Welcome To Short Orders

Welcome to the inaugural edition of "Short Orders," soon to become your home for all your nuts-and-bolts cooking tips, techniques and recipes.

You won't find any foie gras here, unless I'm writing an article on "Iron Chef." What you will find is a wealth of solid cooking information with the occasional foray into the odder corners of the gustatory world.

Of course, my favorite topics to cover are those suggested by you, hopefully loyal readers. Feel free to drop me a line anytime with topic suggestions, favorite "down-home" recipes, or culinary oddities.

To kick off this week, and give you just a taste of what we're all about around here, my very own recipe for a holiday classic: pecan pie. Enjoy!

Pecan pie, to anyone living south of the Mason-Dixon line, is as integral to holiday celebrations as cranberry sauce or green bean casserole.

Unfortunately, most of you out there who have eaten a pecan pie lately have probably purchased it ready-made or frozen, and thus never experienced the sublime wonderment of fresh-baked. Let's fix that, shall we?

Tools

1 medium glass bowl

Wire whisk

Large spatula

Measuring tools

Large foil-lined cookie sheet

Ingredients

3 large eggs

1 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 C. granulated cane sugar

2 tbsp. salted butter, melted and cooled

1 1/4 C. pecan halves

1 9-inch deep dish pie crust, frozen or unbaked

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In medium glass bowl, lightly beat eggs just until yolks and whites are mixed together.

Add other ingredients except for pecans and mix thoroughly. Scrape bottom of bowl with spatula to make sure no sugar "hides."

Fold in pecans gently, just until coated with mixture.

Place pie shell on cookie sheet and pour mixture into shell.

Bake 50-60 minutes, until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean. Cool on wire rack before serving.

IMPORTANT: Let the pie cool COMPLETELY before cutting. If you cut it before it cools, you run the risk of making a pan full of pecan-flavored pudding goo. Warm slices in the microwave for 30-45 seconds before serving.

Notes

Check the expiration date when you buy your eggs. Fresh is best!

Always use the cookie sheet ... that is unless your idea of fun is scraping carbonized sugar lava off the bottom of the oven.

Spend the extra dollar or so for pure vanilla extract. The imitation stuff is but a pale shadow.

For a truly decadent dessert, serve warmed, topped with a scoop of good-quality vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.

See you back here next Friday for another batch of Short Orders!