If I could have invented a person that embodied what I wanted to be when I grew up, that was Denise. The Kolouseks were this cool sort of new-age hippie Mormon family with the cutest, neatest, smartest kids you ever met. It was rumored that their family was vegetarian, but it turned out they just ate more vegetables than most southerners were used to.
Denise bought cage-free eggs from the Winn-Dixie even though she was probably the only one in town that did because every time she got to the check out line either the clerk or another customer would wonder out loud why anyone on earth would spend $3 on a carton of eggs.
She knew about politics, the Gospel, world cultures, child development, history, and how to make bread from scratch. She home-schooled her kids and the North Carolina department of health sent her nasty letters on a regular basis because they didn't like her kids' lack of vaccinations.
She's got an amazing sense of humor - the whole family does, and when we went to their house we felt like we were at home. We could joke about the idiosyncrasies of southern culture, we could unload our frustrations of trying to help people change their lives and trying to figure out how the heck the Lord was trying to use us. They fed us GIANT, loaded baked potatoes just about every Sunday that came from their local CSA, and they were out of this world.
They lived in this old barnhouse that Matt had renovated. It was pine everywhere and their living room and kitchen were on the second story with an amazing view of those trees and hills that are Appalachia. Somehow Nora Jones was always playing in the background during dinner, and her music still reminds me of the time we got to spend with them. Denise was always positive and funny and could make someone she just met feel like they'd been friends for ages.
Denise was just the coolest.
She invited us to their family's Christmas party and she made this dish. I've only made it a few times, but it's delicious and totally worth every bit of effort it takes to make it. My boys do love mushrooms ... it may be time to make this again soon ...
Sienipiirakka (Mushroom Pie)
Filling:
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
3 Tablespoons butter
8 cups chopped mushrooms
1 teaspoon salt
lots of freshly ground pepper
8 ounces cream cheese
Crust:
2 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1 cup sour cream
flour for coating the dough and
board for rolling
Glaze:
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
To make the filling, saute the onions in the butter in a large skillet. When the onions are soft and translucent, add the mushrooms and thyme and saute for a few more minutes until the mushrooms release their juices. Add the seasonings. Cut the cream cheese into small pieces and then stir it into the mushrooms until it melts. Remove from the heat and set aside until the crust is ready.
Preheat the oven to 400.
For the crust, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Using a mixer or by hand, cut in the butter just enough to achieve an evenly textured crumbly mix. Stir in the sour cream to form a soft dough. Generously dust the dough with flour and form it into a ball.
On a heavily floured board, roll out 2/3 of the dough to fit a 10" pie plate. Trim the edges. Fill with the mushroom mixture. Roll our the remaining dough about 1/4" thick and cut into 1" strips. Weave the lattice over the filling. (or use cut out shapes for top crust.)
For the glaze, beat the egg and milk. Thoroughly brush the crust, give leftover glaze to the dog.
Bake pie for 25 to 35 minutes, until crust is puffy and golden.
Yields 8 big servings.
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