The Salad Question

No less than the venerable and esteemed Dick Jenrette, formally of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, and Classical American Homes, was thoroughly distraught on when to serve his salad. If the Deans had come a moment later, Dick’s salad leaves would have completely wilted.

At first, salad service may seem like a not so difficult problem to solve but immediately upon reflection, the Deans realized that Dick was right. There are many aspects to consider. Salad means many things to many people.

In restaurants the custom is to serve salad before dinner because it is a light and easy first course.

Some always want salad with their food, hence the salad plate. It sits off to the left awaiting to fulfill its purpose.

However, if you want the elegance and grace of the Deans (and frankly who doesn’t?) you must serve your salad after the meal. Its better for the dinner’s timing, conversation, and digestion, not to mention, it is the perfect time to serve a little bit of cheese. When can that be wrong?

The Deans solved the salad question once and for all. 

A few seasonal salad recipes to try and Discover more recipes from the Deans here!

Enough with the Summer Salads - The Deans Crave Meat

The Deans consumed so many salads this summer we are a tiny bit bored. Is our skin turning pale shades of green and leaves sprouting from our ears? We do not know. We do know our bodies need a big hunk of meat.

What better choice than prime rib? Prime rib belongs on many more tables than December's Christmas Dinner. It's a one roast wonder. Sliced left overs can fill french rolls, replace ham in cocktail biscuits, cut into thick strips and tossed into tomato and peach salads, diced for breakfast hash or chopped and combined with something fat and stuffed inside ravioli...the question is when isn't prime rib appropriate? 

The Deans are of two minds when roasting our slabs of ribs. Sometimes we salt them all over and pop in a 425-degree oven for one hour and 15 minutes. Other times we need a quicker job. The oven is cranked up to 500, the meat slathered with salt and pepper and slit randomly with a knife tip to insert bay leaves into those slits. This roast cooks for 30 minutes and then another 30 minutes at 325.

Naturally, the Deans have a few tricks to put up your sleeves: 

• Make sure your oven heats to the temperature that it says it is. 
• Use a meat thermometer - at 125 your meat will be rare and delicious. 

Gin and tonics and cold prime rib are a match made in Academy heaven. For the best tonic order Charleston's finest, Jack Rudy. 

Outside summer buffets, garden cocktail parties, picnics - all are perfect opportunities to showcase the summer prime rib. Its an unusual hot weather menu choice which immediately establishes you as a free thinking original hostess. No one needs to know that you learned the surprise summer menu trick from the Deans. 

Hoping for the Best is Not a Plan

Since we have several PhD's in Food and its Many Uses and Feeding the Family Nightly , we are the perfect experts to lead you through the Grocery Store.  

If you go to the supermarket at 10:30 a.m. you hit the yoga Pilates crowd.  If you go at 3:30 p.m., you slam into after school mom's.  And between 5:30 - 6:00 p.m., you encounter the onslaught of Afterworkers. The Deans like to go at 8:00 in the morning.  We are fresh and plucky and like to get this chore done early.  A small caveat: sometimes deliveries are running late and the selection is from yesterday, not today.  This means a last minute menu change and dinner becomes Bottles, Cans, Boxes and Jars.  

Make sure most of your shopping is done around the perimeter of the store.  Why? Because this is where the vegetables, meats, dairies and wines are located.  These are the items that need to be front and center and filling your grocery cart.  We see too many carts brimming with sodas, boxed snacks, cartons of crackers and cookies and per-prepared frozen dinners.  The Deans cannot stand seeing this much waste in terms of calories as well as money.

Number one rule is to not go shopping with an empty stomach.  You will buy way too much and regret most of your choices.  Rule number two; have a plan about what you want to eat tonight, tomorrow night and what's for breakfast and lunch if you're going to be at home.  Rule number three; in order to be the best prepared, most organized as well as to not waste valuable money - have a written list.  The more you have going on in the rest of your life, the more important the list becomes.  The Deans have both spent time tracking down exotic spices only to return home with one million bags of groceries but not the center piece of the meal.  We know we didn't invent the list, but it's so important that it bares repeating.  Often, we bring the magazine or book we are cooking from with us instead of transcribing so there is no room for error.  

