I Bought an Oven!

     The first thing I did when got back home was run over to Costco to buy a proper oven. I’d been using a new-fangled light-wave powered oven (no, it’s not a microwave) to very very unsatisfactory results. The first time I made a quiche in this “oven,” the crust didn’t cook while the cheese burned; I ended up flipping it over on a plate and taking the pan off to cook the bottom. It seems the “oven” cooks only what the light touches… So, in order to carry out this project, I bought a DeLonghi convection oven, which, by the look of things, is Italian. I could’ve gone with a national brand and had it delivered – but no, I just had to have the one at Costco because they always make it seem like you’re getting the most awesomest deal ever and you’ll be damned if you miss out. I must’ve been quite a sight flagging down a taxi with a cart full of oven and then carrying it up two flights of stairs alone.

My new oven with a pie baking inside, just as an oven should be :)

     I first started baking last year when I wanted to eat all these pies, and there was nowhere to get them. I live in Korea, and even in the hyper-modernized and enthusiastically hybrid southern half of this crazy peninsula, you can’t find a good pie to save your life. Some things just can’t be imported, it seems (or is it that some things can’t be imparted?). So I decided to make them myself. I started with recipes from the foodnetwork.com, then I happened upon the joyofbaking.com (my absolute favorite site), among others. But they all seemed to lead to same, ultimate source: The Pie Bible. And deservedly so is it called “the bible.” If the Holy Bible delineates the road to heaven via human perfection, this one shows the way to heavenly pie-perfection. With almost as many bizarre specifications. Like chilling and re-chilling the dough 4~5 times; rolling it out on a chilled marble tablet, covered with pastry cloth, sprinkled with flour (specifically, Wondra); and baking the pie directly on the oven floor. The difference is that the Pie-Creator tells you exactly why everything is necessary, whereas the Creator often just leaves you hanging…

     However, following the directions is only the second biggest challenge. The biggest one is finding all the ingredients in Korea:P Where am I going to find mincemeat and morel mushrooms? And marionberries (what are marionberries?). Even the more “common” ingredients like blackberries and hazelnuts are going to be a challenge to find. Nevertheless, I’m going to try to do this as true to the original recipes as possible and only contemplate substitutions as a last resort. Besides, I was delightfully surprised to find many of the ingredients I’d considered “rare” at Bangsan Market, tucked away in an obscure nook of Seoul (or perhaps not so obscure – I realized I know my city not at all). And I actually found frozen cranberries at a random store. And currant jam at the nearest mega-market. And fresh apricot at the local supermarket. This project may just be possible.