I tried out the key lime pie recipe from Mark Bittman’s
How to Cook Everything. I was attempting to make pie for the first time, so the end product was a bit “rustic.” No question that the pie was definitely home made.

1. Graham Cracker Crumbs. First, I started making the graham cracker crust. The food processor quickly reduced the graham crackers to a bowl of crumbs. However, the food processor wasn’t suited for incorporating the butter into the graham cracker crumbs. Hand mixing with a spatula worked better.
2. Graham Cracker Crust. After the butter has moistened the crumbs, I had to form the crust in a pie pan. I used a pyrex pie pan instead of the traditional pie tin because that was all I had on hand. So, I had an easier time making the bottom of the crust. I used a measuring cup to compact the crumbs against the bottom of the pan and smooth out the crust. As for the sides, I had a more challenging time. Pressing the crumbs against the side was difficult because the crumbs moved out of the way.
3. Key Limes. I bought a sack of key limes so that I could get an authentic experience. These limes are small. Don’t even think of using an automatic juicer because you will not be able to hold onto the limes. I ended up cutting the limes in half and squeezing by hand to extract the juices. I needed 12 key limes to get 1/3 cup of lime juice. Next time, I’ll stick with the regular limes.
4. Sweetened Condensed Milk. I’m not sure if all cans of sweetened condensed milk are the same. I’ll have to look carefully the next time I am at the supermarket. Anyways, the pie tasted a bit too sweet to me. I’ll have to find a substitute next time to lighten the pie and make it less sweet.
5. Food Coloring. The key lime pie filling should not be lime green. So, if you see key lime pie with lime green filling, the pastel hue comes from food coloring.
6. Baking. Visually, the filling did not look set when I first checked on it. However, a quick prod with a toothpick reveal that the filling had set. Appearances can be deceiving. That’s the life of a novice pie maker.
7. Meringue. Easy to make with an electric mixer. Don’t attempt with a hand whisk. I tried to smooth out the meringue, but my efforts were less than artisanal.