If we see something particularly good-looking or a wonderful sale item, and we are not sure how to use it, we Google the item right in the store to come up with ideas.

If you are a creative person, cooking can be one of the most fun outlets.  Taking a huge array of  non-homogenous items that, alone don't amount to much, and creating one tasty meal, is quite an accomplishment.  

Mint. More Than an Herb. Almost a Way of Life.

Everyone spends the whole summer simpering about basil. Why is basil so great while mint whiles away in ignominy?  Mint elevates all it touches; tea, lamb, lemonade, watermelon, salads, chimichurra sauce, tarts, ratatouille, cocktails, ice creams and sorbets and for extra freshness, iron your sheets with mint infused water.  This fall plant some in an indoor pot, just like you did with basil in the summer, and when you feel like basil, try mint instead.  We guarantee a new love in your life, and who doesn't want that?

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MINT JULEP

INGREDIENTS

2-3 sprigs of fresh mint plus 2 sprigs for garnish

1/2 ounce simple syrup

2 dashes Angostura bitters

2 1/2 ounces bourbon

1.  Rub three sprigs of the mint with your hands, strip the leaves off the stems and add the leaves, syrup, and bitters to a highball or julep cup and muddle.

2.  Add bourbon and fill cup with crushed ice.

3.  Stir and garnish with more fresh mint. 

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FIGS with MINT, GOAT CHEESE & VINAIGRETTE

INGREDIENTS

1 head red or green leaf lettuce

1 cup mint, leaves off of stems

20 ripe figs, halved or quartered, depending on size

4 ounces creamy goat cheese

one bunch green onions, white and pale green parts finetly chopped

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons olive oil

1.  Place green onions, mustard, salt and olive oil in a bowl and whisk. Add an ounce of the goat cheese and whisk to get a creamy dressing. Add lettuce and mint to the dressing and toss gently.

2.  Cut the figs and arrange over leaves. Place the rest of the goat cheese, in small pieces over the lettuce.

3.  Serve with salt and pepper. 

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MINT PESTO

INGREDIENTS

half bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, about 30

bunch of fresh mint leaves, about 30

bunch of basil leaves, about 15

5 tablespoons unsalted (sweet) butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup Parmigiano cheese

1.  Place the parsley, mint, basit and 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt in a stone mortar and use a pestle to grind ingredients together. (This can be done in a food processor too. Switch on and off so ingredients do not puree).

2.  Transfer mixture to a bowl, add butter, cream and cheese and mix with a wooden spoon. Add salt and pepper.

3.  Sprinkle with mint leaves after tossed with pasta. 

The Deans' List: A Few of Our Favorite Things

SANDWICH from Goat Sheep Cow 

Taffin CANDLE

J.McLaughlin DRESSES 

Old Bay Spice  ALL AMERICAN

SIMPLEST RECIPE ON THE PLANET

SALTINES and SMOKED OYSTERS 

1.  Spread softened butter lightly on a saltine.

2.  Sprinkle old bay seasoning and bake in 300 oven for five minutes.

3.  Top with smoked oysters. 

ACADEMY BIBLE

Newsflash! The Deans are not as smart as they thought they were.

Heretofore, we have been so in love with our own food that we have been too afraid to give up any control when entertaining. Well, getting older has its benefits and one of them is getting a little wiser. Giving up control also can means giving up 18 hours of extra work. The Deans have started embracing an idea we used to find anathema: the potluck. It's not for every entertaining occasion, but when it suits, the potluck affair is genius. Just make sure that one person delegates who brings what so that the meal does not consist of four chocolate cakes and no roast beef.  And did we mention savings? If everyone brings one bottle of wine instead of one person buying five, well, even the math challenged Deans can tell you that the host is saving quite a bit. Participants splurge since they are only buying one bottle, so the quality of wine will be better as well.

Manners tip: even if one dish is far superior to the others, make sure everyone gets thanked and praised, at least by you. 

The Deans look for silver linings wherever we can find them. Embracing this positive attitude, we noted that spring is tardy this year and rejoiced that stew season has been extended seemingly indefinitely. Everyone still has an opportunity to enjoy Beef Bourguignon - A Potluck Star. No one makes this behemoth for one, so start stewing and invite some friends to bring the salad and dessert.  Eating outside will have to wait until a bit later, but we can all still enjoy some indoor fun together.

