
Lemon Cake Pie? Are you ready for a little dessert? This is the final day in my series highlighting recipes from my mother’s collection.
It has been a lot of fun for me, and actually very illuminating too. Because I have had this cookbook my brother put together after my mother passed away for about 15 years, but until this week I had never cooked from it.
The first few years it was in possession I honestly was not that interested in cooking. Then, once the interest in cooking took hold, I would occasionally peek through the book. But those peeks were more like a trip down memory lane than anything else.
But this week I did cook from this book. In fact I cooked 7 times! Each time was like a reintroduction to my mother, because each of the 7 recipes reminded me so much of my mom for all kinds of different reasons.
So I thank you for allowing me this indulgence. I realize it may have been a bit overtly sentimental for your average food blog, but you gotta realize the associations I make with food are strong. So once I got started I just had to take the journey where it led. It’s a good thing a decided beforehand to limit myself to one week of recipes though. Because it might have easily devolved into a whole Julie/Julia scenario– can you imagine what a warped movie that would make?
So I have decided to finish the series on a sweet note. I figured you have had your fill of the bittersweet! Though I did choose a lemon dessert so I guess in its own way its just as bittersweet as the rest of the week.
Lemon Cake Pie
This recipe is called Lemon Cake Pie. Again, it’s a sorta southern recipe to me… and though it comes from my mother’s cookbook I know for a fact this recipe is not completely original to my mother. Because I remember this recipe from a Betty Crocker Cookbook we used to have around the house.
I remember it vividly in fact, because to my young non-cooking brain I found the physics of the recipe fascinating. Because all you do is mix up the ingredients and then put them into a pie shell and “poof” miraculously during baking it separates into a lemon curd on the bottom and the lightest, fluffiest cake you can imagine on the top. I hope my photos are able to show this voodoo sufficiently enough to impress you, because I still find the whole process magical!
This is also the very first pie I have ever made. Now I have made tarts, and quiches, and turnovers and croustades. But a good old American pie has never come from my oven. So I have my mom to thank for getting me over my fears regarding pie. Thanks mom!
Now to close the series I have one final cute story to share about my mother. My mother liked the ‘perfect pie crust’ recipe that Martha Stewart featured in what I think must be her very first cookbook, Entertaining. I know this for a fact because I have my mother’s copy of that book, and she left a hint that she liked this crust.
You see my mother had a system. I think she did this with most of her cookbooks. She liked to make her own indexes to the book. These were basically lists of all the recipes she found interesting in each cookbook. This list had the title and page number of these recipes written on it. Presumably this would save her time in the menu-planning department because she could pull out a cookbook consult her handwritten notes and already have an idea about which recipes appealed to her from each book.
Which is actually a pretty sensible pre-computer system, but not the cute part of the story. What is so funny to me is the fact that my mother’s handwritten index for the Martha Stewart cookbook has survived. It has been sitting tucked inside that cookbook for decades. I must have looked at this list a million times before it struck me one day. My mother made a mental typo when she made out the list. She calls Martha Stewart ‘Mary Stuart’. If you knew my mom you would know how very her this is. I bet my mother went to her grave calling Martha Stewart Mary Stuart without ever realizing her mistake. And no matter how subsequently famous Ms. Stewart became, I can imagine my mother correcting people whenever they ‘mistakenly’ referrred to the now icon as Martha Stewart! My mom would have stuck by her guns too and convinced everyone at that dinner party that it was indeed Mary Stuart all along!
It’s so funny it makes me want to cry, because the littlest things can say so much… So Happy Mother’s Week to you mom. This is the end of my series. But not the end of my interest in this cookbook or my mother’s recipes.
Lemon Cake Pie makes 1 pie CLICK here for a printable recipe
- 1⁄2 recipe for perfect pie crust, click here for recipe
- 2 T unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1⁄2 c sugar
- 1⁄3 c flour
- 1 pn salt
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of 2 lemons
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1 1⁄4 c milk
Put rack on lowest position in oven. Preheat oven to 375.
Line the bottom and sides of a 9‑inch pie tine with 1/2 a recipe of Perfect Pie Crust. Crimp or decorate the edges as desired.
In a medium bowl, stir together melted butter and sugar. Stir in flour, salt, lemon peel and lemon juice.
In a small bowl, beat egg yolks with milk until well blended, stir into lemon mixture.
