Signature Peach Cobbler

This is a recipe that I doctored from http://www.soulfoodcookbook.com/ for a soul-food dinner party. My version is a little less sugary and more spiced than the original, and it's very simple to make. So simple that you can make enough for 110 people and only be moderately exhausted.

Prep Time 20 minutes, Bake Time 60 minutes

(1) 6 lb can of peaches, drained (you can use fresh or frozen, but I like the consistency--and price--of canned)
1 stick of butter (no substitutions)
3/4 c. white granulated sugar
3/4 c. dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

2 Prepared 9" pie crusts (if you have time to do this from scratch, feel free)


Melt the butter on low heat in a large pot. When the butter is melted, gradually stir in the white and brown sugar so you have a syrup. Add the cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg and allow the mixture to heat until mildly bubbling. Add the drained peaches and allow the mixture to simmer for about 10 minutes.
Note: This cobbler is very "juicy," which is good if you're serving with ice cream, but if you prefer a thicker filling, add 1/4 c. cornstarch to the mixture before the peaches.

Meanwhile, roll your piecrust into a ball of dough, and then roll it out again into a 9" by 13" rectangle; it should be a little thicker than a normal piecrust. Pour your peach mixture into a glass 9" by 13" pan and place the piecrust on top. Seal the crust to the edges of the pan as the crust tends to shrink when baking. Poke a few holes in the top and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour or until crust is golden. The peaches will still be bubbly, so allow to cool for about an hour before serving with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Enjoy!

Lesson One: A Clean Kitchen is a Happy Kitchen

Have you ever had to cook in a dirty kitchen? Sweeping aside crumbs on the corner, seeing the two-foot-high pile of dishes in the sink, and stepping on heaven-knows-what really throws off the wonderful vibe that cooking can provide. My advice is to take a little time before your cooking project to tidy up. It'll make everything a lot easier and safer.

Step 1. Do the Dishes! Even if you weren't the one that dirtied them in the first place, it'll be nice to start with a clean slate before you have to pile even more stuff in the sink. Also, you don't have to spend ten minutes frantically looking for your fine-bladed grater only to find that it's in the bottom of the drain encrusted with yesterday's Gruyere.

Step 2. Sink, Counters and Stove. Now that your sink is empty, use some abrasive Comet to get all the germs out so you don't have to worry when washing produce or poultry (if you are washing poultry, or any meat, disinfect the sink before and immediately after!). Use an antibacterial spray cleaner on the counters and stovetop, followed by a clean wet sponge. Finally, don't get chemicals on the food. If you don't need to disinfect, but simply wipe up, a spray bottle filled with vinegar works wonders, and it's non-toxic!

Step 3. Floors! This is really my favorite part. Nothing is more fun to me than blasting my "Very Best of Cher" CD and scouring the floors on a Saturday night when nobody else is home. I like to use a sponge mop and a scrub brush and either Pine Sol or Parson's Ammonia. You might feel like Bambi on Ice for a while on your hands and knees before you get balanced, but once you get used to the lack of friction, you can work some pretty sweet dance moves with your mop. A word of warning: though open windows are recommended (so the floor will dry faster and you won't die from any fumes), the music and the smell might attract men, so be prepared.

Finally, your kitchen is clean and sparkly! Now have fun cooking and messing it all up again.

Foreward

Despite my love-hate (mostly hate) relationship with technology and all things digital, I've been inspired to start a recipe blog. The title says it all: "I Dream of Recipes." Literally. I'll be sleeping, enjoying a romantic subconscious date with Hugh Dancy, and all of a sudden, we'll be eating Turkey Enchilada Casserole, or Stuffed French Toast topped with Caramelized Pears. I wake up; Hugh Dancy is sadly gone, but the memory of the amazing culinary creation hangs in my mind. I have to create it, much to the delight, dismay, or mere entertainment of those around me.
My plan for this blog is to post some of these recipes for you readers to try, and maybe you'll be inspired to dream up your own fabulous desserts. Most of these recipes aren't super complex; quite often they fall under the category of "semi-homemade." I also want to post lessons I've learned in the kitchen, stories of projects that ended in complete disaster, and also some of the crazy stories that surround these recipes (stay tuned for Thanksgiving 2007, it's a doozy). Well, until the first post, sweet dreams!