450396 Fri Oct 12 21:38:21 -0700 2007 3 2 Los Angeles Area 0 3030788 Interested in seeing if anyone has recommendations, either for take-home or served in restaurants. I've always been partial to Marie Callender's, but the holiday window in which they sell it has been shrinking. Does anyone make it on a regular basis, or is it only considered a Thanksgiving/Xmas thing? Fri Oct 12 21:38:21 -0700 2007 85884 maxzook 1 3044981 Just giving a push to my poor, lonely post, here ... Wed Oct 17 19:43:10 -0700 2007 3030788 85884 maxzook 1 3045086 What's the difference between mince pie and shepherd's pie? Wed Oct 17 20:28:44 -0700 2007 3030788 50350 SauceSupreme 2 3045179 Simple answer: mince pie is for dessert; shepherd's pie is a savory. Mince pie is (very) sweet, made with a piecrust and traditionally a lattice crust on top -- just like an apple or cherry pie. Traditional mincemeat is made with cooked meat (usually beef or venison) and suet that is chopped and mixed with fresh chopped apples, dried fruits, spices and a lot of sugar and/or molasses, and marinated for three to six months in rum, whisky, sherry or a combination. Over time the sugar and alcohol break up the proteins in the meat and fruits, yielding a sweet and heavy mixture the consistency of very thick lumpy oatmeal. My uncle would make mincemeat in the summer and keep a crock in the refrigerator, alternating spirits every few weeks, to have mincemeat for Christmas pies. I've heard of some people keeping mincemeat going for years by regularly adding more alcohol. I don't think I've ever had that kind of mincemeat in a commercial or restaurant pie -- it's simply too much trouble. Nowadays, what passes for mince pie (as opposed to mincemeat) is made with a flavored blend of the same kinds of fruits and spices but without the meat. Because it's vegetarian it doesn't require the long marination, in fact it seldom has much alcohol. You can buy mince pie filling at most large supermarkets around holiday time. Here's a traditional mincemeat pie recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/104437 And a modern vegetarian mince pie: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/2694 Shepherd's pie, or course, is a totally different thing -- ground beef or lamb with carrots and vegetables, baked with a mashed potato topping: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/107418 Wed Oct 17 21:00:39 -0700 2007 3045086 85884 maxzook