I am constantly amazed by the power of the internet. It is an endless everything. You can waste hours staring at abysses of information (or playing games or on twitter or facebook or well, wherever you want), but it also has this side of endless possibility. Had I written all of these posts in a recipe journal, there wouldn’t be this connection. This reliance on each other. I wouldn’t have others making comments on my work unless I released a cookbook and people decided to send in letters. I wouldn’t have met half (okay, 99.9%) of the people I now call friends. What would the odds be of me forming a friendship with grad students in other countries (and likely, other faculties), or army wives or mothers of teens or teens that have this passion for food but are hundreds of kilometers away? They’re all so far. We’re all so far. But we’re not.
With one click, I can watch friends in Spain and America and India and France have a conversation. In a single instant, I can say things to hundreds of people without opening my mouth. In my pajamas, if I please. I can get inspiration, or become part of a community. We can support one another in tough times. We can root for friends that we may never meet. We can say hello to friends on the opposite side of the world without paying an absurd amount of money. In fact, we can talk face to face, without going on a plane (or boat or train).
The internet also has this quality that can steal us away from our real life. I’m there. I’m crammed for time. I can’t focus because my mind is racing with things to do, to be done, to remember to do. So I’m going to breathe. I’m going to read some more; books not just blogs. I’m going to just do what I need to. From there, I’ll take a step back. I have to. I’ll do my homework, see my friends and then come see you. I love this thing, but I need that leeway. The understanding. I wouldn’t dare let this go, but breathe I must. Just writing this is helping me breathe. So maybe that will mean more, or maybe it will mean less. Maybe it won’t mean a thing to you.
Here is a basically internet-free recipe. It’s a Blueberry Chiffon Pie, and I’m giving it it’s moment on the net. Now you can take it and turn this not-quite-fiction into your own personal delicious fact. Go for it. It’s not like the lime chiffon pie I made awhile ago, my mom described this pie as an incarnation of “whip and chill”. I’m not exactly sure what that means, but think of it as a just about dairy-free (only the crust has butter, and that’s an easy switch) pie that tastes like blueberries and whipped cream. In it’s own wonderful way.
Blueberry Chiffon Pie
Inspired by pie pie pie. Created by Lauren of Celiac Teen.
Ingredients
1 gluten-free pie crust or gluten-free crumb crust
1 1/4 cups frozen blueberries, thawed
1/4 cup blueberry jam
1 tbsp gelatin
1/4 cup water
5 eggs, separated
1/4 tsp lemon juice
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar
Steps
Prepare your pie crust.
Place blueberries and blueberry jam into food processor and blend until basically uniform.
Sprinkle gelatin over water and let dissolve. Place 1/4 tsp of lemon juice into your egg whites and refrigerate.
Combine 3 tbsp lemon juice, and egg yolks with 1/3 cup of sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture is thick and foamy but not boiling. Off the heat, whisk in dissolved gelatin. Place back on the heat for about 30 seconds.
In a large bowl, stir together the hot egg yolk mixture and blended blueberries. Place in the fridge and whisk every 10 minutes for about 40 minutes. Mixture will be very thick, make sure you whisk it completely each time.
When the blueberry mixture is almost finished chilling, whip your lemoned egg whites with the salt into soft peaks. Add remaining 1/3 cup sugar and beat into stiff peaks. Whisk the blueberry mixture very thoroughly, then stir in a spoonful of your stiff egg whites. Place your blueberry mixture over your egg whites and fold just until uniform. Place into your prepared crust and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours before serving.
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Gorgeously light and airy. My family was all surprised that the filling didn’t have a drop of dairy.
Have a piece. Or two.
Ah, isn’t it lovely? Take a bite. I dare you to.
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I’d love to hear your thoughts on the internet. It’s a crazy thing, yet part of our everyday lives. So intertwined yet has this great divide. Let me know :).
xoxo
Lauren
Twitter, Facebook, Foodbuzz and Flickr.
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
I love the bright color of this pie. You can’t go wrong with blueberries.
WOOOOOOW! Gorgeous! I want to sink my teeth into that!
This looks delish, Lauren! I love the lack of dairy, since I can’t eat it these days.
