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one of my childhood memories was going to baker's square for a pie after enduring a doctor's appointment. it was definitely a ploy to make us feel better about the doctor and potential shots. is this the best place for pie...i definitely thought so when i was 10 years old with underdeveloped, uneducated taste buds. it was heaven. i can't say that i know that answer now because all of these restaurants have closed in california since. they're only in the midwest - if that says anything. well, since this was no longer an option, trying to find a pie seemed too daunting of a task, so i needed a sure thing. mind you, i was pregnant at this time, so mama was having a serious craving. remembering a blog post from my dear friend, regina , i called upon her to possibly make me a pie to address this monster craving. and, like a true friend, she made the pie at 9pm in the evening and i was presented with one of the most perfect slices of heaven one can ask for. the graha...

for my father-in-law's birthday, i didn't have time to think about baking...so i went to my local pie shop to get him an assortment of his favorites: cherry, apple, key lime, & banana cream. i was actually really disappointed in myself for not making my own pie to celebrate his day...it's my ambitious drive that gets me to attempt things i never have. so, i chose to make the key lime pie for two reasons: 1) it's the father-in-law's absolute favorite and i've never seen anyone make one for him since i've been around (8 years) and 2) that was the least favorite of the slices i brought from the local pie shop...and i felt it needed some redemption. i also needed an excuse to finally use my mini keebler graham cracker crusts . by the way, he said it was the BEST he ever had...he was a little intoxicated so this statement may be slightly exaggerated. MINI KEY LIME MERINGUE PIE posted on plum pie by brooke on april 2011 CRUST  (i cheated and used prep...

the first time i had bestilla was at a moroccan restaurant in san francisco, el mansour , which was served family-style. think along came polly -esque, minus the heat and profusely sweating ben stiller. great image to start a recipe entry, right? anyway, this dish is a meal in itself. the middle eastern-spiced chicken is wrapped in flaky phyllo dough and topped with powdered sugar, making it sweet & savory. i will say that this dish is tasking...this is the first time i used phyllo dough and it is incredibly fragile, but so worth it! i think this is one that will be made for special occasions only. BESTILLA published in the food of morocco: a journey for food lovers by tess mallos (pg 189) 150 g (5 1/2 oz) smen, ghee, or butter 1.5 kg (3 lbs 5 oz) chicken, quartered or 3 x 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) squab pigeon, halved 2 large red onion, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 cinnamon stick 1 t ground ginger 1 1/2 t ground cumin 1/4 t cayenne pepper 1/2 t ground...