Mimi’s Apple Crumble
Photo by Val

Preparation:

This week I watched:
Parasite–the Power of Symbols
Botany of Desire, Dir. Michael Schwarz 
Environmental Justice
Climate Change from the Streets
This week I read:
https://www.garynabhan.com/news/2007/01/a-terroir-ists-manifesto-for-eating-in-place/
https://bestapples.com/varieties-information/varieties/
https://garynabhan.com/img/raftbook/applebklet_web-3-11.pdf
American Terroir, Eat Me
The Cooking Gene Ch. 8-9

#5a Tasting Lab: Apples–Raw and Cooked

Mimi’s apple cookbook
Photos by Val

This poor recipe booklet really needs to get laminated or photocopied, I was so scared it was going to disintegrate by my touch.
Going through the recipe boxes I came across several recipes calling for apples: apple torte, apple cake, caramel apple pie, but this specific recipe (Apple Crunch Pie for a red letter day) was Mimi’s go to for any holiday or get together that needed an apple pie. I don’t ever remember her making this pie, but my mother sure does and told me this is the one I HAD to make.
I started by slicing up my apples, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, and Honey crisp, into thin slices. I then placed an uncooked pie crust in a pie pan, I really could have used my 10-inch pie pan. Next, I laid out all my apples into the crust. I then dusted them with a mixture of cinnamon, China Tung Hing this cinnamon just makes me think of Christmas, and sugar. Next, I mixed together flour, sugar, and butter with Mimi’s pastry mixer until a nice crumble formed, I then topped the pie with this mixture. I wanted to add a little bit of me to the pie so I created a braided crust with some leafs and apples. For this I used an egg wash to make sure that the braids and apples would stick and sprinkled them with a little sugar and cinnamon. And off it went into the oven for 15 minutes at 450* and then I dropped it down to 350* and baked it for another 30 minutes.

Making Mim’s apple crumble, with a little of my own flare.
Video by Val

Resources/Required Reading, Recipes, Form:

https://thecookinggene.com/2012/02/13/my-mothers-heirloom-apple-crisp/

Lab Practice: Raw & Cooked Apple Evaluation

Cortland, Ida Red, and Braebum
Photo by Val

Val’s notes
The Evergreen farm is situated on 3 acers. Where they grow apples, berries, veggies, and flowers. Thee farm sometimes makes salsa, kimchee, and jams.
The liberty and enterprise apples are resistant to scabs.
The apples I tasted were Cortland, Ida red, and Braebum. Both the Cortland and Ida red came from Barthels fruit farm in Mequon, which is just 20 minutes away.

Just after snacking on my apples
Photo by Val

#5b: Foodoir: Your Story of Tasting Place

“If this seems ridiculous to you, please consider that your external phenotypical features (i.e., skin complexion, nose shape, hair type) are not always a dead giveaway for your approximate ethnic origins. Many black people who took the DNA test were assigned different parts of their DNA to broader “racial” categories but were actually finding out just how European they were, and therefore not as easily connected to West and central Africa.” Page 122
“Cooking from a place of heritage, identity, and belonging is a powerful thing fraught with class and cultural politics. The first debate is about authority. The second debate is about authenticity and who is representing what and why. The third is usually about ownership. The fourth, but not the last is usually audience.” Page 139
– Michael Twitty

Both my mother and my bio father were both adopted. There is little information known about my bio fathers’ side, he always told me I was Italian and Norwegian. My mother had gotten in touch with her birth mother and knew that she was mostly French and German. For Christmas about three years ago my mother got my sister and me 23andMe. When I finally took it, I was very suppressed at my results. Turns out I am not Italian at all, but could be Norwegian. I am 99.8% European- 99.3% Northwestern European- 50.9% French and German, 30.9% British and Irish, 10.9% Scandinavian, 6.6% broadly Northwestern European, .5% Eastern European, and .2% unassigned.
My father, or who you would probably call my stepdad, can trace roots back to Finland from both my grandparents. Growing up this side of my family made things such as pasty and biscuit and other Finnish staples, and the amount of coffee my Grandma used to drink definitely showed her Finnish side. Now I may not have Finnish in my DNA, but it is in my family and to me that is close enough. Last year I looked closer at Finnish dishes for my class, Eating in Translation, just to get a better understanding of the culture and the differences between a true Finn and an American Finn. I may not be able to call myself a Finn, but I will sure keep cooking and baking Finnish dishes because it is part of my family.