Richie and the Writers

I know he is curious about what we do and talk about every Thursday afternoon. He is always full of suggestions about what we could do. Some ideas have been - charter a bus and go to a Dodger game! Head for the Anza Inn after each meeting and have a shot and a beer! Meet outside in Veteran's Park in nice weather! He will say, "Don't forget to tell them about the Palos Verdes library book sale!" I have yet to leave for a meeting without some suggestion ringing in my ears.

Richie is not allowed to attend our meetings (except for a social half-hour before we start critique and to the annual Christmas pot luck luncheon - to which all Significant Others are invited.)

As a warm-up to our own Thanksgiving meal, he baked a "test" pumpkin pie, probably to see if he's lost his touch in the year since he last made one. As usual, it was perfect. He announced that he would be bringing it to the Thurs. Writers (more formally known as the South Bay Writers Workshop.)

There were six of us present. I brought paper plates and plastic forks and cut the pie into eight equal slices. Everyone had a slice (in fact, Donna had two) while he moved the car. He got the last piece and to visit and then it was 1 p.m. and he was summarily banished (by me; they were perfectly content to let him stay, but I knew that he could never keep his mouth shut and while Richie has many, more stellar qualities than most, he is emphatically not a literary critic.)

But he does make a damned fine pumpkin pie.

RICHIE'S PUMPKIN PIE
Crust: store-bought graham cracker, baked to manufacturer's specifications.
Filling:
1 1/4 cups plus 2 T milk
2 T butter
2 eggs
1 15-oz. can pumpkin (Libby's, I believe)
1/2 cup sugar plus 2 1/2 T additional sugar.
Pinch of sea salt
1/2 teas. cinnamon
1/2 teas. ground ginger
1/2 teas. ground nutmeg
1 T milk for brushing the crust edges

Re-heat the oven to 450 (after baking the pie crust)
Heat the milk until just hot, not simmering
Remove from the heat, add butter
Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl and add the pumpkin, sugar, salt and spices.
Stir until well blended and then stir in the hot milk mixture.
Brush the pie crust edges with the milk.
Pour the filling into the crust and bake at 450 for 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 350 and bake an additional 35 minutes.

Each serving: 326 calories, 6 grams protein, 43 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 15 grams fat, 9 grams saturated fat, 113 mg cholesterol; 222mg sodium.