Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Are you ready for Pi Day? Do you celebrate it?!? I'll take any excuse to bake - and eat - pie. I put out a call for pie recipes (click for my invitation ) and the blogosphere answered. What a gorgeous array of pies, both sweet and savory! And I'm posting this round-up in time for you to bake a few for 3/14. The Sweets photos courtesy of participating bloggers:  Renee's Kitchen Adventures ,  Family, Food, and Fun ,  On the Move-In the Galley ,  C Mom Cook , and  Angels Homestead Crack Pie  by  C Mom Cook Speculaas Dutch Apple Pie  by  C Mom Cook Key Lime Pie  by  Sew You Think You Can Cook Lemon Meringue Pie  by  Sew You Think You Can Cook Franzipan Pie  by  My Hobbie Lobbie Peach Tart  by  My Hobbie Lobbie Apple Pie  by  My Hobbie Lobbie Fudge Pie  by  Tara's Multicultural Table Cardamom Strawberry Tartlets  by  Tara's Multicultural Table ...

When looking at different recipes and menus for a Game of Thrones themed luncheon for Brian , I came across photos for Jon Snow's Pork Pies. I didn't delve too far into what made them special; I just decided to make some fennel scented meat pies with an absinthe crust. Yum! Absinthe Pâte Brisée 2-1/2 C all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling 1/2 C finely ground blanched cashews or cashew flour 1/2 t fennel pollen 1 C butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes 3-4 T ice water 3-4 T abinsthe fleur de sel Place the flour, ground cashews, fennel pollen, and cold butter in a large bowl. Use the patry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add ice water 1 T at a time, alternating with the absinthe, until mixture just begins to clump together. If you squeeze some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough doesn't hold together, add a little more water and cut again. Note that too much w...