Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Medical, Kiev.

I seem to be having trouble with the medical profession lately. Tuesday morning it was snowing, the roads and sidewalks were a mess and parking for the specialist was some distance away so Matt Doctordropped me off. I arrived at 10:45 am for my 11 am appointment. By 10:15 we had been listening to the doctor talk to a colleague and I was getting antsy. Another couple also waiting, I asked them what time their appointment was and they said 11 am. Oh really!! I then spoke to the secretary/receptionist who said my appointment was 12:40 pm which is what she had faxed my family doctor. My response, I phoned and changed the time (I never book lunchtime appointments because of my diabetes). She said did I speak to her, I said if you are the only one here, then yes. In the end she gave me another appointment for Feb 25. Grrrr. Because of the lack of time before bowling, we had made some lunch to carry with us. Got to the bowling alley really early because of not seeing the specialist and discovered that on Tuesdays they have someone come in to cook food. Didn’t know that. Oh well. We munched on our lunches quite happily and they provided us with coffee and water. Matt bowled two really good games. Nuff said.

Pretty serious rioting in Kiev at the moment. My IT guy comes from Kiev on Firethe Ukraine so I hope, for his sake, it doesn’t affect any of his family. The last report I saw said Kiev was on fire and 18 people were dead in the rioting.  Haven’t really studied it so don’t know what it’s about, will have to check it out. Oh, a struggle over the nation’s identity. There is a protest camp in the centre of Kiev and thousands of police tried to get rid of them. A lot of police were shot and/or injured with seven died along with 11 protesters. What a terrible situation.

I didn’t really watch any Olympics as we were out bowling so can’t tell you what’s happened. I am told Canada is doing well in ice hockey and curling. I do hope so because we have dropped behind lately on the medals.

Rusty Carl mentioned Lemon Meringue Pie in his comment the other day which made me want some. It is one of my favourites and Alton Brown is a source of very good recipes.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Food Network

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2003

lemon-meringue-pie
6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
  • Lemon Filling:
  • 4 egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 1/3 cups sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 (9-inch) pre-baked pie shell
  • 1 recipe Meringue, recipe follows
  • Meringue Topping:
  • 4 egg whites
  • 1 pinch cream of tartar
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
Directions
Lemon Filling:
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Whisk egg yolks in medium size mixing bowl and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine cornstarch, water, sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine. Turn heat on medium and, stirring frequently, bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and gradually, 1 whisk-full at a time, add hot mixture to egg yolks and stir until you have added at least half of the mixture.
Return egg mixture to saucepan, turn heat down to low and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and gently stir in butter, lemon juice, and zest until well combined. Pour mixture into pie shell and top with meringue while filling is still hot. Make sure meringue completely covers filling and that it goes right up to the edge of the crust. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until meringue is golden. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Make sure pie is cooled completely before slicing.
Meringue Topping:
Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and then gradually add sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Use to top lemon filling.
Yield: topping for 1 (9-inch) pie

Have a great day.
Jo

16 comments:

  1. Now Rusty needs to make a pie for all of us.
    That was really lame what happened at the doctor's office.
    More snowboarding was on last night. American came in third, which was cool.

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    1. Yeah but he said it was his grandma that used to make them.

      Wasn't it just?

      Congrats to the USA.

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  2. Hi Jo - love lemon meringue pie ... and we have it occasionally. Kiev is a right mess, but I sure hope your guy's family will be ok ... it doesn't look to have an easy outcome.

    Re Curling - bother you've just beaten us! Now we have to go for the bronze ... but you'll have Gold or Silver ..

    Hope those medic thingummies get themselves sorted out - cheers Hilary

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    1. Haven't eaten it in a while. Talking about a war today, civil I presume.

      Didn't see the curling, but delighted we will get a good medal. We need another gold or too so here's hoping. Sorry we beat Britain. I have divided loyalties in these things.

      Well all seems to be go for next Tuesday.

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  3. Nice of them to let you know ahead of time they couldn't accommodate you, eh? Yah, I'm with you on the growl.

    I love Lemon Meringue pies. A few years back, a friend of my husband asked if I'd make him a couple of Lemon Meringue pies if he brought me the supplies. He knew I enjoyed baking and his wife didn't and when she did never used sugar and did all sorts of weird things with recipes. The guy had a serious sweet tooth, lol!

    He brought me a sack of lemons from his lemon tree. Now, I have to tell you, I had never made one from fresh lemons. I was thinking, okay, how the heck do I make this? Dan laughed at my confusion. But I learned how to do it and I have to say, the pies tasted even better than using lemon juice. Lot of extra work, though.

    Sia McKye Over Coffee

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    1. Oh she thought she was accommodating me at 12:40 stupid woman. Especially as we had spoken on the phone.

      Sigh, wish I had been there to try your real lemon meringues.

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  4. We voluntary workers at Pilgrims Hospice had our belated Christmas lunch last week and lemon meringue was on the menu as one of the desserts - very nice it looked too. I haven't seen/eaten it for years. But, I haven't got a sweet tooth and was full after my main course so didn't succumb.

    Bummer about the appointment fiasco. I have a GP appointment tomorrow afternoon so hoping mine goes more smoothly than yours.

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    1. Nice. I guess I need to make one/some but then guess who would end up eating too much.

      Infuriating wasn't it. As you say, hope yours goes smoothly.

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  5. Yum. I miss my grandmother's lemon meringue pies. I'd mention it to her that you were inspired to make one but I don't think she had any idea what the internet is.

    And I miss Good Eats.

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  6. How old is she then if she doesn't know what the internet is?

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  7. So heartbreaking about Kiev. They have endured so much over the past hundred years and I do not blame them for wanting to be out of the Russian orbit.

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    1. It is heartbreaking and seems to have got worse today.

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  8. What a pest about your doctor's appointment and the situation in Kiev is terrible. My heart goes out to them.

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    1. Yup it was a pest. Things look like they could be getting sorted out in Kiev. I do hope so.

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  9. THat's when you start hating doctor's visits. Yeah, it has happened to me too.
    OH MY GOD! Lemon pie! I want some now!

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    Replies
    1. More like their secretaries really. Another friend went for her appointment and it turned out to be a year too early!!!!

      Me too.

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