I don't want, no I really don't want To be John Lithgow or Jane Curtain But I'll settle for love.

Speak for yourself rufus. I saw John Lithgow today! (then i saw katie holmes, which was just weird and i wanted to give her a lollipop) i was meeting jeremy at his theatre, and next door rehearsals for All My Sons were just wrapping up. So, in my goon clothes, i was sitting on the steps of 13 when our favorite extra-terrestrial, john lithgow walks past me. he was wearing a long dark blue trench coat, looking very thin and terribly smart(!), clutching the latest issue of the New Yorker.
so my star studded evening only got better when brother bear took me to Yum Yum for thai food.
so now i am home, surrounded by the latest articles in Bon Appetit, ready to tell you all about my latest adventure in gastronomic delicacies. (perhaps Steingarten has inflated my ego to impractical levels......perhaps.)
and so, after much ado about nothing.....Strawberry Rhubarb Pie!!
I had never eaten strawberry rhubarb pie, let alone made it. but i was on a roll with pies, and felt pretty good about continuing with them. (plus, shmoops called to say she had bought strawberries and rhubarb....cough cough hint hint)
I used the basic recipe from the classic cookbook, The New Doubleday Cookbook.
asides from the pie crust itself (which i think i am getting the hang of) the process was fantastically easy! chop rhubarb, add sliced strawberries, about a cup and 1/3 of sugar, some flour to hold the mixture together, mix and place in the bottom crust.
the bottom of the recipe included an optional step "For a special occasion, cover with a lattice crust"
Well, the special occasion was that it was the first time I did a Lattice Crust!
baby steps for me though....i didn't do the weave lattice, rather the basic horizontal layer with the vertical placed over it. i'll get there eventually though.
and now, ahem....the gallery.
Rhubarb.it's ridiculous. and VERY bitter. i nibbled a bit, contemplated making a strawberry rhubarb pie sans rhubarb.....but i bit the bullet (and the rhubarb) and hoped for the best.
uneven pastry strips!
in the oven for 42 minutes.
up and close and personal with my pie.
guts. heh...

i was given rave reviews, by the very tough critics....my parents. so phew! passed that test. it was sweeter than expected (considering the bitterness of the rhubarb) and the lattice crust came out the best of my previous top pie crusts. so.....i was thrilled! paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and Joey clawing at ankles, it was a lovely ending to a sunday evening.

Now i am going buy very expensive chocolate on the internet.

xoxo-
Manic Michelle and the mini fools.