Growing up in Canada as an immigrant family, there were few things that seemed more genuinely “western” to me than pie. My mom would buy prepared pies at the grocery store and we’d warm slices in the microwave with a generous squirt of Reddi-wip. Each bite made me feel like we were assimilating and fitting in with our new surroundings. As far as I was concerned, pie was something that was purchased, and not actually made at home. Or at least not in our kitchen. For one thing – Chinese cuisine generally doesn’t involve an oven – and ours was used as additional kitchen storage.

And so it was for many years. Of all the things that came out of my kitchen, pie was never one of them. It wasn’t until my in-laws decided to visit us for the first time that I decided to try making a pie. For you see, there are fewer ways to my mother-in-law’s heart than with a blueberry pie.

This blueberry pie blends together all the nostalgia of my childhood with my favorite parts of summer. Sun-ripened berries are tossed together with simple pantry ingredients and folded into a flaky pie crust. Pie crust seems intimidating, but I find that the key is keeping the butter cold, and using ice water. Using a food processor to make the pie crust makes it all the easier.

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Blueberry Pie

Course Dessert

Keyword blueberry, pie

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

Pie crust

• 2 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter (chilled)
• 1/4 cup ice water

Filling

• 6 cups blueberries
• 2/3 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 egg (lightly beaten)

Instructions

Pie crust

• Combine flour, salt, and butter in a food processor and blitz until it resembles a coarse crumbly mixture.
• Add in water, one table spoon at a time, and process until dough begins to come together. Turn out onto a firm surface, and kneed quickly until it forms into a ball.
• Divide into two, and wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate at least an hour.

Pie filling & assembly

• Preheat oven to 375 F.
• Combine blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and lemon juice in. a large bowl.
• Roll both chilled pie dough balls onto a floured work surface, until they form 12-inch circles.
• Carefully place one of the rolled pie crusts into a 9-inch pie dish, and fill with pie filling, leaving out any excess liquid. Dot pie filling with pieces of butter.
• Cut the remaining pie crust into strips approximately 1-inch wide. Carefully weave strips over the pie to form a lattice (or alternatively, place rolled circle over the pie and cut slits to form steam vents).
• Crimp edges of pie using the tines of a fork to seal filling in.
• Gently brush the top of the pie crust with a beaten egg. (Optional: sprinkle with a little coarse sugar, if desired).
• Place pie onto a large baking sheet and bake for 40-50 minutes. After initial 20 minutes, cover edges of pie crust with tin foil to prevent edges from browning too quickly.
• Serve with a large dollop of whipped cream or ice cream.

The post Homemade Blueberry Pie appeared first on The RiceTrail.

I started growing orchids several years ago, but like any novice gardener, was intimidated by their reputation for being finicky and difficult to care for. After killing several phalaenopsis orchids, I was discouraged and ready to give up. It wasn’t until my then-boyfriend (now husband) gifted me a “year of orchids” that I really began to understand them. Every time the blooms faded (or if I killed it…), he would quickly replace it with another. It wasn’t long before I got the hang of taking care of orchids. Since then, I’ve expanded my collection beyond phalaenopsis orchids, including this beautiful miniature vanda, which I’m sharing today.

What makes vanda orchids unique?

Vanda is a Sanskrit word and is the common name for a monopodial orchid species found throughout tropical Asia. They require lots of light and are typically found in the jungle canopy in the wild.

Vanda blossoms are, in my opinion, some of the most stunning of flowers, and come in an enormous range of colors, including a vibrant indigo blue – one of the most rare colors in nature. Vandas have extensive aerial roots, and are often potted without any potting medium (such as bark or moss) in wooden slat boxes or glass containers. New growth emerges at the top of the plant (often referred to as a “fan” due to its shape). Mature vandas can stand several feet high and may even produce blooms up to three to four times a year.

This particular vanda is a neostylis lou sneary “bluebird” – a hybrid between a Neofinetia falcata (aka the “samurai orchid“) and Rhynchostylis coelestis. It is a miniature vanda, and its blossoms have a delicate jasmine-like fragrance.

