Strawberry Lover’s Chiffon Pie

I realize I’ve become a lazy/narcissistic blogger. I used to post pictures of the pie-making process and write about how this or that went. The process is, I guess, no longer new or cool, and mistake-successes have become somewhat routine. I’m more concerned with how well it turned out (or didn’t). Now they’re all glamor shots (especially since Instagram) from various angles. Hahahahaha! So here’s another one.

Look at all those strawberries piled high!

 I would say the main purpose of the project/blog has been achieved – to have something to look forward to. Pie is perfect for that:)

 Strawberry lover’s chiffon – aptly named! It was bursting with strawberry flavor; like eating a strawberry cloud topped with more strawberry lusciousness. Mmmm… strawberry satisfaction!

The Bisou

I haven’t been able to update in a while because things have been crazy hectic; I moved! I recently moved out of my tiny, subtly depressing, all-in-one kitchen-bed/living/dining room and moved into a new, luxurious 3 bedroom apartment at the heart of Seoul. How that happened could serve as the basis of a really bad sitcom pilot. And I now know that the new year or another birthday doesn’t age you, house hunting and moving do.

I’m really happy I ended up here, though I wonder how long I can stay, and if I’ll ever live in such a gorgeous place ever again… But then, I decided to just enjoy it while I’m here:)

Anyway, I was long overdue for a treat.

 Bisou means “kiss” in French, the little peck on the cheek kind…

They do look like little kisses, don’t they?

There were a lot of layers to this one: basic flaky crust, orange curd, light sponge cake layer, cocoa meringue with chocolate lace topping. Delightful! (Though a pain to make!) Orange and chocolate make a strange combination, but somehow it works. Tart and rich…I think the sugar brings it all together.

I like to make my pies the day of because if there’s anything I can’t stand, it’s day-old pastry and cold fries. But I think this particular dish benefits from a day or two in the fridge, so that the flavors can mellow and mingle. The chocolate is deeper and the orange more citrusy. I guess the crust ends up a bit cardboardy, but that’s really not the highlight of this pie.

My sister (one of the very few more-or-less regular readers of this blog) is visiting from Nepal. I thought it was somewhat ironic that I make all this food for me and my friends, and sometimes random people, but I rarely cook for my family. It’s really their fault for living so far away!

So, I made boeuf bourguignon, the special-dinner-dish, gorgonzola twice-baked potatoes (by Bruno Albouze, my other favorite French chef!), and of course the bisou. It was a very French-themed meal:) Though I think I appreciated it more than my guests!