All Set?

There are a few things that always tend to stick out in my mind when I think about sayings people have in the Northeast.  "All set" is definitely at the top of the list as it's the catchall for anyone in the service industry whether it's the waitress at dinner or the cashier at the department store.  The Texas equivalent to this would be "I'm good," which we'll get to shortly.

The phrase seemed to seep its way into my brain after Spike and I had been out to dinner several times and the waiters and waitresses would ask if we were ready to order.  But the thing is they didn't say, "Are you all set to order?"  It was just, "All set?" and we used our context clues to determine that we were expected to give them our order.  When the food would come it was, "All set?" again.  This time it would mean, "Do you have everything you need?"  And so it goes when the plates were ready to be taken away and when the check was to be paid.  It was always "All set?"  On the flip side, if the the waiter actually asks if I am still working on my plate, I could say, "I'm all set" meaning "You can take it."  I could also tell them I'm all set if they inquired about anything else I might need.  The whole thing didn't strike me from the very beginning because "all set" is phrase that everyone has used.  It only caught me when everyone everywhere was saying it.  When I brought it up to Spike, he thought for a second and agreed.  It's like we can't escape it.  Even that movie "The Town," which takes place in Boston uses the phrase a few times...now that's authenticity for you.

As I said earlier, the phrase "You good?" or "I'm good" is used primarily in the South for whatever reason.  I have used it a few times here in Maine out of habit, and sometimes it's backfired on me miserably.  I was at Whole Foods not too long ago when I bought one item.  The cashier asked if I wanted a bag for it and I said, "I'm good" meaning "No, thanks."  A few seconds passed when he finally asked, "I'm sorry, did you say 'I'm good' or 'I would'?"  If I'd said I was all set, none of that would have happened.  Now I go places and use "all set" at any point to see if I'm using it correctly.  Most of the time I fit right in.

How about from now on, we stop with the idioms and use a simple "yes" or "no, thank you" to get through our daily lives?  Or at least ask a question that is a little more specific?  It seems like it would make life a little easier for everyone, but then again how would you know if you were in the Northeast or the South?

Whoopie Pie? More Like Oops Pie.

A Whoopie Pie is a sweet treat found here in Maine and throughout the eastern US.  It's essentially a chocolate cake sandwich - two small cakes with gritty sugary icing in the middle.  Isn't that just an Oreo Cakester, you ask?  Yes, but Oreo stole the idea from the Whoopie Pie.  When the Cakesters first came out, I bought a box of them because I thought it would be something a little different.  Two of them come in a package, and if you eat more than one you probably have a sweet tooth that's not easily satiated.  Those things could give you a cavity just by looking at them.  

Today I tried my hand at making this northern staple.  I made red velvet Whoopie Pies with cream cheese frosting in the middle.  None of my cookbooks had a red velvet cake recipe so I was left to fend for myself.  I understand that it's just chocolate cake with red dye in it, but I didn't know if there was something different that I had to do since you drop the batter on a baking sheet like a cookie.  As it turns out, not really.

After a miserable first run, I found the groove and baked to my heart's content.  I even had enough batter to make a few cupcakes.    And then I tried them.  They weren't chocolatey enough for me and something seemed kind of "off."  They were pretty flat, not the puffy cake that you might imagine.  What I need to do next time is get a recipe for Whoopie Pies that comes from a place around Portland.  Because apparently this city boasts the best one in the country - from Two Fat Cats Bakery.  They've set the standard and I'm working my way up to it.

The Blueberry Post

Before I ever dreamt about the day I'd move to Maine, I made a blueberry pie back in Texas. It was the first pie I'd ever made, and one of those things I wanted to prove to myself that I could do. Like most things that I do in the kitchen, it took me a really long time from start to finish to get this thing on the table. I made the dough for the crust, refrigerated it, rolled it out, prepared the filling, let it set...you get the idea. I'm sure this thing took me a good 6 hours from start to finish. It was exhausting, but was incredibly rewarding. Spike still goes on about that first blueberry pie, which is pictured below.

Last week was Spike's 30th birthday. And, you guessed it, he wanted a blueberry pie. Of course, Maine is synonymous with blueberries so it only seemed fitting. Since the fruit is only in season during the summer months, I had to go to the frozen section or pay $3.69 for a HALF pint. Don't get me wrong, I love my husband, but this recipe calls for 6 cups of blueberries! Those better be the best darn tasting blueberries that ever came in contact with my lips. The frozen blueberries were a better deal and from Maine.

The thing about Maine blueberries is that they actually quite small compared with the ones we're all used to (see above). I'd say they're about the size of a pea, sometimes bigger. We can't taste a difference. And the advantage of using a smaller berry is that the pie is jammed full of these things...more berries means a better dessert, right? It's a win/win situation! These days, I take help from the Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts (mine are still better) and it makes for a pretty decent pie, if I do say so myself. The end result? Spike loved it and that's all that matters!