How to care for vanda orchids

• Growing conditions: Vandas love warm, bright growing conditions (temperatures between 60-and 90 F). Ideal growing conditions should mimic the jungle canopy, where they are found in the wild. Pick the brightest windowsill in your home, away from any cold drafts. I find that at east-facing exposure generally works well with orchids that require lots of light.
• Watering: I water all of my orchids once a week. When watering a vanda orchid, make sure the aerial roots also get water. This vanda is potted in a small terra-cotta pot with a loose bark mix. I drop the entire pot in a larger container, and fill it with water so the aerial roots can soak for at least an hour or so, and make sure to drain the orchid well.
• Fertilizing: Vandas are heavy feeders and thrive on a 20-20-20 mix, given twice a month. Fertilize every other watering, allowing the roots to be thoroughly rinsed to avoid “fertilizer burn.”

A well-cared for vanda can reward you with multiple blooms in a year, and a mature full-sized vanda can grow to be several feet high with extensive aerial roots. Truly the crown jewel in any orchid collection!

The post Miniature Vanda Orchid appeared first on The RiceTrail.

Summer is without a doubt, my favorite season. I love the long days, the warm weather and spending time outdoors. I especially love summer fruit. Growing up in Canada, berry picking was part of every summer.

These lemon blueberry cupcakes are divine and tastes of summer distilled into a dessert. The cake is wonderfully moist and zesty, and punctuated with delightful bursts of sweet, jammy berries. The homemade cream cheese frosting is light and fresh, and not too cloyingly sweet. I love to decorate them simply with extra blueberries, nestled into the frosting. The perfect end to a barbecue or cookout.

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Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

Nothing says summer like fresh blueberries and citrus. This is a moist and delicious cupcake that celebrates the season has to offer.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword baking, cupcakes

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

Cupcake

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Cream cheese frosting

• 8 oz light cream cheese
• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 cups confectioner's sugar
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• additional blueberries for garnish

Instructions

To make cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350 F and line cupcake pan with liners.
• In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In a separate bowl, beat together butter and sugar until smooth.
• Zest lemon using microplane grater. Juice half of the lemon (approximately 2 tbsp lemon juice). Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla to butter and sugar mixture.
• Add eggs one at a time to wet ingredients, mixing well. Incorporate dry ingredients and milk, a bit at a time.
• Once batter is combined, gently fold in fresh blueberries.
• Pour batter into prepared cupcake pans, filling each cup approximately two-thirds full. Bake 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

To make frosting

• In a standing mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter. Slowly add in confectioner's sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Beat on high setting until light and fluffy, and the mixture approximately doubles in size.
• Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and garnish with additional fresh blueberries.

The post Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes appeared first on The RiceTrail.

I’m a sucker for baked goods that are too-cute-to-eat. I saw a photo these adorable teddy bear cookies that were clutching almonds several years ago on Pinterest and was dying to try it. Unfortunately, the original post was in Japanese so I improvised.

I’m not too proud to admit that I attempted to short-cut this by trying to make this work with a pre-made sugar cookie recipe (i.e. the Pillsbury sugar cookie rolls you find in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.) Big mistake. The cookies melted and expanded into a congealed mess. It was a hilarious #pinterestfail moment that I should have documented!

So back to the drawing board it was. I tried a couple of homemade sugar cookie/rolled cookie recipes and after some tweaking, was pretty happy with this one. The finished product is not too sweet, and resembles a gussied-up teddy graham (aka, my favorite childhood cookie).

These cookies are a bit laborious to be sure, but well worth the effort for a special occasion. I love using them as a cupcake topper, and they go perfectly with a carrot cake cupcake with maple cream cheese frosting. I made these for my colleagues shortly before I left for maternity leave as a thank you for the loveliest baby shower luncheon.

To make this, you’ll need a small bear-shaped cookie cutter (or any cookie cutter that has “arms”). Roll out the dough and gently press in your nut of choice (I like almonds and pecans, but you can also use cashews, or really any other type of nut). For the extra ambitious, use flavored nuts – Trader Joe’s makes the most decadent pecan pralines that would be incredible with this little cookie.

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Grown-up Teddy Grahams (Adorable Nut-Hugging Bear Cookies)

An adorable rolled cookie featuring a bear hugging a nut. Works great as a cupcake topper that is almost too cute to eat.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword baking, cookies

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter (softened)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• nuts of your choice (pecan halves, almonds and cashews work well with this recipe)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add beaten egg and vanilla and mix well.
• In a large bowl, sift flour and baking soda. Combine with wet ingredients and mix until a dough ball forms.
• Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill for 30 min – 1 hour.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut cookies using a bear-shaped cookie cutter and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Gently press a nut into the center of the bear, and fold arms around the nut. Add eyes and nose using a toothpick.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown.