It looks so fresh and springy 🙂
Wow! I am awed by how light and fluffy your pie looks! And the colour is gorgeous! I’m so impressed that you created this recipe!
I know exactly what you mean about the internet. It’s added a new (and wonderful) dimension to my life, but it sometimes gets overwhelming. Occasionally I have to stop reading twitter updates and take a break from posting on my blog, and after a while I long to return to those things (and then I approach them with more passion than if I had forced myself to constantly stay connected). It’s a tough line to draw, but I’ve had to learn to not let the internet rule my life.
Also, this pie looks delicious! I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a pie with such vibrant colors.
This looks so good! You could easily use another berry with this too. Thanks for sharing.
Lauren this pie is so beautiful! It looks deliciously refreshing too, perfect for when it reaches above 100 degrees F here in AZ.
Wow, the color of that pie is amazing!
I understand exactly where you’re coming from, and am actually happy that you wrote this. I think it was exactly what I needed to read this morning, as I was sitting here feeling anxiety over not having posted anything in a week and not having any time in the next couple of weeks to do so. But reading this made me realize that my readers understand. We all have lives outside of our blogs too, and none of us begrudge each other that.
This pie has the color of a Crayola crayon … just not quite sure which one. Love that it’s dairy free, too. 🙂
I think that those of us who have blogs, FB pages, etc. really feel pressure to provide new content all the time as well as interact all the time with readers. And, while we definitely enjoy it tremendously, it’s like anything else … there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. We need time offline to regenerate and do non-internet things so we actually have something to write about when we’re online. 😉 I don’t feel badly when I don’t see people for a while … I’m just glad to see them when I do see them! Take whatever time you need for yourself, dear.
Shirley
I spend way too much time on the internet. Checking my blog, my email, my facebook, my twitter… I’m slowly trying to cut down as I realize how dependent I’m becoming on all of it. Hopefully as the weather improves I’ll be spending more time outside!
My mom and I pick blueberries every year – there’s a farm right by our house. She always makes a great blueberry pie (the traditional kind.) Maybe this year we’ll have to make two! Love the gorgeous purple color.
Lauren this blueberry pie looks so light and tasty…love the color of it 🙂
A glance at that purple color simply convinced me that this blueberry chiffon pie is scrumptious!!
Sawadee from Bangkok,
Kris
I love the internet and often wonder how I’d survive on this planet without it! But nothing beats reading a book–a real, hardcover book with pages and ink and its own unique scent. I sure do love my blogs, but books hold a special place in my heart that’s near and dear. It’s good to hear that you’re giving yourself some “breathing room”…we all need that sometimes!
This looks great! & ‘found you’ through the interview on ‘she let them eat cake!’ My daughter’s family & I went Gluten Free last summer, & like you, I love sharing recipes on my blog!
It is a fun balance of life on & off line – I also have *met* some amazing & delightful people through my blog & facebook – love it! & try to KEEP it in balance
I am so in love with the color of this pie, and love how light and airy chiffon pie can be – just beautiful! And an awesome excuse to eat blueberries in May 🙂
The internet. Gosh. If it steals from me it’s because I let it. Sometimes I mindlessly scroll through my countless Twitter columns or obsessively check my e-mail not because I’m looking for something but because I’m bored or I need a break and I won’t take one. I put a lot of undue pressure on myself in all areas of my life and I have a hard time shutting any of it off.
There are a few times when my mind does stop – it never fails that baking and cooking can shut out the rest of the world. It’s just me, the ingredients, the whirl of the oven. Other times, when I’m really into a blog post I’m writing an hour can pass but it feels like minutes. And walking the dogs…once I get going I forget about the pressure.
Wow, this pie looks amazing! I especially love the color too 🙂
– Jessika
I know exactly what you mean about the internet–love it, but it can really steal time away from other things. Like, right now, I should be working ;). I need to learn a bit more balance, too, I think!
I made this yesterday and it is DELICIOUS! Looked just like the pictures 🙂 Thanks for the recipe! My roommate couldn’t stop ooh-ing and ah-ing over it!
I made a simple crust out of almond butter, a little sugar, and butter and it’s great with it. Just melt 3T butter in the pie pan, and add 1 1/2 c almond meal and 2T sugar, mix, and pat around the pan. Bake for 10-12min at 350 and you’re good to go!
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