Dean Manigault enjoys a dinner with her family

For more tips on making entertaining easier buy our book here

The Four Horses of the Apocalypse

This plate depicts all the thrilling activities that can be generated in your living room especially when you serve these amazing hors d’oeuvres! Let the excitement begin!

The name alone connotes guardian angels battling the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. And to think of that going on in your own living room! If your guests do not go insane upon seeing deep-fried oysters with bacon, then you need new friends. What an outrageous treat and you are a phenom for having provided such a luxury snack. Only you and the Deans will know how easy they are to create.

FRIED OYSTERS & BACON

Makes 24 Hors D’Oeuvres.

Vegetable oil, preferably peanut oil

2 dozen oysters, shucked

12 thin slices bacon, halved crosswise

Pour enough oil in a deep saucepan to reach a depth of at least 3 inches. Heat the oil to 375°F on a deep-fat thermometer. Wrap each oyster with a half piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick.

Add the oysters in batches to the hot oil and fry until the bacon is crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the oysters to a paper towel to drain. Serve hot.

What's a Weekend?

Photo by Charlest Birnbaum: 2008

The weekends are not the only two days acceptable to invite people over. Just to prove the point, Dean Manigault invited nine people over Monday night and a raucous chatter filled her halls. The trick to a Monday night party is to keep the evening moving forward, but this does not mean you have to skimp on getting out your silver, china or be relegated to eating in the kitchen, although you may opt to do that. Beginning or mid-week jump-ups can be tons of fun, because people are glad they do not have to provide their own weekday dinner, however most guests still want to get their eight hours so a slightly earlier than usual start time is not out of order.

Dean Manigault’s secret weapon for a Monday night dinner party was simple, fresh and light food. She resurrected shrimp cocktail, which sadly has almost completely disappeared from home retinue, roasted three chickens with an eye for leftovers for the rest of her week, and patronized the finest local bakery to stock up on mixed berry tarts. Before she knew it, her guests had stayed till ten and left en masse with a smile on their faces and a renewed sense of camaraderie.

Recipes for Cocktail Sauce

One again a chill has settled over the Academy. Dean Pollak just asked Dean Manigault how she makes her cocktail sauce and she said she opens a jar. Dean Pollak’s face froze in undisguised mortified rigor, and so hence, both recipes follow.

Dean Manigault’s Cocktail Sauce

1 jar of cocktail sauce on shelf closest to the shrimp is her favorite.

Open jar and serve with shrimp.

Dean Pollak’s Cocktail Sauce

Catsup with copious amounts of hand grated horseradish, lemon juice and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. 

Emergency Plan

The Farmer's Almanac, which has so far predicted to the day the last two storms, is calling for another ice storm in the Southeast in two weeks. The Deans already know the picnic we are packing for when the Ravenel Bridge closes again and we are stuck in the morass that is the Don Holt Bridge when it is the only artery to and from Mt Pleasant. You can turn that frown upside down when your 20 minute commute stretches into five hours and you will be the envy of all the fellow drivers when they spy you leisurely reaching into your back seat and plucking delicacies laden in your hamper. You will be grinning from ear to ear as you blithely toss chicken bones and champagne corks out your window while listening to soothing tunes on the radio. Let it snow, let is snow, let it snow! If the people in Atlanta had consulted the Deans so much misery could have been averted. It wasn't the evacuation plan that was amiss, it was lack of planning for the evacuation itself. Just don't forget a couple of adult-size diapers, and just like astronauts of yesteryear, you will be ready for any length of car stay. 

After roasting nine thousand chickens, it would be too sad for words if the Deans had learned nothing. Felicitously, we learned plenty, but one fact stood out the most.  A chicken left completely unmolested during cooking renders the crispiest skin of all. No basting or shoving emollients under the skin is necessary.  You can, but it's not needed and we prefer leaving the chicken alone.  We all know about the need for many colors on a plate, but for a car picnic, simplicity cannot be topped.  Ice cold champagne and cold chicken can momentarily turn your Prius into a Rolls Royce.  Just make sure the driver drinks water. No drinking and driving during winter storm evacs, please.

