When I was a child, our family vacations always involved a lot of driving. We drove from Michigan to destinations like Maine, Florida, or Nevada. Us kids would sprawl out — as much as possible– in the roomy back seat of the family car and pass the time playing road games and reading. For some reason I can’t remember, I read Black Beauty –repeatedly–, but my sister, who was 7 years older and therefore more sophisticated, read books like Calico Palace, an historical romance set in the Gold Rush of California. Her rapture, punctuated by sighs, made me anxious for the days when I’d be old enough to read books about love instead of books about horses.
I eventually did get to read Calico Palace, and I have read it many times since. Both the love story and the history of California of the mid-1800s made an impression on me.
When I started baking pies regularly, I suddenly remembered an important plot point in Calico Palace that involves an apple pie technique taught to the heroine, Kendra, by the handsome stranger. I won’t give away the plot, but the apple pie tip was this:
“May I give you a hint?” asked Ted. He took up the box of raisins. “Soak a few raisins overnight in wine and add them to the pie filling.” (p25)
Calico Palace Pie is my version of apple pie with wine soaked golden raisins. It’s a good book and, according to the testers, a 5-star winning pie.