So, yes, it was inevitable, I guess, that I was destined, one day, to make my very own Tarte Tatin. In case you’re not bilingual, I mean caramelised apple tart. I’m fond of baking things with poncey French names because they’re often much simpler than people think and I, therefore, become instantly sophisticated and even get to sample what it must feel like to have some of President Hollande’s allure. Well, maybe not.

It really is plain sailing after you’ve made the pastry shell – just cut up the apples (Bramleys and Cox’s) cover them in brown sugar and cinnamon and then stick them in the oven.

Here it is – Tarte Tatin de Wolfie. It might look a bit well done but, non, it’s meant to look like that – more or less. There was nothing left afterwards so I can promise you that it tasted delicious – parfait! If you think mine looks a bit rough, and people often do,  then here’s a photo of a professional Tarte Tatin:

——————————————————————————————————————–

My novel, Stephen Dearsley’s Summer Of Love, was published  on 31 October 2013. It is the story of a young fogey living in Brighton in 1967 who has a lot to learn when the flowering hippie counter culture changes him and the world around him.

The post It’s Lewes Men’s Pie Night – so I go for something a little je ne sais quoi appeared first on Wolfie Wolfgang.

I was, and still am, an enormous fan of that great, surrealist, witty and, well, just totally excellent David Lynch’s television series, maybe my all-time favourite, Twin Peaks. I love it for so many reasons but, just for now let’s hone in on the coffee – has it ever been more tempting? – and yes the food – wholesome, old-fashioned culinary values that produced Agent Cooper (the main character)’s favourite dish, that wonderful and unbelievably cherry red coloured, cherry pie.

Now I have no talent for cookery but I try to make up for that with great enthusiasm and a certain amount of stoical acceptance of failure that is, I have to admit, sometimes laced with hysteria and despair.

Friday night here in my hometown of Lewes was Men’s Pie Night when all my male friends indulge in a spot of pie-making and then get together to eat all the pies and drink large amounts of alcohol. This time, I thought I should pay tribute to David Lynch and to that traditional American cherry pie. If I am honest I didn’t have much idea as I had never made a fruit pie before, let alone shortcrust pasty. It was quite a messy business I discovered…..

…but with a bit of patching up here and there I did actually get to the point when I thought Agent Cooper might drop in for a slice.

…a few more patches on the top and my cherries well and truly packed away….I was ready to put it into the oven hoping that those thin bits wouldn’t matter too much where I didn’t have quite enough pasty.

Well, here it is! It smelt like a cherry pie, tasted like a cherry pie but, OK, it did look a bit bedraggled straight from the oven. Next time, Agent Cooper, it will be perfect, I promise. It was a good night:

The post Colin Bell’s Twin Peaks cherry pie was OK – well Agent Cooper might have to wait for the next one. appeared first on Wolfie Wolfgang.