Food Network Canada’s Recipe to Riches Recap
Mijune of Follow Me Foodie Follow Up!
*Spoiler Alert*
It was the debut of Food Network Canada’s new show Recipe to Riches last night. It kicked off the series with the Sweet Puddings and Pies category, which was also my episode. Unfortunately, my experience was short lived and I was the first of the three finalists to be eliminated. I know! I’m sorry! Nonetheless, I was honored to be there!
But you know what? The glass is always half full, and I actually took this photo after I got eliminated… and no, that glass wasn’t filled with tears. However I found it super ironic that my water was served in a mason jar… just like my pie! But yes, I went to have a delicious lunch afterward which included a pulled pork sandwich and a mushroom and goat cheese wrap! I’m still Mijune of Follow Me Foodie after all ;).
I had some fierce competition (I make it sound like an episode of America’s Next Top Model), but when it comes down to it, my fellow finalists had the better recipe. Glo (our category winner pictured above) and Brad are now friends of mine and I’m rooting for Glo to represent our category in the finale. There are still another 6 episodes which I’m excited about and another 19 contestants to cheer on!
So chin up! I’m probably talking to myself when I say that, because if you were bummed, think about how I felt after lol. Yes, I can laugh it off now because it was so long ago. But when one door closes, another one opens! When you fall off the horse, you get right back on! When your recipe doesn’t work, you change it! (Below, I’ve included the new and improved recipe for my Canadian Pie In-A-Jar)
Upcoming Follow Me Foodie News!
Anyways there’s other exciting things happening with Follow Me Foodie! Like what? Well here’s a teaser! This Sunday I’m launching Follow Me Foodie in Jamaica, and November I’m going on a Van Houtte Coffee Getaway in Montreal, which has now turned into a Follow Me Foodie in Montreal and Quebec City! So from Jerk chicken, to authentic poutine and coffee and cupcake pairings… say “YEAH mon” or “bonjour” to lots of delicious things ahead!
A BIG Follow Me Foodie Thank You!
You know what they say? The show must go on! I couldn’t do any of this without your loyal support for me and this blog. I thank you so SWEETLY for the kind words, calls, texts, tweets, comments, e-mails, incredible encouragement and continuous support you gave before and after the show. I don’t feel sad, because YOU make me feel so lucky!
It’s not over until the fat lady sings… and luckily I can’t sing 😉
xoxo Mijune of Follow Me Foodie
PS: The reason for this Follow Me Foodie surprise apology video (see here) from March, was honestly made because I was away in Toronto filming Recipe to Riches. I really didn’t think I’d make it back in time to co-host Vancouver’s 1st Foodie Feast, but since I got eliminated early, I made it home just before the party started!
My NEW & IMPROVED Canadian Pie In-A-Jar Recipe
Recipe serves 8.
Fills 8 mason jars.
Ingredients:
Crust
- 1 ½ cup flour
- 4 ounce marzipan
- 3 tbsp slivered toasted almonds
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter (cold, in cubes)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 5 ½ tbsp ice water
- Extra butter for greasing jars
Filling
- 3 Bartlett pears
- 2 Asian pears
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- ½ tbsp Agave
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 seeds of a Mexican vanilla bean
- ½ tsp Mexican vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
Custard
- 2 ½ cups whipping cream
- 2 ½ tbsp Maple syrup
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 5 large egg yolks
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp organic sugar cane sugar
- 3-4 Gold flakes for décor (optional)
Directions:
Crust
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Blend flour, marzipan, salt and toasted almonds until coarse crumbles.
3. Mix vanilla and egg yolk. Blend into flour mixture.
4. Add cubed cold butter until mixture is coarsely crumbled.
5. Mix ice water gradually until ball forms.
6. Gather into ball and chill for 2 hours.
7. Grease bottom of mason jars.
8. Press dough firmly into bottom of jar and pierce with fork to allow steam to escape.
9. Bake in oven for 40 minutes until golden brown all around.
Filling
1. Melt butter, water, and cornstarch until combined on medium heat.
2. Add agave, salt, vanilla bean and cardamom and stir to infuse flavours.
3. Peel, core and cut pears.
4. Add pears to mixture and cook until fork tender on medium heat.
5. Layer pears on top of pie crust.
Custard
1. Heat cream on medium high heat with Maple syrup and cinnamon until almost to boil. Remove from heat.
2. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in separate bowl until thick and creamy.
3. Gradually whisk in hot cream to egg mixture.
4. Return to stove and cook while stirring until custard thickens to coat spoon (3 minutes).
5. Pour custard over pears.
Baking
1. Place jars in a water bath.
2. Bake in oven at 350°F for 40 minutes until centre is set and jiggly.
3. Chill for 2 hours until custard sets.
4. Sprinkle top with even layer of organic raw sugar.
5. Using a kitchen torch melt sugar until golden brown and crisp.
6. Optional: Top with 3-4 gold flakes.
7. Serve at room temperature.
Mijune, you were so awesome on TV….we were so sure that you’d be staying on….
so happy for your experience and the new opportunities
I watched the show and I was cheering you on! I hope that you took away some valuable tv experience for your next tv venture!
as i tweeted last night, you forgot to mention that you were top 3 out of CANADA and that’s HUGE!!! HUGE!!!!!!!! you had the most innovative idea and i’m sure ppl watching the show last night are totally going to use your idea, if not already 🙂 you did amazing and i love how they kept zooming in on your shoes! i hope this opportunity opens up more doors for you because you truly deserve it! i can’t wait for your jamaica and montreal posts.. for the time being, congrats again mijune! 🙂
ps – did you cut out some of the sugar from your original recipe? and WOW, definitely a lot of great quality ingredients there – talk about canadian GOLD MEDAL pie in a jar 🙂
@Mademoiselle Macaron – aww thank you!!! Yeah it was unfortunate… but I’ll just try harder next time! I’m better prepared now 🙂
@Laura – Laura!! so kind!! you have so much faith in me!! I’ll try and make you proud!!