Ingredients: One 4 -5 pound chicken, two teaspoons salt, two tablespoons butter.

Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Rinse and pat dry chicken.  Sprinkle with salt.  Melt butter in 9 inch cast iron skillet and then add chicken.  Place skillet in oven and remove after one hour.  Let stand for 10-15 minutes and serve at once or refrigerate for trips unknown.

Valentine's Academy Style

Our Valentine's Day class sells out instantly for a reason. The Deans are not only the Doctors of Domesticity, but we have also dabbled in the dark arts of seduction. You don't need to read Fifty Shades of Grey to be ready for tonight. All that swinging around on ropes and spanking seems exhausting to the Deans and possibly a bit contrived. If you are into that, the Deans bless you, but we've been romantics for decades and have yet to herniate a disk in the process. Romance to us is a bit more subtle. We ply our prey with the briniest, coldest oysters we can find, but if we feel especially loving, we run these bivalves under the broiler with spinach and Hollandaise, turn the lights down low, and pop open the coldest bottle of Veuve Cliquot. No need to reinvent the wheel for every occasion. Undoubtably, oysters and champagne have been used before for an aphrodisiac, but why? Because they work! And pink flowers and dark chocolate go a long way as well!

Recipe for Oysters Rockefeller for Love

Today is World Cancer Day

Cancer affects all of our lives. 

There have been times in the Deans' lives when circumstances laid us low and the reaching out of a kindhearted friend has never been forgotten. When life throws us major shifts and shocks, the routine of domesticity is most crucial, but it's also barely attainable. Now is the time for you to step in and use your skills to run someone else's house. Even if the recipients are barely able to eat or join in the conversation, having daily life going on around them proclaims, "There will be a way through this situation." Everyone is buoyed by extra love, including you, the giver of kindness to someone in need. Good food (including some in the freezer when you leave) will be remembered a lifetime. 

Chicken Pie is one of the best comfort foods. 

Livestrong is one of our favorite charities. 

Chevy's Superbowl ad celebrates cancer survivors. 

Massive Lemon Drop

For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. When a cold snap covers the Southeast everyone has to harvest their citrus at one time, or lose it all to Old Man Winter. In a balmier winter, we like to pluck our citrus leisurely and leave fruit on the trees to gaze upon. No such luck this year.  WhenGod gives the Deans lemons, of course we made lemonade, but we didn't stop there. We also created lemon-infused cocktails, chicken thighs with caramelized lemons, handmade lemon bow tie pasta, lemon confit, lemon mousse, lemon fennel ginger tea and we still have gleaming yellow orbs to play with. 

This is only a fraction of the bounty of one Dean's single tree.  Tons more where these came from!!!

can you see the lemony flecks?

Meyer Lemon Rind Bow Tie Pastas 

These bow ties are ready for their night out. Pair with a simple tomato sauce - canned whole tomatoes, chopped garlic and olive oil. Simmer for 15 minutes and then puree. The acid from the tomato sauce is a perfect blend with the tang of the lemon pasta.  You'll never be caught underdressed with these bow ties. 

Spicy Lemon Confit 

spiced ginger lemon tea

The Deans are akin to colanders today because that cold weather that has gripped the Southeast has got our teeth chattering so, we keep boiling water and making more tea.  We are the best hydrated Deans of any academic institution anywhere.  Quite an accolade!  Fresh fennel fronds, a large knob of ginger peeled and sliced, and the ubiquitous Meyer lemon that started it all, sliced.  Cover with boiling water and let step for five minutes, then strain into mug.  

For more words from the Deans, pre-order our book from Amazon 

Super Bowl 48 is Upon Us

Lately, we have been ruminating on how the Deans read from the same playbook as NFL coaches. Experts are experts after all. 

The Super Bowl is starting off on quite a high note this year, literally. Super soprano Renee Fleming is singing the National Anthem and the Deans would watch just for that! First we will dabbing Renee’s signature fragrance, La Voce, behind each ear to get us in the mood, for what, we are not sure.

Just for your edification, Deans contacted an NFL coach on the proper rules and regs of Super Bowl parties. Since he is married to Dean Pollak’s daughter, he had to take the call. In order for a Super Bowl party to go as smoothly as possible, remember these guidelines straight from an award winning coach.

