A: Welcome to VOV 24/7’s Food Delight. We’re A and B. We’re excited to be sharing with you some cooking tips on today’s program.
B: Hello, you guys. Hello, A. So, A, What are you thinking? 
A: Well, I finished my favorite movie series recently, and now I'm thinking about how to find that perfect someone who will love me and care about me the way the male protagonist did in that series.

B: Oh, I believe that someday you’ll find that person who is perfect for you. But A, you know what, while your issue is important, I have something much more urgent than that. 

A: Something more urgent? 
B: Yep - 3 words with 8 letters. You can guess if you want.  
A: I like you?    -   B: Nope            
A: I love you?    -  B: Of course not. 
A: So, what is it?  -    B: I GOT FOOD                  
A: Goodness me, B. You’re a foodie for sure. 
B: Oh, come on. I really got food. Tada, a big, delicious blueberry pie personally delivered by the most famous bakery in town. You know, International Women’s Day, March 8th, is just around the corner. So, this is your first gift, paving the way for plenty more surprises to come.  
A: Wow, I love blueberry pie. Blueberries are a tasty food with lots of potent health benefits. They’re heart healthy and also fight the damage that sunlight causes to your skin. The pie, which looks gorgeous, calls for pouring a warm sugar glaze over a generous amount of fresh blueberries. How beautiful and wonderful!. 
B: I’ve got some good news for you. I know Trang Minh, a famous food blogger who has more than 15,000 followers on Facebook. She and her cooking team have published a book titled “Pie-Tart”, introducing 40 wonderful recipes. She’s going to teach us how to make a wonderful blueberry pie.

The blueberry pie calls for pouring a warm sugar glaze over a generous amount of fresh blueberries (Source: Pinterest)

A: A book about pies and tarts? I’m a newbie cook, I can’t distinguish between those two desserts. They’re both baked, wrapped in crust, and filled with sweetness. So, what is the difference?

 B: If you’ve ever thought a tart was a pie, you’re forgiven because they’re incredibly similar. Trang Minh will describe the differences between them. “The main difference is that a tart only has a bottom crust, whereas a pie is usually made with a pastry dough that covers or completely contains its filling. Pie crusts are usually flaky and crisp while a tart crust is firm and crumbly, often thicker than a pie crust. When making a pie, all ingredients must be kept cold, while the ingredients for tarts should be kept at room temperature. Finally, a tart is baked in a pan with a removable bottom so it can be lifted out before serving, while a pie is served straight from the dish in which it was baked.”

B: Wow. Pies and tarts may look the same as both have fillings and crusts, but they actually differ in several respects, right?
A: True. Thanks to Trang Minh’s explanation, we now know how to distinguish them. Now back to the blueberry pie. What are the steps?
B: Let’s listen. “The filling, which is easy to make, can quickly be mastered by professional and newbie cooks alike. The most important thing is the freshness of the blueberries and other ingredients. After being carefully washed and dried, the blueberries are marinated with white sugar for 2 to 3 hours. When the blueberries have fully absorbed the sugar’s sweetness, put them in a small pot with some lemon juice and cook over medium-high heat until the liquid starts to thicken, approximately 1 minute. Add enough cornstarch to give a smoothness and viscosity to the filling. One useful tip is to add some shredded lemon peel to improve the flavor.” 

The buttery crust flakes in your mouth and all those juicy blueberries linger on your tongue (Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling Heather Chadduck Hillegas)

A: Hey, B. I’ve heard a lot about pie thickener. Besides cornstarch, we have all-purpose flour, potato starch, or arrowroot starch. Why should we use cornstarch in this recipe rather than another.
B: I use cornstarch rather than flour as a thickener in almost all berry pies. I think for the same amount of thickening, you need much more flour than cornstarch. If you use flour, the pie could end up tasting gummy and gooey rather than soft and juicy. So, cornstarch is the best choice. The next best may be arrowroot starch. 
A: Ok. The amount of starch we use should be just enough to slightly firm up the blueberries and not so much as to take away from their beautifully juicy texture, right?
B: That’s right. After baking the pie until it’s golden brown and the filling begins to bubble through the slits in the crust, your masterpiece is done, looking as if you spent hours in the kitchen, but actually it comes together very quickly.     
A:  For the prettiest presentation, top the pie with some more fresh blueberries. The buttery crust flakes in your mouth and all those juicy blueberries linger on your tongue. How satisfying. What are you waiting for? Head to the kitchen and prepare to surprise your loved ones with this special dessert. And now, good bye. Catch us next week on VOV24/7’s Food Delight.