Pear Tarts and Food Network Star

Since before I could hold a saxophone, I was standing in front of my mom's gigantic video camera pretending to make chocolate chip cookies on TV. Thus, it was only natural I force my husband to stand in the kitchen with me for several hours while I wore a sundress and pretended to make Pear and Brie tarts for an audition video for Next Food Network Star, Season 8.

This all started because I've been talking about auditioning for the show for the last 3 years. Finally, I went online to look up audition requirements for the show at the prodding of my dear New Jersey friend Guido, also know as Danielle but she's a guido through and through. I discovered that in all actuality, auditions were going to be held in a conference room behind a hotel in Las Vegas that we were going to be staying at the very next week, on the very same day we were going to be there for my Grandma Dee's 80th birthday. Obviously I love my grandmother more than Food Network so I couldn't miss her party for the auditions, but how weird is that? The odds are like, 1 in 10 billion. Things like that don't just happen, so even though I couldn't audition that day, quite clearly Baby Jesus, or Buddha, or Joe Dimaggio or whoever delivers prophecies from the grand beyond was telling me that I had to audition for the show in some way, shape or form. So I did. I made a three minute movie about pear tarts, and why food is the end all and be all of all good things in this world. Butters made an appearance halfway through because he knows good things are coming when the oven is on. I had to tell them my "POV" or point of view, about food, and why I should have my own show. My POV is mainly that the world would be alot better place if the people who watched Food Network all the time actually cooked like they did, and that a good, healthy meal is only as hard as you make it. Clearly I should have my own show on Food Network because I make great pear tarts.

Crust:
Really you can use any simple pie crust recipe for this tart, or, you can roll out a store bought pie crust super thin.

Filling:
2 tbsp of butter, cut into cubes
1/8 cup of brown sugar
3 oz. of brie, rhind removed
1 slightly under-ripe pear

Glaze:
1 tbsp orange marmalade
1 egg

Roll out pie crust to about 1/8 of an inch, it can be any shape you desire, but if you give it corners, it will probably be crusty (not that there's anything wrong with crusty, just the best part of this tart is how gooey it is). Leaving two inches of crust around the edges, layer filling ingredients in this order: Butter, half the brown sugar, brie, pears, rest of the brown sugar. Fold the remaining crust over the edges of the filling, leaving the center exposed. Whisk together the egg and orange marmalade, brush liberally over the crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Let cool slightly, as it gives the butter, cheese, brown sugar and pears time to combine into a delightful goo. Cut into wedges, die of deliciousness. Repeat.