spy catching missions in the interest of national security. Percival Godliman, a widowed history professor and Frederick Bloggs, a young inspector from Scotland Yard work around the clock in the manhunt for the evasive Die Nadel before it is too late. 

In a dramatic and unexpected twist to the plot, a young English woman's fate becomes entwined in the spy drama and she unwittingly finds herself a major determinant of the outcome of the war. Lucy, is a wife of an ex-trainee RAF pilot and mother of a three year old child, living in desolation on Storm island, off the east coast of Scotland. Her angst stemming from a loveless marriage to her paraplegic husband keeps her in an unceasingly woeful state of mind. One day, her life as she has known it is turned upside down. She has 48 hours to find the courage she has never known to be safeguard not only her child but also her country.

The outcome of the Battle of Normandy is written in history. But what is the fate of Die Nadel? What happens to Lucy and her family?

Read the book to find out...

A Wonderful Family Holiday to Koh Samui, Thailand

I just had to do a travel post since it had been pretty long since the last one. Not to mention, I had lots of pictures that I wanted to put to good use.

We usually plan something around the twins birthday. Last year we did a fun staycation at a water park integrated resort in Singapore, the year before that, a memorable holiday with my parents at Club Med Cherating beach Malaysia and the first year was celebrated with a themed-birthday party in India attended by close friends and family. 

This year, to mark their fourth birthday, we were leaning towards going to Siem Reap in Cambodia with a group of friends but changed our plan to a beach holiday in Thailand keeping in mind the interest of the kids and what they would enjoy more. 

We love Thailand so any opportunity to visit the country is welcomed. Having already been to Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket, we were toying with Krabi or Koh Samui for our holiday destination. Since Koh Samui had the reputation of being the less crowded and more peaceful destination for families, we went with the latter. 

First things first - If you have been to Koh Samui, you would be aware that the airfare from Singapore is pretty expensive considering the short flight. We flew Silk Air and had to fork out quite a bit for the airfare for the four of us. The airport at Koh Samui is privately owned and run by Bangkok Airways so be aware that airport taxes contribute a huge chunk to the final ticket price.

For the accommodation, you will be spoilt for choices as with most Thai destinations, there are no dearth of options which cater to all kinds of preferences and budgets. We made our choice based on the beach we wanted to stay closest to. I had read that Choeng Mon beach was a good choice for families with young children. We always stay at either resorts or hotels when we travel overseas so this time we thought we would try something different and booked a two bedroom condominium that was walking distance to our beach of choice. We figured a "home away from home" experience while on holiday is a good thing when you have kids in the picture 😊

Image source: Images of Thailand

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I'd say November is not the best time to visit Koh Samui but since we had planned to celebrate a specific occasion, we couldn't do anything about it. November is a bit of a gamble as the threat of rain is a very real concern. The upside is that the island is fairly uncrowded during low season. Samui's weather patterns differs from the rest of Thailand. In April through September, when most of the country has its monsoon, Samui stays fairly dry, but from October to December, it is wet in Samui and drier elsewhere. The driest season is from January to March so take note of that if you are planning a visit. 

Travelling with my offsprings is always an anxiety-inducing experience for me as the two can be likened to active volcanoes that can bring up the contents of their stomach without any prior notice. Even the car journey to the airport frequently ends in a vomit-fest so an uneventful journey is something I fervently pray for (but seldom occurs in reality). 

After a 40 min car journey, followed by a 1.5 hour flight (which did indeed include the use of airsickness bags and lots of wet wipes 😒) we touched down at Koh Samui. 

Samui International Airport is heralded as one of the coolest and best-looking airports in Thailand. The airport does have a delightfully rustic feel. The two terminals are open-sided, feature beautifully landscaped tropical gardens, charming shops and structures made of bamboo-and-thatch which gives it a resort-like appearance and intensifies the holiday vibe. The visa on arrival did take a while but we eventually made our way out and found the driver who was waiting to take us to the condo. 

The property was a short distance away from the airport. We found the apartment to be fully furnished with free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, televisions in the living room and both bedrooms with cable TV (more than 300 channels) and plenty of large beach towels. It also had a spacious balcony overlooking the pool. 

I was pleased to note that the sparkling clean kitchen had everything I would need to rustle up a decent meal if needed. There was a fridge, microwave, kettle, toaster, in-built over, electric stove, dish drying rack, sink and drawers and cupboards stocked with cutlery, pots and pans.

The communal areas featured a small kids pool, a medium-sized main swimming pool, a laundromat, a gym, convenience store and bar/cafe. 

The kids were thrilled with the accommodation and naively assumed that we had moved to a new place. They were very vocal in their appreciation of their "new room" and "new house" 😂

A Letter To My Daughters on Their Fourth Birthday

I realize every year, my birthday letters to my daughters are getting longer and more detailed. Although that may sound like a good thing, I'm worried that it will translate into a snooze-fest 😴😅

If you are checking out my blog for the very first time, let me give you a head's up that writing these birthday letters is a self-initiated annual tradition. I wrote letters to my twin daughters on their first birthday, second birthday and third birthday. I promised myself that I would document their early years to the best of my ability at least till they were five years old. I'm glad that I've stuck to my guns because reading the earlier letters gets me misty-eyed and brings back memories that were buried somewhere in the depths of my perpetually foggy brain. The realization that I would have forgotten many of those precious details if I hadn't painstakingly extricated from my memory every year, makes it a worthwhile endeavor.

As I had expected, succumbing to peer pressure, the twins wanted a princess-themed birthday party this year. We decided to organize a party next year marking their fifth birthday and instead go for a family beach holiday to Thailand a few days prior and celebrate their birthday at pre-school followed by a fun activity of their choice. It didn't take any persuasion to get them completely on board with the latter idea. The fact that preschoolers are notoriously fickle comes in handy at times like these 😛

To be magnanimous, I did consult the girls on what kind of cake they wanted. Unsurprisingly, they both wanted a "pink" cake with cream and flowers so I chose a simple vanilla cake with whipped cream with rosettes and sugar flowers. I had taken the day off to be able to pull of this cake (simple as it was) because let's face it, I am no cake decorating whiz and I need time to be able to do a decent job.

The previous day of the birthday passed by with a fun-filled celebration at school among their classmates in the morning and a visit to the temple in the evening. On the big day, we headed out to one of their favourite indoor playgrounds where they spent the entire morning followed by lunch at a restaurant. Dinner was spent with relatives who chipped in to make the girls feel special. And there were birthday cupcakes to be enjoyed by all. All in all, I'd say it was a memorable birthday 😊

And now for the letter which captures the essence (or maybe a bit more) of everything that took place since their last birthday....