Monday, January 18, 2010

"CULINARY MONDAY"

As stated last week, I'm going to try and give you the definition for culinary words that confuse us! So if there are any words or items you are not famialiar with, send them in.
Today's words:
Chess Pie- Now I know all you Southerner's probably know what a Chess pie is, but I did not!
A simple pie made with eggs, sugar, butter and cornmeal. You can also flavor it with lemon juice, vanilla, chocolate or change white sugar for brown. ( I do believe some people use vinegar in the recipe too. If you do would you share?)
Bechamel- (bay-shah-MEHL)
Generally speaking this is just a white sauce originating in France and is made from butter and flour. Although originating in France the Italians use this sauce on a variety of foods. It is named for Steward Louis Bechamel.
Chess Pie
1 ubaked 9" pie crust- in pan
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups of sugar
3 tablespoons of melted butter
1 tablespoon of white cornmeal
1/3 cup of buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients in with the beaten eggs. Pour into the pie crust and bake on the bottom rack for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake 20 minutes longer.

5 comments:

Angela McRae said...

Thanks so much for this educational series of blog posts, Teresa! I had wondered what "Bechamel" meant (and how to pronounce it!), so I'm glad to know it was someone's name.

Yellow Rose Arbor said...

I'm a Southerner that doesn't like Chess Pie! (Not sweet enough, tastes too much like eggs to me!) Two other Southern things I don't like are: Blackeyed peas, and Greens! I really am a Southerner though! LOL!

Katherine

Sandra said...

My mother put vinegar in her chess pies, but I haven't continued doing that. Love chess pie!
Have you heard the old story of how chess pie got that strange name? A Southern lady gave a few Yankee soldiers slices of her simple pie. When asked by the soldiers what kind of pie it was, she responded :"It's 'jest' pie."

Teresa's New Life said...

Angela, glad you like the series and glad to be o help.

Sandra, that's a funny story. Thanks for your visit.

And Katherine, my husband is a northern and he loves greens! Go figure!

parTea lady said...

Thanks for the great info and recipe. I've had Chess squares before - maybe made a little differently.

Thanks for the info on Bechamel sauce. Now I know how to pronounce it and can stop referring to it as white sauce.