baby, it's cold inside.

i love living in my studio apartment. the only drawback, as far as i'm concerned, is when it comes to cooking. at my last apartment, even though i had a separate kitchen, it was impossible to cook from june to mid-september, because the minute the stove went on, it was like living in a clay cooker. and using my wonderful grill pan for more than 10 minutes required disarming the fire alarm. at my new place, i don't have a separate kitchen, so the smell of sauteed onions and garlic will infuse everything that's not stowed behind a closed door. (and while i was initially concerned because the only closet in the place has bifold doors --that don't quite reach the floor --and directly faces the stove, damp rid has proved a real wardrobe saver. as long as the doors are closed and the damp rid is hanging, my clothes are well protected.)

the upside of living in a studio? on blustery days, when the real feel temperature is in the teens, cooking or baking is salvation.

yesterday, in honor of the cold and my friend's upcoming birthday, i baked a pecan pie, recipe courtesy of food network star and part-time film actress, ms. paula deen. i had to cheat (with a pre-made crust. i'm such an amateur, i don't have a rolling pin...) and i made some substitutions (i had 1 1/2 cups of pecans on hand. her recipe called for 1 1/2 - 2 cups. i love my pecan pies on the nutty side, so i wanted to use the full 2. i had read another recipe for walnut - pecan pie in one of my favorite, most trusted books, jim fobel's big flavors, and with that in mind, i added a 1/2 cup of walnuts to the filling.

i got a little clumsy with the jim beam too--i think i added about 3 tablespoons instead of 2.

since i've never baked a pie or a cake in this oven, i wasn't sure quite sure about the baking time--the recipe recommended 10 minutes at 375, and another 25 at 350, or until the filling set. after 25, the filling was almost brothy, so i set my timer for another 10. the crust was pretty well browned, at this point, so i covered the edges with foil...after those 10 minutes, it still looked a little jiggly in the middle. after another 5, the filling looked set, but i think it was a little too top-brown, as you can see from the photo. i was worried that i had gone and over-baked it, and that after a resting period outside the oven i'd discover that i had dried the darn thing out.

but, it was fine! it was really quite good, very sweet and very bourbony. my friends loved it. i'd definitely recommend the recipe and make it again and again, i'd probably just cover the pie toward the end, so it didn't get too dark too fast.

and, just as i'd hoped, the apartment stayed warm and sweet-smelling for the rest of the night.