One Saturday night a long time ago, my grandma and I had nothing to do. I went in the pantry to find some baking recipes. I saw a recipe that said Very Berry Pie. “Grandma,” I said “come look at what I found!” My grandma told me this was her great grandma’s recipe. “LET’S BAKE IT!” I said excitedly. We got out the pans and got the oven ready. We rolled out the pie crust and put it around the rim of the pie pan. Meanwhile my little brother sneaked into the kitchen and took some pie dough to play with. “WHERE DID THE PIECE OF THE PIE CRUST GO?” I hollered. I saw my little brother run off. He was so fast I could not catch up! DONK! I tripped over the stairs. He dropped the piece of pie crust and I caught it! “I HAVE RETURNED THE PIE CRUST!” I shouted like a brave knight. I looked at my arm and saw that it was bleeding. “That little rascal”, I whispered. I grabbed a bandage and wrapped it around my arm. It stop bleeding. When we finished baking the pie, the crust was golden brown. The filling was warm and looked like a mixture of thick berries and sauce. I will always remember the first day I made Very Berry Pie because I still have a scar on my arm, and I bet my little brother will remember, too. Ingredients List of ingredients for the crust 1½ cups (180g) flour 1 stick (120g) butter ¼ cup (60ml) ice water a pinch of salt 1 egg yolk List of ingredients for the filling 8 oz (200g) blueberries 8 oz (200g) blackberries 8 oz (200g). raspberries 3 thinly sliced strawberries 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar ½ cup (55g) cornstarch 1 lemon Method How to make the crust First, get out a 12 inch (30cm) pie pan. Next, you need your flour and put it in a bowl. Rub the butter into it with your fingers. After that, take your egg. To separate the yolk, crack the egg in half over a bowl, let the yolk settle in one half of the shell and then keep transferring the yolk back and forth allowing the egg white to fall out into the bowl. Tip the egg yolk in another bowl. Make sure there are no egg shells in it. Whisk it with a whisk until it gets thick. Put it in with the flour and mix it in. Grab your half cup of water and pour it in the flour. Mix until thickened and combined. Take your hands and pick up the dough and sprinkle some flour on the counter. Take a rolling pin and roll out two pie crusts. Then gently set one crust in the pie pan. Put the crust around the rim. How to make the filling and bake the pie Take out a two quart saucepan and put in the berries and the sugar. The berries should be boiling. You want to reduce the heat, then add the cornstarch, and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook the berries over medium heat until they reduce. They should be thickened after 15 minutes. Let them cool off for 19 minutes. Take your lemon and stab it with a fork. Cut it in half. Squeeze the lemon juice in with the berries. Mix until thick. Scoop up the filling and drop into the crust in the pie pan. Wet the edges of the bottom pie crust so the top crust can stick together. Take your 2nd pie crust and put it on the top of the filling, then crimp both crusts together using a fork. Take your fork and put a little hole in the top of the crust so the pie can have some air. Bake the pie for ¾ – 1 hour at 350⁰F (175⁰C).* Let it cool for about fifteen minutes. *A note from the Stone Soup test kitchen: the pie will turn golden brown. This might take a little longer or a little less time, depending on your oven. You can start to check it after 35-40 minutes. Skylar Carroscia, 8 South Euclid, OH
Recipes
Jia’s Quick Mini Pizza
One day I wanted some pizza but it was too late to order any. But we did have all the ingredients in this recipe. I decided to experiment and see if I could make several small pizzas using the English muffins. With help from my Dad we cut a couple of muffins in half then toasted them in the toaster. Then I covered two of the muffin halves with ketchup and a layer of cheese. On the other two I put a piece of seaweed on top of the cheese. We put the four muffin halves in the microwave and cooked them for about 30 seconds. That melted the cheese. They were great! My favorite was the seaweed mini pizza! You can add other things, too, like pineapple or sausage.