Cushaw pie recipe

[Kathyj]

My sweetie said a neighbor of ours was wanting give us a cushaw, could I make him a pie. Didn't even know what it was till I looked it up. Turns out its a type of winter squash. Found the recipe on About.com, 1 unbaked pie shell
2 1/2 cups cooked, mashed cushaw
1/4 cup cream
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
2 tablespoons butter
Preparation:
Stir together the mashed cushaw and cream; add beaten eggs. Mix well and add sugar, flour, salt, nutmeg, and allspice; mix well to blend. Blend in lemon extract and butter.
Pour mixture into the prepared unbaked pie shell and bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° and bake about 40 minutes longer.

Just pulled it out of the oven its delicous

[Crazy Healer Lady]

Oh my goodness... This sounds incredible!!! I'll have to try it but have never tried Cushaw. However, it gives me ideas about turning all sorts of other squash into pies. Buttercup squash, oh yes!!! It's got a really rich buttery flavour, somewhat like butternut, but so much richer.

[Kitsune]

What would you use instead of cream, Crazy?

Even if I don't do the vegan thing myself, I still like to know how to cook that way if need be!

[Crazy Healer Lady]

There are tonnes of substitutes. I use soy milk instead of cream, but you can use almond milk, too. I wouldn't recommend rice milk - it's pretty watery, and makes a substandard pie

Banana is a good substitute for eggs in recipes, or "flax eggs" which I've posted somewhere. In my head I don't even see "cream" or "milk" or "eggs" anymore - My brain translates it.

But I don't want to take away from the original post with my strange food choices!

[Kitsune]

It's not odd food choices, it's just your perogative, Crazy.

I was just wondering, I couldn't really think of anything that would cream quite as well.

You'll have to let us know when you cook some and tell us how it was!

[Lotus]

Actually, I would like to know as well. There are many events that I go to that have vegans in attendance. I would like to make something everyone can eat.

BB
Lotus

[Crazy Healer Lady]

We are taking over the world!! Mwa ha ha ha!!

I'll do a post in this section dedicated to food replacement

[Willow]

Mmmm I am a squash junkie, and soymilk is great to cook with, but some types hold up to heat better than others, I test them in a tea first.

thanks for this recipe, you can make some fruit cakes wihtout eggs too, I have a vegan apple cake recipe somewhere.

[sanibeta]

What do you call cooking without a recipe and what is the benefits? If a restaurant/ hospital or other organization kook without following an exact recipe. What do you call this (if they do follow a set recipe it is called Standardized recipe). What is the benefits if a hospital don't use a Standardized recipe? Site links would be such a great help.
__________________
market samurai ~ marketsamurai ~ marketsamurai.com

[Crazy Healer Lady]

What do you call cooking without a recipe and what is the benefits?

Um, fun. Recipes to me are guidelines only. You follow them only until you get an idea of what the product is supposed to be like, and then make it uniquely yours. Cooking for masses is obviously different. You need to repeat over and over, and people will come back because of a certain product that they expect to taste the same over and over. Now, at home, that can change. Everyone who eats my cooking is well used to a new and exciting version of the meal each time.

I don't get your question's need for links.

[Kystar]

The only benefit I can see to a hospital that doesn't use a standardized recipe is if they are catering to food allergies or dietary restrictions (Medical or spiritual). As such, all hospitals have "backup" recipes in that case. After all, they're trying to help you be "healthy", so it would do for them to undo the doctor's work by feeding you something that would make you worse. I'm not sure how the hospitals in my area respond to requests for things like "raw" diets or something. I know they make allowances for not eating meat on certain "holy" days for those that follow those kinds of paths, and they have dietary allowances for vegetarian diets, and those who are lactose intolerant.

Restaurants standardize their recipes only if they are a corporate chain that has a national or global image to live up to...which burns my doo-dads sometimes. I have a problem with TGI Fridays in particular. They'll introduce a new dish, and I'll LOVE it...then, maybe 6 months to a year later, it's GONE b/c it didn't sell enough nationally to keep. Nevermind the fact that in my area, it sold like crazy. I think corporate chains like that need to have regional HQ's that decide what dishes will be offered in their area. That way, if something is popular HERE, it's available HERE...and if something is popular THERE, but not HERE, THERE still gets it while HERE doesn't.

Also, depending on what chef is on duty at any given time, the "Standardized" recipe might be shifted a little. For example, a friend of mine is a chef, worked for a big chain Italian restaurant. On days where X higher-up chef worked, certain dishes were richer, fuller, more succulent. It got to the point where my friend would tell me what days that chef worked the kitchen, and I'd only GO to the restaurant when he was running things b/c I liked how he cooked.

In addition, have you ever noticed that a meal at one restaurant is wonderful, let's say...lunchtime...but a few days later, you go there at dinner and the SAME meal at the SAME location is crap? Standardized recipe or not, if someone isn't paying attention to what they're doing, it's not going to taste as good.

I know of a few small, privately owned restaurants that do "Meal of the day". Yes, they cook them to the restaurants specifications, but there's always room for tweaking. For example, a very nice Italian restaurant near my in-laws is willing to change the spices on their grilled chicken or fish on request. This can add to the "home cooked" feel of a dining experience. Which makes things a little less "cookie-cutter" feeling...more personalized, more exclusive.

And I agree with CHL in the respect that recipes are guidelines in the home. Except I can't bake by instinct. I know some people who can. My recipes are ever-evolving. Depending on what you have available, who you're cooking for, and how much time you have, things change.

PS - I have no site references to provide b/c I didn't understand the request.

[Kitsune]

Hey Crazy, I just realized that you've gone raw, since this came out... Is there any way to make a Raw pie? Or do those have to be cooked?

[Crazy Healer Lady]

Oh baby, raw pies are the best!!! I was still raw when this recipe was posted. It still sounds awesome, and I could make a raw version

For pie crusts, process dates and nuts of your choice and press into a pan. For fillings, there are tonnes of recipes out there. I am partial to Ani Phyo's pumpkin pie, which could be tweaked to allow for cushaw instead of pumpkin. Raw pumpkin pie beats the heck out of the cooked version, but is VERY filling, so you honestly can only eat about a quarter of the amount of a cooked one. My favourites, though, are raw fruit pies. I have won over many a cowboy with my raw apple pie