Best Dough Ever

Hello Bakers!
I know the pinnacle of baking season is at its close, but a friend asked me for my version of the *best* piecrust recipe. Since it seems like this is next to the quest for the fountain of youth, I decided to copy my reply email to share with you all. (And also as a one-stop resource for me in the future to remember which one I liked best for the specific pie.) These are just for the basic pie dough. There is one missing and that is the cream cheese crust that you might use for a savory pie, like my husband's favorite Turkey Apple Sausage pie. I can update you later for that one.

There are two(ok 3) piecrust recipies I heavily reccomend:

• #1: Alan's Pie Crust
   The best in my opinion is for a double crust and I love the flavor:

• 
  #2: Baked Shell
  This next one is great for "blind baking"- like when you make a single crust for a custard pie and the small amount of vegetable shortening really helps it hold up during the baking process. Just remember to follow all the directions in regards to freezing the piecrust before baking and placing parchment paper inside with beans or pieweights so it doesn't puff up. It sounds like a lot but its totally worth it.

• #3:Pate Brisee
  Lastly, there is always Julia Childs' and Martha Stewart's pâte brisée, which is a lot of butter and so good if you baby it- ie. cold water, cold butter, very little manipuilation. I used to do this one all the time until I discovered the #1 recipe from BHG where it uses sour cream and vinegar.

Sorry if I gave you too much! I know its a simple question, but it rings dear to my heart as I am always on the lookout for the BEST piecrust, too!

Also, I haven't read it yet, but this might be a great resource for all of our pie needs!

inspration comes from many places

with Golden Globe wins and worldwide facination and popularity over the movie Julie and Julia, many novice chefs like myself have gone to the source: Mastering the Art of French Cooking to find inspiration, guidance and maybe even a little bit of stardust to add to the daily hum drum of our lives...

as i have dreamt of having my own cooking show with my mom and i, it is fun to watch the Julia Child episodes for the originality and honesty of it all. the Food Network just whizzes by with perfect little ramekins filled with chives and fleur de sal and time lapsed footage where everything turns out perfect. i always thought that if i had a cooking show, it would be to make other cooks feel good about themselves. my soufflé fell! my chocolate creme pie didn't set! onions burned while braising! wait, what is 'braising'?! the viewer would learn what not to do, but also see what to do- eventually. (however long that might take me to get the correct version, who knows?)

after receiving a birthday of special gifts, i got to work: granite rolling pin- of which to make flaky Pâte Brisée
the much awaited and much pined for cast iron casserole pot to make Coq Au Vin

and a funky apron (by Funktion) to make me feel cute while cooking and making a mess...

(this is not me pictured)

so i end with: What inspires you?

Cooking shows? Magazines? Your husband's appetite? Competition of other women (friendly, of course)? French cuisine?  

p.s.> after re-reading this, i smiled to myself thinking how much the title sounds like my son's favorite movie Ratatouille and Gusteau's "Anyone Can Cook" motto. interesting that both Ratatouille and Julia/Julia evoke a sense of "anyone can cook"... guess we all want to be artists in our own way. :)