* Ingredients English Muffins Tomato Ketchup (or tomato paste/tomato purée) Mexican Three-Cheese Sprinkles (or other kinds of melting cheese like mozzarella, cheddar) Seaweed or Other Things (optional) Instructions Split English muffins in half and toast in a toaster Place halves on a microwavable tray, face up Spread ketchup on the halves Place a layer of cheese over the ketchup On top of the cheese add seaweed or any other topping Put the tray in the microwave and cook for about 30 seconds or until the cheese is nicely melted *A note from the Stone Soup test kitchen: we tried capers as one alternative topping, and some artichokes in oil from a jar as another. They were really good, too! Jia Song Theiss, 10 Sammamish, Washington
Mamaw’s Mac and Cheese, from My Family Cookbook
I picked this recipe because my grandma always makes it for my cousin and me. Whenever we eat it we think of her. My grandma is the best cook ever! My family and I used to always meet at her house on Sundays and she would always make it. It tastes creamy and chewy at the same time. It is also the best mac and cheese ever! Ingredients 1 cup (125g) macaroni noodles ½ stick (60g) butter ½ cup (125ml) milk a little half-and-half or single cream 1 block (approx 4oz (115g)) Velveeta or other processed cheese Method Cook macaroni till partly tender. Drain and put back in pan. Add half and half, butter, and milk. Put over low heat. Microwave a chunk of Velveeta cheese to melt (about 1½ minutes in 30 second bursts); add to pan with macaroni and stir in. Watch closely, it is easy to burn, and take off when it looks ready. Georgia Armstrong, 11 Louisville, KY
Meatball Subs
For me, meatball subs are the taste and comfort of home. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been helping my grandma cook in the kitchen, and one of my earliest memories is helping her roll out the meatballs and place them on the cookie sheet. My grandmother, of course, was an excellent cook, and mostly eyeballed her ingredients, but I finally got her to write down a family recipe. This is a family legacy that has been passed down in my family, from my grandma, to my mom, and now to me. Ingredients Sauce 1 tablespoon sugar Two 14 oz. (400g) cans Italian seasoned stewed tomatoes One 28 oz. (800g) can peeled plum tomatoes 2 teaspoons sweet onion and herb seasoning* 2 garlic cloves, peeled Salt and pepper to taste Meatballs 2 lb (500g) ground/minced beef 1 lb (250g) ground/minced turkey ½ cup breadcrumbs 1 tablespoon sweet onion and herb seasoning* 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons pepper To Serve 8 submarine rolls (found in the bakery section) 1 package. pre-shredded mozzarella cheese or other grated cheese to your liking Method Mix all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Make sure you get it all combined, so your seasonings won’t be off. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan, and let warm over medium heat. While that is happening, roll all of the meat into meatballs the size of golf balls. Brown the meatballs in the pan for about 3 minutes, then flip to the opposite side. If it will not turn, it is either burnt or it is not done. After another 3 minutes, turn the meatball to another raw side. When that is done, cook the remaining side, and then put in a large soup pot. It is ok if there is raw meat showing. While the meatballs are cooking in the sauce, they will cook thoroughly. Put all of the sauce ingredients in a large food processor and puree. (Another option is you can put all of your ingredients in your pot BEFORE the meatballs, and purée using a hand-held food processor or stick blender.) Pour all of the sauce into the pot with meatballs, and cook over LOW heat for about two hours. (You could also use a crock pot if you have one.) About 5 minutes before serving put your halved submarine rolls on a baking sheet in the oven for 5 minutes at 350օF / 175օC to toast them lightly. This is so the sauce won’t make your bread soggy. To assemble, take out one roll per person, and pour about 3 to 4 meatballs onto the roll. Pour on some extra sauce, top with a little cheese, and then you have your masterpiece! *A note from the Stone Soup test kitchen: you can use some onion salt and a mixture of basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme or other herbs to your taste if you don’t have any seasoning mix.
