h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've always wondered what pumpkin pie and sweet potato pie are? And are they nice?

I've never even been sure if they are main course or desert pies. I mean, sweet potato and pumpkin are things you could have with a main course, but the making into a pie could be like apple crumble or something. Any help??

I don't know about sweet potato pie - pumpkin pie is usually a desert job, but I'm sure there are non-sweet versions also.

That's at least the impression I'd got, but never saw anything to confirm it. Or wht it looked or tasted like. Seems to be an American thing anyway.

It's a kind of pumpkin-based sweet custard (lots of eggs) poured into a piecrust and baked.

I've normally seen sweet potato pie served as a dessert. I'm not a fan of pumpkin pie- never have been. Sweet potato pie is lovely. I make it once or twice a year during autumn (egg/dairy free, though).

I'll be putting a recipe for my pumpkin-polenta-potato dumplings in PR as soon as it's written up...

Not sure if I likle the sound of a pumpkin-custard thing. Though the sweet potato one could be good.

I make pumpkin pie with mashed pumpkin filling, and an oat crust. Cinnamon, maple syrup. No custard though.

I personally love Pumpkin Pie. I didn't like it as a child, it's an odd flavour, sweet and savoury and usually has spices in, too (nutmeg and so on). It's a sweet, but not *overly* sweet in itself.

I am trying to coalesce in my mind a sort of tart/pie/cheesecake type thing using sweetened chestnut puree and squash or pumpkin... It's just a germ of an idea, I'm sure it'll work but I'm not sure how to make it work

Trial and error?

Kea's pie sounds nice- I'm a fan of oat crusts. I hadn't thought of it before but I think I may use oat crust when I make sweet potato pie this Thanksgiving.

Yeah, oaty crusts can be good. Let us know how your turns ou8t.

Both are quite -worthy, and both are dessert-type pies (though a leftover cold slice, eaten barbarically hand-held, makes a good breakfast, and can be justified as good for you, since they're made of vegetables, after all) To me, sweet potato pie tastes just like a richer version of pumpkin pie, and for years was the only way I would eat sweet potatoes.

They taste so similar, I've no idea why I like one more than the other- it has to be that the pumpkin ones I've had have been too heavy on a specific ingredient.

I was never a big fan of either sweet potatoes or pumpkin in general until after I turned 30, when a friend turned me on to them. Same with winter squash. Oh, what I missed out on all those years.

yeah, there's something about pumpkin and squah that just seems kinda odd and could be . But I'm sure like a lot of things if it's done right. I've even heard that brussel sprouts can be good if done right. Though I'm not about to try them to find out.

I actually just avoided squash and pumpkin all those years because my mother is a terrible cook and when she made them, she cooked all the flavor out and then mashed them up with vile things. Some people prepare them in such ways that I can't eat them even now (marshmallow or milk, for example). But in a non-custardy pie, baked, or roasted, they've divine. And they're both fab in curry.

I've always liked brussels sprouts and have no idea why they get such a bad rap.

you've never been in the same room as an over-done sprout then??

Psychocandy, remind me to dig out John Steinbeck's passage about the attitude of some cooks towards vegetables. He was writing about Britain in the 40s, but it's still true of some people today. It explains very well why so many people can't even look at a Brussels sprout!

>> but it's still true of some people today <<

Indeed. My mum likes to get the sprouts on in November, in readiness for Christmas dinner.

RF

that's a bit early surely?? Though it helps make them extra soggy.