Papaya Smoothie

This recipe is a little something I picked up from my father. He usually makes it on a weekend morning and we eat it for breakfast with a hunks of soft, challah-like bread.

I was surprised to find the lovely specimen pictured above at my local Trader Joe's. I usually have to take advantage of times when I happen to be in Spanish neighborhoods to find stuff like this. I make it sound like an ordeal, but living in Manhattan...anything is just a short train ride away. And if you live in a reasonably diverse area, there's bound to be a Spanish market nearby. You just have to know when things are in season and trying out these recipes should be cake :)

Papaya Smoothie
Serves 2
1 tray of ice cubes
1/2 a papaya, ripe and cut into chunks
1/4 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup milk
1/2 to 1 tsp of vanilla

This recipe can easily be tweaked to taste. First, remove seeds. Put ice cubes, papaya chunks, sugar, milk, and vanilla into a blender. Blend. It's that easy. And crazy good.

Pi Day

Passionfruit is my absolute favorite of all flavors. You don't usually see it in pies, but I was determined to make it happen. A friend and I came up with this recipe and "tested" it three times. You know...for science. Honestly, I was surprised that it was such a success, but it really turned out very good. A little tart, a little sweet, and the buttery, flaky crust balances it all out.

And, as promised, a pie crust tutorial after the jump. For now the tutorial has no pictures. I didn't have my pie dish, so I couldn't take photos. I'll re-post with pics soon.

Wednesday is Pi Day!

And in honor of this most important of "holidays" I'll be posting a little tutorial on how to make the perfect pie crust (along with a recipe for a passionfruit meringue pie that a friend and I came up with). I've picked up a few techniques here and there, and I assure you it's very doable. There's no reason why anyone should have to eat a store-bought crust. Ever. Sounds snobby? Well, this is not Sandra Lee's blog...