The people who want to watch the game, really want to watch the game. Do not interrupt with any questions, stupid or otherwise. During the Super Bowl the commercials are just as mandatory as the game.

Provide two rooms so the talkers can be sequestered far from the watchers.  This will prevent fist fighting, which could interupt the flow of the festivity.

For our Super Bowl parties we always serve our patented cheese coins. They are the perfect pairing with beer. Any type. Just this once we will let you in our secret. These cheesy coins are our good luck charms. 

A Treasure Trove of Cheese Coins

The Deans receive a cruel lashing from friends if we attend any event without bearing canvas bags overflowing with cheese coins. They are the Academy’s signature treats and Dean Manigault’s muscled right arm is a testament that the cheddar is lovingly grated by hand. Sometimes this can mean up to 25 pounds of cheddar because we have so many friends and students to bestow our coins upon.

 Makes about 2 dozen

16 ounces shredded sharp cheddar 

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

2 cups flour

1 heaping teaspoon cayenne

22 twists freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon salt 

Using a standing mixer or food processor, whirl all the ingredients until combined. Form the cheese dough into 2 logs, about 1 inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days (or freeze for up to 6 weeks).

Preheat the oven to 325°. Cut the logs into ¼ inch slices and place on baking sheets. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature (or let cool and store in airtight containers for up to 7 days). 

Foie Gras: The Holy Grail of Terrines

The Deans absolutely love collaborating, so when Charleston Interior Stylist Nathalie Naylor, offered to take a day and teach us everything she knew about foie gras, well, we just jumped at the chance.  She arrived with three shiny lobes and immediately we set to work.  The first step of the process was to remove the veins and gristle from the smooth pieces of liver.  This proved a bit more difficult than it sounded, but we pressed on, and know we will do better next time!

Now we all wondered to do with some pieces that seemed especially soft and slippery.  In the end, we discarded these as well, but later, Nathalie's sister-in-law assured her that we could have kept them but they would just have expelled more fat.  We all agreed that a lot of fat was excreted anyway, so we guess, you can be that judge on how you feel about the texture of the foie gras. 

Nathalie then instructed us on the hows of seasoning foie gras.  In her Christmas suitcase, she smuggled back some ingredients that can be difficult to obtain here. The ones recommended most highly by the Interior Stylist was epices de foie gras and ceylon cinnamon added with just salt and pepper.  You can also use sauterne or truffles but we all thought that we would like the pure flavor of the foie gras to stand out since it is such a treat in itself.  You can always serve sauterne on the side, and in fact, most people in France do.

The trick that Nathalie was so dying to try out stateside was forming the foie gras into a sausage and steaming it instead of loading it into a terrine and bathing it in a bain marie.  In our zeal, we tried both methods.  The sausage was more forgiving to the small pieces the Deans had created.  Nathalie had proved an abler hand at deveining so we used her larger pieces for the terrine.  The sausage was double wrapped in saran wrap three times, then covered in aluminum foil.  We set it over gently boiling water and steamed one side for 7 mins then the other for 8.  The sausage cooled on the counter and then transferred to the fridge for several days to allow flavors to blend.

The terrine was placed in a bain marie and then set in a 320-degree oven for 15 minutes.  Then it, too, went in the fridge.  

On the appointed day, we all gathered in Dean Pollak's kitchen for the tasting! Dean Manigault had brought a baguette, but Nathalie once again out did us by bringing a cranberry nut loaf.  Once toasted, it was the perfect foil for the foie gras.  

Nathalie also took things one step further by sautéing apple slices in the fat off the foie gras.  No waste for this French woman, ever!  We were blown away by the sausage, so much so that we barely touched the terrine.  We have saved that for making into ravioli next week...so stay tuned!

Recipe: Homemade English Muffins

Why are homemade English muffins necessary to your life? Eaten for breakfast, slathered in melted butter and honey, they are sublime. And have you ever put your grilled hamburger on one? Beyond good. If you go to the trouble to make these yourself you must fork-split them, which means going around the circumference of the muffin plunging the tines of a fork towards the center until the muffin breaks open. The irregularity of the cut is what creates all the famous nooks and crannies for capturing precious juices.

