It seems that sugar and pies go hand in hand. Fret not, weary diabetics, because this pie is mostly sugar free. The only sugars are the natural sugars from the apples themselves.

Here's what you need:

6 cups Green Apples (Sliced)
2 pie crust/ puff pastry liners (You may make them youself if you have the time and means)
12 fluid ounces Apple Juice
3 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp ground cinnamon

Now, the first thing you would like to do is to preheat the oven to 175 C. After doing that, while the oven is getting all nice and warm, whisk your corn starch, cinnamon and about 1/3 cup of apple juice into a sweet thick mixture. The key here is that the numbers don't really matter as long as your texture is not too thick and not too watery. You may add (or not) as much as you like and feel free to experiment.

Now, set that glorious mixture aside and start simmering your apples with all the remaining juice until it is nice and tender. This will probably take around 10 minutes. When everything is nice and soft, pour the mixture that you set aside into the pot and stir till the sauce is thick.

Remove from heat and spoon that baby into a nice pastry-lined pie plate. Seal it with another layer (You could do a little weave if you like) and make sure there are vents for steam to be released. You don't want a ex-pie-sion would you? (Sorry bad pun)

Bake your pie for 45 minutes or until the pie crust goes brown and serve it hot (or cold) with ice cream or whip cream.

Now, you've got yourself a nice pie recipe! Hope you can a-pie-se you ap-pie-tite. Sorry. Couldn't resist!

 

If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know what else you'd want me to teach you how to make or let me know what else you want seen on this blog!

Sharing is caring,
Sean Wang

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I was reading the blog of H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche and I found an article regarding 20 of the weirdest dishes from around the world. I will only be writing about 10 of them.

http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/animals-vegetarianism/20-things-you-dont-wanna-eat-or-do-you.html

I will be writing about my take on the various foods mentioned in the post. Why? It is because I am a food lover hehe.. 

1. Cambodia: Itsy Bitsy Spider

Yikes! I have arachnophobia  and that sense of fear is coming. Spiders are extremely scary little bugs (or arachnids). I find it very odd that people are willing to eat them. I know, I know, Cambodia was once a poverty-filled country and it still is. But eating spiders is going a bit to far. But I must say, the presentation for the dish is not half bad if it weren't for the spiders.

Weird factor: 6/10

2. Philippines : Balut



This is a snack that is made from half-fertilized duck or chicken egg. Yucks! I guess PETA was right this time with eggs having the life of a animal (or not really as the ones we eat are unfertilized). It is served with a little bit of salt (hopefully while it is not alive)  after being boiled (Ok...It most probably died while being boiled which is still bad). It apparently as popular as hotdogs in the US in the countries that do sell them. Yikes.

Weird factor:  8/10

3. Snake and Scorpion Wine



After a few days of fermentation, the venom is dissolved and it is ready to drink. I wouldn't drink that! One, I am creeped out by scorpions (even though they are a bit cool) and I wouldn't want them in my drink. And it seems that they drowned them in the wine. Disgusting!

Weird factor: 4/10

4. Cobra heart



This takes being bloodthirsty to a whole new level. It is like being a vampire except you are not glittered up and it is cobra blood instead of human blood. I would accept that I could be something that natives drink to prove their manliness but I would not have expected that people sell this commercially.

Weird Factor: 5/10

5. China : Birds Nest Soup



I actually do not know why this is on the list but it is still a bit weird as a lot of people spend a lot of good money on this! It is one of the most expensive dishes that people buy due to the difficulty in obtaining it.

Weird Factor: 1/10

6.  Baby Mice Wine

Traditional in China and Korea, this type of wine is said to be a "health tonic". People say that it tastes like raw gasoline. Yucks. The baby mice are drowned in the rice wine and left to ferment. Disgusting!

Weird Factor: 5/10


7. Casu Marzu, Sardinia

 This is maggot cheese. You know, when I first saw the word "Sardinia" I thought it would be infected Sardines but it was cheese. I am a cheese lover but I would never eat this cheese. If the larvae died, the cheese would be toxic. It is like eating a poisoned apple. Just, yuck.

Weird factor: 7/10

8. Indonesia: Kopi Luwak

This takes the term "This coffee tastes like shit" to  a whole new level. This coffee is made by a cat-like animal called the luwak. It is found in its shit. Yuck. It is also one of the most expensive and rarest coffees ever. So, now you can really tell people to eat shit!

Weird Factor: 6/10

9. Tuna's eyeball


 According to many people, it tastes better than it looks. I just find it odd to have a meal that looks back at me. Instant guilt trip!

Weird Factor: 9/10

10. Rocky Mountain Oysters



Yummy oysters! Oysters were once my favorite seafood. Well... These are not oysters. They are bull testicles.  I can guess why they decided to call the dish "oysters". I guess people will feel uncomfortable when the waiter says, "Wanna have some testicles on a plate?" People might be weirded out!

Weird factor: OVER 9000!

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The Kechara Tea House in Shanghai has finally been opened to the public. That is really cool.

Rinpoche posted an article on it on his blog:

http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/kechara-13-depts/official-opening-of-kechara-tea-house-shanghai.html

The exterior was so mesmerizing. I think many people will be attracted to go and dine in the Tea House just through its exterior design. Then, I saw the images on its beautiful interior.

Pictured above is the exterior


I think that all of the designing were mostly due to Aunty Li Kheng.

This is another great feat of Kechara to spread two things. Buddhism and Vegetarianism. Now, people as far as China will be able to experience Dharma the Kechara Way.

I would like to say congratulations to Kechara Tea House. I hope that business will go well. I am sure it will because everything Kechara Tea House is doing is very meritorious and many people will benefit.

May the flower of Kechara continue to bloom,
May its Dharma spread far and wide!



For those who don't know, here is the address and info:

Red Town, G113, Building 28, 570 Huaihai (W) Road, Shanghai.
It is opened from 8am to 9.30pm
contact: +86 21 5237 1716.

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