In another medium sized bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until they hold distinct but moist peaks. Gently fold egg whites into lemon mixture. (Don’t mix it too much.).
Pour filling into prepared pie crust.
Bake on the lowest rack of the oven until the top is browned and the center jiggles only slightly when pan is gently shaken (45–55 minutes). If the crust begins to brown excessively, drape it with foil.
Let cool before serving.
SERIOUS FUN FOOD
Greg Henry
SippitySup
Lemon Cake Pie
Beautiful pictures, beautiful story. Thanks for sharing it. The Sunday dinner looks just as amazing as the Monday night dinner. Must say the ricotta gnocchi and limoncello cake were the creme de la creme!
Its not only great to read such a personal and honest story but just as great to read the comments and see how well it is received! Thank you for sharing more of yourself! Your blog showed me that if I can’t write personally, why even bother…even when its just a recipe I want to share. Not always easy but I’m trying!
I know I“ve eaten there and I think it was with my cousin, but like you, I dated way too many and I don’t remember very well all the“who’s and where’s. I am loving your transparency and I’m proud of your sensibility at the same time. Not everyone finds them self happy and comfortable with who they are.
As your story progressed, I read ever more slowly to fully appreciate each word, phrase, memory. You have and will undoubtedly write many more wonderful posts, but this one is singular.
Congratulations to Angeli Café and Evan Kleiman on 25 years of success!
Wow, Greg. Thanks so much for sharing your story. All these years I’ve known that Angeli has been the site of many many many first dates, but this story is so lovely, so heartfelt and makes me remember that time…so fraught, so fun, so fleeting. I’m verklempt.
HUG
Happy Anniversary to Angeli Cafe! Sounds like a wonderful place with so many memories and stories, so nice to have something like that to come back to! Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful story!
Greg,
You are a true romantic. I loved your story of finding yourself. That’s what being young is all about.
Beautiful story, lovely photos and of course a happily ever after! My family and I need to visit Angeli next time we’re in L.A.
I peeked at Bryony’s website, I love her look, especially her children’s photographs.
Wonderful, warm and well-scripted. You’ve got my vote for the Noir Short Story award. I loved it! I, too, had an Angeli in my life. It was my ‘third place’ for many years. A refuge from home and work with a “Cheers” environment.
I guess they also know about the secret lair we were building under the volcano and the sharks with lasers. Damn.
Great story, never realized that you were such a prolific dater (ha ha). Looks like a fun event.
I love your heartfelt, well-written stories. You’re a one-of-a-kind and your blog wouldn’t be the same without your honesty. Love it!
Greg,
Your recent message to me was like a lightening bolt. Bright, and certain to stop me from continuing on my usual path. Those unexpected and kind words were greatly appreciated, especially coming from such a talented man such as yourself. I’m glad that when you write something you’re proud of, you have a flickering thought of me (little old me!!!). I want you to know that I am honored to be associated with positive writing experiences. Because let’s face it, writing is HARD. I’ll take all the GOOD I can!
Now back to you. I LOVE this story about your experience with Angeli. It’s wonderful how a restaurant (or a market, or a coffee shop…)can become a sort of beacon in a big and unfamiliar town. I’m glad you found Angeli–a restaurant with a great history and strong influence on the food trends of LA. Even more important, thanks for sharing your personal story and letting us get to know you better. You’re tender details make me want to know more. What happened next? How did you two meet?
Oh, and if you’re still on Sycamore, why is it we haven’t gone out for coffee yet? Coffee at The Coffee Bean? Soon?
Brooke
Thanks for a glimpse into your life! We are getting to know you better as well! My “memory restaurant” was the cafe we owned for a number of years. When we opened, we had 2 kids, by the time we closed we had 4. For me there are memories of my kids sitting on the counters watching the food preparation. Or my 6 year old taking orders and understanding what a latte was! I have a love for restaurants that somehow capture that feeling of sitting down in someone’s dining room and home. A place that’s comfortable and without pretense. It sounds like Angeli was just that for you!
Happy Anniversary Angeli!
~kristin
This is why I love your site Greg! Awesome information, story, and photos. Her work is stunning!
Thats a great story and one that conjured up memories of my jump to NYC all the way from ‘po-dunk’ New Mexicoo way back in 1985. There are a few places that have been around that long but none that I was a regular at — some of my regular haunts have turned into so many other businesses I cant even keep track.…