By Kaye Hurst

Mom’s Chocolate Pie

A special friend of my daughter’s called to check on her after a recent surgery. An immediate connection was made and we were old friends from way back. We talked about my daughter’s recovery – she’s doing better, thank you for asking – and about the food I brought her house as she rested and mended.

“Comfort food, that’s what they needed,” I told her. I had prepared chicken and dumplings and a chocolate pie.

“’What’s chocolate pie,’” she asked. “’Is it like Derby Pie?’”

I was in shock. Could someone really not know about chocolate pie? Apparently, yes.

Chocolate Pie is a sacred rite of passage in our family. I’ve already given my granddaughter, Lauren, her first three lessons on the art of chocolate pie making. There are many more to come. The women in our family love chocolate pie. It started with my grandmother, Ann Burns Jackson. Ann trained her girls Zada, Sadie, Rose and Bonnie to prepare chocolate pie. Aunt Sadie and my mom, Rose, honed their chocolate pie skills over the years. They are both in their 80’s now. In fact my mom is still making chocolate pie and doing hair in a small shop in Alabama — but that is a whole other story.

We all use the same recipe, however I still haven’t mastered the pie crust. For our clan a perfect shopping day starts with a piece of chocolate pie and a Coca Cola TM. Every holiday is celebrated with a pie of some type, whether pumpkin, lemon or apple, but, no matter what, there is always a chocolate pie in the house.

There’s a reason that pie is always on the table or being taken to a sick one’s home. When life is kicking you in the rear end chocolate pie make life all right. Oh yes, it does.

Almost everyone here in Louisiana will agree, when you have chocolate pie it just makes everything right in the world. When something is wrong or life just isn’t right we head for the nearest restaurant or home that promises us a slice of chocolate heaven.

I recently went home to Alabama to visit my mom, Rose, and my Aunt Sadie. Of course, I savored a piece of what I believe is the best chocolate pie in the world. It brought back memories and the love I feel for these women. I was teary as I left for the airplane to go home. As I headed back to Louisiana I found myself on a plane that sat on the tarmac because of mechanical problems . The stewardess sat beside and we started chatting about Louisiana food. She asked the same question. “What is chocolate Pie”

Well, I’ve decided it’s a Southern delicacy and should get the Nobel Peace Prize. Because it does make everything all right with world — even if it’s just for a few bites. So, I’m leaving you with the recipe. Make it with love and then let me know what problems it solved.

Mom’s Chocolate Pie

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

3 tbsp. flour

3 tbsp. cocoa

3 eggs (beaten)

2 1/2 cups evaporated milk

1 tsp. vanilla

3 tbsp. butter

Whipped cream (small container heavy cream and a few tablespoons of sugar whipped until stiff.)

1 baked pie shell

Method:

Prebake the pie shell. Mix dry ingredients: sugar, flour and cocoa. Add beaten eggs and milk. Mix well, cook over medium heat and stir until thick. Remove from heat; add vanilla and butter. Pour into baked pie shell and cool before topping with whipped cream. Add coconut on top if you want.  Makes one 9 inch pie.

Reach Kaye at: Nann1151@aol.com.

By Shannon Hurst Lane

Some households enjoy a traditional turkey dinner. Here in Louisiana we have a different take on the annual celebration. Holiday traditions here usually include peanut oil, three fowl, and basically a lot of lard. Sounds pretty gross? Well, where I come from, these are cooked together to form the base for a symphony of culinary delights that would tempt even the most staid vegan.

Decades ago, some Cajun hanging around his Louisiana backyard came up with idea of deep frying the entire turkey in a vat of peanut oil. This unique way of preparing a Thanksgiving turkey has inspired many other would-be chefs to attempt the same, only to end the day in a holiday mishap that sometimes includes setting an entire house of fire, if not causing personal disfigurement. This practice has resulted in numerous news stories across the southern region of the United States, all resulting in the same post-holiday message: Remember fried turkey safety.

Fried turkey became a fad that paved the way for an even more innovative twist on Louisiana’s Thanksgiving dinner. It’s called the Turducken and it’s a concoction made up of three feathered friends: the turkey, the duck, and the chicken. These birds are deboned and then stuffed inside of each other. It starts with the chicken inside of the duck, which is then placed inside of the turkey. It’s seasoned and baked, which results in a flavorful and juicy entrée.

Whichever entrée a Louisiana family chooses to serve, it is usually accompanied by a rice dressing, chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes, potato salad, and any other carbohydrate that can be conjured in a baked dish. In my family, there must always be a honeybaked ham always results in an argument over leftovers. The family will stuff themselves as if it is a last meal. They finish with a dessert and a food-induced nap.

Me, I’m looking forward to the juicy Turducken and my mother’s oyster rice dressing, followed with a delicious slice of chocolate pie.

Oh, that reminds me. It’s time to refill my Lipitor in preparation of the holiday festivities.

Shannon can be reached at: Shannon@globalfoodie.com or at Hurstlane@aol.com.