Makes 8-10 (or 20 minis)

Ingredients

¾ cup buttermilk

1 tablespoons sugar

1 package active dry yeast (do not use quick action)

1/2 cup warm water

3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

1 ½ teaspoons coarse sea salt

3 cups unbleached flour

Cornmeal, for sprinkling

Warm the buttermilk in a small saucepan, then remove from the heat. Mix in the sugar until it dissolves. Let cool. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let stand until bubby and creamy, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the warm buttermilk, yeast mixture, butter, and salt. Stir in 2 cups flour with a wooden spoon and beat until smooth (alternatively, beat in a standing mixer). Continue adding the flour, ½ cup at a time, to make a smooth soft dough that is just slightly sticky. Knead the dough for a minute. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. A chilled dough is easier to handle. Alternatively, cover and let rise in refrigerate overnight.

Punch down the dough. Using a pastry cutter or knife, divide the dough into 8 or 10 pieces; roll into balls. Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal. Set the dough balls on the pan and press each round with the heel of your hand to slightly flatten. Flip rounds over so each side has a bit of cornmeal sticking to dough. Cover with a clean dishtowel and let rise for ½ hour. Muffins can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to three days.

Preheat oven to 250. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the dough rounds and cook slowly until lightly browned, turning once, about 20 minutes. When muffins are finished cooking in the frying pans, with a spatula place them back into their baking sheets. Bake in oven for another 10 minutes to finish cooking.  Let cool. (The muffins will keep in an airtight container for 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)

To serve, split the muffins with a fork and toast both sides.

Corporal Archilazamora's Asian Salad

The Academy has been so fortunate and received so much support from many people. With this in the forefront of our minds, we were thrilled to be able to have the Academy give back this past weekend.

Two of Dean Pollak’s sons served in Afghanistan and they have become passionate about wounded veterans. Once a year the Independence Fund hosts a benefit and this year it was in Charleston. The Independence Fund was set up to furnish veteran amputees with quality wheelchairs because not all wheel chairs are created equal. The Independence Fund is 100% volunteer!

The Academy hosted a lunch for thirteen of the full time caregivers; wives, mothers and brothers. Corporal Freddy Archilazamora was the chef and Jennifer Griffin of Fox News lead the support gathering.  In Dean Pollak’s dining room the guests were served shrimp ceviche, seared tuna with an Asian mango salad and presented with a spicy strawberry punch.  For once, these people who give so much of themselves everyday were taken care of for a couple of hours.

Corporal Archilazamora's Asian Salad

Dressing

3 oz. rice vinegar

3 oz. Champagne vinegar

3 oz. maple syrup

8 oz. walnut oil (or olive oil)

Combine ingredients and whisk with a fork. Salt and pepper to taste.

Salad

1 iceberg lettuce head, quartered and julienned

1 whole mango thinly sliced

Several shavings of red onion

1 lb. raw tuna

Heat two teaspoons of olive oil over high heat in a non-stick skillet.  Dredge all sides of tuna steaks with coarse salt and coarsely ground black pepper.  Place tuna in skillet and wait until surface begins to brown, less than 30 seconds.  Repeat with all sides, including edges, using tongs to hold fish in place.

Toss vegetables with dressing and put a small handful on each plate.  Slice tuna as thinly as possible and fan five slices on each plate next to the salad.

Mini Masterpiece Theater

IMG_9211-001

What makes The Academy so much fun is the test kitchen. Today the Dean’s children were whining for coconut cream pie.  We realized the reason we do not make this pie more often is that it can taste cloyingly sweet.  Coconut is sweet on its own, so we decided to fool around in the test kitchen and see if we could create a pie to please both man and child.

Our solution was to remove all extra sugar from the recipe and allow the coconut milk and shredded, toasted, sweetened coconut do all the sweetening.  It felt bold to not add any extra sugar to the dough or custard, but we assuaged ourselves by adding 3 tablespoons to the whipped cream topping.

To top our towering white Pisa, we shaved flakes of white chocolate and scattered them over the top of the whipped cream.  The white chocolate gives the appearance of coconut and adds another dimension of flavor.

The Academy’s Coconut Cream Pie is now sophisticated, as well as child-friendly.