The post Grown-up Teddy Grahams: Adorable Nut-Hugging Bear Cookies appeared first on The RiceTrail.

After 48 years of marriage, my in-laws are headed to Hawaii this summer for a well-deserved vacation, and I couldn’t be more happier for them. In honor of their upcoming trip, I wanted to share a curated list of one of my favorite experiences in Maui – the Road to Hana.

What is the Road to Hana? It is a 65-mile drive from Kahului (the western part of the island) to the town of Hana (in eastern Maui), but takes approximately 8 to 10 hours to complete due to the sharp turns and many attractions along the way. It’s one of the best ways to see Maui, and it’s not really about getting to Hana itself, but the many amazing sights along the way.

Load up on provisions at Paia Town (mile marker 9)

The day typically begins with a stop at Paia Town, Maui’s historic plantation town, and is the last town before reaching Hana. I recommend loading up with provisions at Mana Foods, a well-stocked health food/grocery store, and potentially grabbing a quick brunch somewhere in town.

Hike and swim at the Twin Falls (mile marker 9.5)

One of the most popular stops on the Road to Hana, and for good reason. There’s a short hike in the rainforest, which leads to two small waterfalls, and is perfect for a refreshing swim to start the day. Make sure you stop at the farm stand before you leave for fresh coconut (or better yet, freshly squeezed sugar cane juice). Get here early to avoid the crowds (and to find parking) and resist the urge to linger too long, because this beautiful stop is just the beginning.

Stroll through the Garden of Eden Arboretum & Botanical Garden (a quarter mile past mile market 10)

Even if you’re “not into plants” this is a stop that is still worth making. The arboretum contains over 26 acres of Maui’s best nature trails and is breathtakingly beautiful. Its name is well-deserved.

Stop for a Hawaiian lunch at Ka Haku’s Smoke Shack (mile marker 10)

This may be the best $20 lunch you will ever have. It’s a casual roadside restaurant serving amazing barbecue chicken and pork. Each plate comes with a side of Hawaiian fern salad (which is absolutely delicious) and a dessert of grilled banana topped with whipped cream. The meal is served on a banana leaf nestled in bamboo. Wash it all down with an ice-cold freshly-opened young coconut. Possibly my favorite meal ever in Maui.

Ka Haku’s Smoke Shack

Stop for photos at Honomanu Bay (mile marker 15)

A beautiful place to stop for photos and walk along the lava rocks. The water gets a little choppy here, and swimming is not recommended.

Snack on freshly baked banana bread at Keane Village (just before mile marker 16)

A little Hawaiian village with taro fields, a missionary church and a swimming area. We didn’t linger long here, but I do recommend stopping by Aunty Sandy’s famous banana bread, which is served hot at the Keanae Landing Fruit Stand (turn left, just before mile marker 17).

Snag a quick photo at Wailua Valley Lookout (0.9 miles past mile marker 18)

Blink and you’ll miss this tiny turnout, which only leaves room for 3-4 cars. It can be a bit tricky to navigate, and to get the above photo, you’ll need to walk along the shoulder of the road. But it’s a beautiful spot to stop for views of the ocean and the Ko’olau Gap in the mountains.

Dip your toes in a black sand beach at Wainapanapa State Park (just past mile marker 32)

Pro Tips:

• Do not underestimate how long this journey will take. Head out early (no later than 7 or 8 AM) especially if you’re hoping to make it all the way to Hana, and/or plan to make many stops along the way. Believe me, you do not want to be driving back in the dark. The roads are extremely narrow and involve many sharp turns.
• A good road trip depends, in large part, on the snacks you have on hand (at least in my book). Pick up a cooler at a drug store or Paia town and fill it with water, snacks, and maybe a sandwich or two. There are stops along the way where you can get food, but they can be sporadic, and this trip is best enjoyed if not hangry.
• Bring a bathing suit. You may not plan on swimming or getting wet – but trust me with this one. And it should go without saying, also bring sunscreen and mosquito repellant.
• Bring water shoes or at least, sandals you can get wet. There are a couple of stops (Twin Falls in particular) which require hiking through a stream. These will come particularly in handy if you find yourself in a position (as my husband did) having to carry your mother-in-law on your back, because she didn’t have sandals and couldn’t go through the stream.

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