Pastry

Pastry was an amazing invention. It was created long before Ziploc bags or Tupperware. Earlier centuries showed pastry as a food container called a coffin. Medieval studies showed that it was a simple combination of flour, salt and water. This paste was a way of storing and transporting food items such as stewed meat and was not meant to be consumed. Later on, pastry was made light and flaky which meant we could eat it. Pastry shells were then filled with either fruit or savouries.

I have tried many recipes myself, including the recipe found on the inside of the lard box. In my opinion, it is the flakiest. There are no mysteries with lard. There are no preservatives, no added colour, and it is non-hydrogenated. It still clogs the arteries but at least our bodies know what it is.

There are many other types of pastry listed in the following pages that are equally fun and tasty. The important thing to remember with pastry; no matter which recipe you choose, is to avoid overworking your dough. If you do overwork it, form it into a ball and cover it in wax paper for a while. Keeping it cool also makes a big difference. Some recipes suggest you make the dough ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator overnight before rolling it out. I seldom had time to do that, but it does keep well in the refrigerator. I also had the fortune of a large flat countertop to roll out the dough and gigantic rolling pin. Use lots of flour when rolling it out and don't press too hard. Short, smooth strokes keep the dough from splitting as you roll it. It is also important to remember to have fun. With pastry stew becomes pie, jam becomes tarts, and custard becomes edible.