le weekend- I've been studying for the GRE. Probably should have started a month ago. Verbal shouldn't be a problem, but the quantitative sections might be a little bumpy since I found out that I can't remember how to simplify radicals or cross multiply. Ruh. Roh.
- I went with my sister and Matt to see Transformers. My sister was right: It's great! Michael Bay sure knows how to make those popcorn-munching, eye-popping, special-effects-laden summer blockbusters. (And, well, if you're good at something...) I thought the visual effects were really fun and the story was entertaining. It was a little hard to believe that Shia Le Beef's character was an awkward loner (since everyone thinks he's such a babe!) but I liked his interactions with his parents. There were some other great lines, too, and lots of references to the original series.
Sam (Shia Le Beef's) Mom: Why are you so sweaty and filthy?
Sam: I'm, uh, a child, you know, I'm a teenager.
I'm not sure if Le Beef will be the next Tom Hanks, but he did a nice job in Holes.
- Double bonus: Matt and my sis saw Transformers for free because I won Fandango tickets through my friends at Blingo.com. Thanks, friends! You can join Blingo and get free stuff, too.
- I made blueberry pie. Apparently it's pretty good. Here's my favorite recipe for pie pastry from Tyler Florence/How to Boil Water.
Basic Pie Pastry:
Basic Pie Pastry:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, zested and finely grated
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1 egg yolk [Note: The last two times I've made this crust, I've left out the egg yolk by accident... It tastes fine without it. Just add more ice water.]
2 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed
Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolk and ice water and work that in with your hands. (Or do the whole thing in a food processor, pulsing a couple of times to combine the dry ingredients, then pulsing in the butter, and then the egg.) Check the consistency of the dough by squeezing a small amount together between thumb and forefingers: You want there to be just enough moisture to bind the dough so that it holds together without being too wet or sticky. If it's still crumbly, add a little more ice water, 1 teaspoon at a time. When you get it to the right consistency, shape the dough into a disk and wrap it in plastic. Put it in the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.
To make pie: Just divide the disk in half and roll out each half into a circle. Use one half to line a pie pan, fill with ~3 cups of your favorite macerated berries (add cornstarch/flour to thicken), top with the second circle of pastry, then stick in an oven at 350 for 30 minutes or so, or until the crust is golden brown and the berries are bubbly.
To make a lattice-work crust: Roll out a circle of pastry and cut it into 1" strips with a pizza cutter. Put down one strip horizontally, another vertically, and so on, weaving the strips together as you go. Then pinch the edges. PIES ARE SO EASY!
