A month ago, Jennie sent me a calendar invite to “Pot Pie Night” with some of our friends. I’ve learned not to ask questions when these things happen, so I responded by RSVPing “yes” and researching pot pie recipes.

We’ve been itching to make more pie crusts ever since the Bake for Good tour with King Arthur Flour. I am proud to say that for the first time ever, making this pie crust actually didn’t terrify me. And if came out pretty well!

Pie Pastry (Recipe by King Arthur Flour)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (we used wheat flour)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions:
1. Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
2. Cut half the butter into pea-sized pieces and work quickly into flour mixture.
3. Cut in the remaining butter, this time in larger pieces (a little smaller than dime-sized)
4. Sprinkle about three tablespoons of of the ice water over the flour/butter mixture and mix just until the dough begins to mass. You may need to add additional tablespoons of ice water for this to occur.
5. Remove the dough mass to a flat surface, divide into two equal portion and flatten into rounds. Cover in plastic wrap and let chill for at least 1/2 hour before rolling out and creating your crust.

Pot Pie

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 lbs potatoes, cut into approx. 1″ pieces
3-5 medium leeks, sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
5 cups chicken, cooked (we cut ours into cubes and cooked it in the cast iron skillet)
1 cup fresh green peas
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
pie pastry (see recipe above)
1 egg yolk (for egg wash)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. In a stock pot or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
3. Add onion, potatoes, leeks, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender; about 10-12 minutes.
4. Add white wine, stir in flour and cook for about 1 minute to combine.
5. Add chicken stock and milk and bring to a simmer for about 2-minutes, stirring until mixture thickens.
6. Add chicken, peas, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper, and combine well.
7. Roll out your dough and transfer to pie plate.
8. Fill your crust with pot pie mixture and cover the filling with your top dough.
9. Lift both layers of dough together and tuck to fold the top layer under. Seal the edge by crimping with your fingers or using a fork.
10. Cut slits in your top crust to vent
11. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, checking every ten minutes to be sure your crust isn’t burning. If it begins to brown too quickly, cover with tin foil for the remaining bake time.

Here at GMS, we still call our moms for recipe questions. We’re still asking how much of to add of certain ingredients, how many hours days before dinner you can start your sauce, whether or not we should save the beet greens and turn them into something else, and if you really need to toss leftovers that you forgot about in the wayyy back of the fridge.

We’re far from pros, but what we do know about our kitchens mostly comes from our moms. They are fearless in the kitchens they work in, they have seemingly endless wheelhouses of delicious dinners, and they will always be around to talk through a recipe or dinner menu with us. This mother’s day, we wanted to say a big THANK YOU to our moms, and share some recipes that remind us of our mamas.

From Jennie… The recipes that most remind me of my mom are strewn about my memories as clear as memories of my first bike ride and first high school dance. This Macaroni Salad is so vividly a part of every summer of my life, just like mosquitos and the beach and James Taylor on the radio.

Icebox cake is another recipe that brings back memories of long days out by the pool, coming inside only to use the restroom and maybe reapply sunscreen, then sit to read a magazine and eat a slice of cake while you wait for it to soak in before diving back into water. Whenever, I am sick, I want my mom’s chicken noodle soup – which always makes me feel better as soon as I taste it – but I often have to settle for my own, which is ALMOST as good. And of course, everything and anything Italian reminds me of my mom, who I always check with on every recipe (even though she doesn’t follow a recipe at all, so I usually just get vague quantities and a, “It’ll be delicious!”)

From Corelyn…. My mother taught me two of my most valuable kitchen skills. How to substitute ingredients when you need to improvise (or more importantly to not be afraid of a little substitution), and how to properly use a spatula to scrape every last drop of batter/sauce/mixture out of a bowl. Jennie can attest that we think about my mother every single time either one of us wields a rubber spatula. In the spirit of kitchen improvisation, it was my mom who taught me to make and love frittata, like this one with zucchini and goat cheese. It always seemed like she could make a frittata seemingly out of thin air, or at least whatever veggies we happened to have in the fridge.

