Key Lime Pie

I was recently on a Caribbean cruise...and for those of you who have cruised before...you know that the food is amazing! There were far too many options...and no way I could sample everything. But I did the next best thing...and came home with the Royal Caribbean International Cookbook...Savor. In it are many of the delicious dishes that I enjoyed...and others that I intend to cook up in my own kitchen.

I couldn't wait to try their recipe for key lime pie...since I had so enjoyed it on the cruise. It's really very simple...and even more so if you use a ready-made pie crust.

Key Lime Pie

• 1 cup (250 ml) sweetened condensed milk
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 (9 inch or 23 cm) pie shell, pre-baked

Garnish

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) whipping cream
• lime zest
• freshly cut lime slices

Preheat oven to 350' F.
Place condensed milk in mixing bowl, and beat at low speed, adding egg yolks one at a time.
Add lime juice, and mix thoroughly.
Place mixture in pre-baked pie shell.
Bake for 15 minutes or until skewer inserted comes out clean.
Let cool and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Top with whipped cream and lime zest.
Serve on chilled plates.
Garnish with lime slices.
Serves 10.

Culinary Notes:
It is a well known fact that the Key lime is indigenous to Florida and the "key" ingredient for the state's popular Key lime pie. Forced to substitute condensed milk for fresh--which was scarce before the arrival of the railroad in 1912--cooks discovered that the chemical intervention between the condensed milk and the Key lime actually "cooked" the pie without baking it. (excerpt from cookbook)

Enjoy!

Riverwalk Guacamole

One of the most famous attractions of Texas is the Riverwalk in San Antonio. It's a great place to stroll...take a riverboat cruise...and there are restaurants galore to pick from. We just returned from a visit to Texas...and a wonderful time on the Riverwalk...and memories of the guacamole will live on!

 

We walked by a Bistro where they were making fresh guacamole at the table...and before long we found ourselves sitting at one of their tables. Who can resist? We ordered a 'guacamole-for-two' salad...prepared right at the table. It was good to the last lick...and I would have liked to order another...and another! But instead I had the server explain exactly what she was doing...and have already enjoyed my copycat guacamole at home. Ingredients:

• Juice of 1/2 of an orange
• Juice of 1 a lime
• 2 avocado ...pitted and scooped out of skin
• 1 small Roma tomato...diced
• 2 Tblsp diced red onions
• 1 Tblsp chopped cilantro...or to taste
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground sea salt

Directions:

Squeeze juices into bowl.

Add avocado and coarsely chop.

Add onions, chopped tomato,and cilantro...fold into avocado mixture.

Add salt.

Result should be crudely chopped not mashed.

That’s it. I think the key is to getting avacado that is at it's peak...it should be a little dark-skinned and somewhat soft when squeezed.

I posted some photos of the 'real thing' over at My Front Porch today, if you want to take a peek. A cast iron bowl for presentation would be nice...but the taste is the same. Enjoy!