She also taught me how delightful and addictive a peanut stew can be, or this potato leek soup we made based on her Memere’s recipe. And speaking of her Rhode Island roots, this coffee cabinet has my mom (and her parents, my Nana and Papa) written all over it. And I’ll always think about lazy Saturday mornings listening to music, waltzing in the kitchen, and chatting for hours over many cups of coffee (for me) or tea (for her) whenever we make Wine, Bread, Cheese & Thou.

Happy Mother’s Day from Garlic, My Soul!

Strawberry Spinach Salad was really popular a few years back, with a poppyseed dressing. Simple, classic, and delicious. But then came arugula, and kale, and rainbow chard, and for a moment, people forgot just how good spinach is. We’re here to remind you (you’re welcome.)

A word on salad construction. We try our best to share the recipes we use, but with certain dishes, you’ve got to trust your own instincts. Your basic ingredients should be fresh spinach and strawberries, but feel free to add any of your favorite salad ingredients!

In this case, we added sprouts, cashews and burrata. If those don’t tickle your fancy, try avocado, walnuts, sunflower seeds, or goat cheese. We’re getting hungry just thinking of all the delicious possibilities!

We went off book and whipped up a strawberry honey dijon puree as dressing, and were pleasantly surprised by the results. This was the perfect blend of sweet and tart to compliment the creamy burrata, and  we will definitely be putting this on our future salads. Tell all your friends! Spinach and strawberries are making a comeback this summer!

Dressing:

3-4 strawberries (I used 3 large strawberries)
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 lemon, juice
sprinkle of salt/pepper

Before I realized my destiny of moving to sunny California, I was dead set on making a home in New York City. There’s just something about it that fills me with immense energy and joy! I was elated when work brought me to Brooklyn last week and I had the wonderful opportunity of living out this old dream for a few days time. After a quick Instagram poll for good local coffee shops, I was off to Little Zelda!

Little Zelda is nestled amongst cool vintage shops and organic grocery stores in Brooklyn. It’s indeed a tiny spot, but such a gem! I was instantly charmed by the old books, fun photos, and 1940s Big Band music playing throughout the cafe.

I arrived pretty early (and by early, I mean before 9:30am) on Sunday and just beat the crowd! By the time I sat down it was a full house.

Now this was total coincidence (or was it?), but my dream dog – an apricot colored Labradoodle – arrived during my visit! Thus I loved Little Zelda that much more.

Major props to my good friend Jeff (aka Studio DIY‘s other half) for recommending Little Zelda to me, and for insisting I try the homemade Pop Tarts. I’m not normally a pastry-for-breakfast person, but I trust Jeff’s excellent taste 110% – and this warm lemon Pop Tart was incredible.

One more of my wonderful dream dog…and Little Zelda, of course!

Brooklyn is saturated with amazing food, but I’m so glad I came to Little Zelda! I can’t wait for a return visit soon.

Happy Cinco de Mayo! We’ve been introduced to so many incredible Mexican dishes while living in Los Angeles, and I don’t think Jennie or I truly appreciated how tasty tortilla soup can be until we lived here. For today’s holiday, we made our version using the slow cooker for maximum flavor and convenience.

It’s always exciting to throw a bunch of ingredients into the slow cooker, press some buttons, and then walk away for a few hours, although it can also be nerve-wracking. We recommend tasting this for salt and spice levels about 30 minutes before serving, just to be sure.

This is one delicious soup, but what really takes tortilla soup to the next level is the garnish. The most important of these, of course, is the fried tortilla strips you place on top. You can certainly use tortilla chips in a pinch, but if you have 5 minutes, go for the real thing and fry up a few corn tortillas in a little olive oil for that perfect fresh, crispy garnish. You can also add sour cream, shredded cheese, or avocado. Go for it! Cinco de Mayo calories don’t count right?

Find the full recipe here.