@Linda – Linda!! I saw ALL your tweets!! Thank you so very much for your comments and tweets and encouraging people to watch lol! too cute!! I did take out some of the sugar! But feel free to adjust according to your tastes! Yeah it was definitely the most ingredients out of the bunch lol!
Awww I just found out from Miss 604 that you’d be on the show!!! I’m sad I missed it but I’m going to try to find the episode now so I can watch.
Congrats for getting on the show and your recipe look and sounds delicious. Congrats again!!!!!
Joony I was rooting for you all the way!!! I kept pointing you out on TV for Nevaeh.
Mijune, I enjoyed watching you last night and was really hoping you would win but like they say ‘one man’s loss is another’s win’:) I can’t omit the fact that you were probably the first person on tv cooking in an industrial kitchen with stiletto heels!!lol I hope this experience has gained you many more to come!
I am so sooooooooooooooooooooo proud of you!!!!!!! This was such a huge opportunity and amazing accomplishment. I couldn’t be more happy for you.
I caught the episode while flying back from Toronto last night, and you were great. Congratulations on being one of the final three, and enjoy your travels!
Mijune!!!! Ahhhh so proud and happy for you!! I now know a celebrity… you!
The photo of you and Glo is adorable ! I did not like the Grandma Glo name though- should be Lemon GLo desert, Glorious Lemon souffle or something – pudding sounds stodgy and Grandma- well . Country kitchen or even old fashioned says the same thing but better . I have a foodie friend in Montreal who says the food is the best there. The show has opened doors for you- and looks like you are seizing the day – you are going places !
I pvr’ed this and have shown it to my mom and Bruno (my husband)….. I agree that you should definitely give it another shot. I can’t believe that they expected you to be able to replicate your recipe in a commercial kitchen setting without having a chance to do a preparatory run through. Cooking and baking in large quantities is a lot different than cooking in a home kitchen. The tools are completely different (ovens get way hotter, utensils are different proportions, etc….)…. plus timing varies so much when baking in large quantities. You did great under extreme pressure.
How many days are you spending in Jamaica & then in Montreal/Quebec City?
@VancityAllie – aww thanks sweetie!! I think Global is playing it Saturday night… and Food Network reruns until sunday! Still a good show despite my loss lol xo
@BonGateau – lol that is sooo cute!!! Aww she’s probably like huh? who? where are the cookies?! awww xoxo
@vivan – thank you for reading/rooting/supporting and EVERYTHING! Hope the heels made you proud beauty queen! 🙂
@gahz – can you come home and tell me?!! lol I miss you bum bum!! home and I are calling ur name!! 1 day? 😉
@Eagranie – aw wow!! thanks so much! I thought you lived in Vancouver? Thanks for watching!!
@kevin – awwww you are TOO cute!! I was hoping to represent us bloggers lol… next time k? 😉
@Patti – lol I don’t know if Glo even likes the name! Aw I adore her though. Happy for her. Thank you so much for all your kind word and encouragement! you’ve been so great!
@Jayda – aww thanks Jayda!! So kind! lol yeah it was stressful! They also gave me a new jar so it was hard for me to meet the 200 count since it was bigger…. but regardless, Glo’s recipe worked like a charm X200! She’s pro!
I guess I’ll just have to start practicing by making all my recipes for 200 now! lol!
@WS – I’m back from Jamaica. Not sure about Montreal and Quebec yet, but it’ll be fun!
Mijune – my family and I tuned and rooted for you – we were sad to see you go first but very proud of you- you handled the whole experiecne well and I am sure you learned so much by working your recipe in that commercial kitchen! We are still here to follow your adventures!
Mijune – you were amazing on the show! Excellent job! All those comments about your pie presentation…huge potential! Our family truly believes that this is an amazing beginning of your BIG adventure! Good luck!
@Leeann – awww! That means a lot to me! Thank you and your family for rooting for me! I wish I could have done better, but I certainly learned from the experience! I’m ready for the next thing! 🙂 Thank you Leeann for being so supportive and loyal!
@Victoria – Victoria!!! Thank you so much!!! Olga told me you were all watching at home and that just made my heart melt. I’m so lucky to have such amazing support and good friends! Thank you for having faith in me 🙂 xo
Mijune I love the photo and remember that evening so well……by the end of that I felt we were the same age … me down not you up!…..and will try your revised recipe. I always add a few drops of pure almond extract when I use marzipan to intensify the flavour…but that’s a personal preference…. anyway I was so upset when you left. I knew someone had to go but I didn’t want it to be one of us! Our time locked up together made us bond very quickly and I will always feel close to you after all the emotions we went through together. Nobody who hasn’t been through an intense experience like that can understand how close it brings people. Anyway you got back for your show, which was so important for you. And you look so adorable on the screen.
When it comes to voting, a appreciate your ongoing support! Huge hugs!
@Glo – You have my support!! I think Canada feel in love with you… actually I KNOW they did! You handled that industrial kitchen well. Good idea on adding the almond extract! I’ll try that! I really hope we cross paths one day… sooner than later.. sooner if $250 000 comes your way 😉 You said the money would mean “extended life”… I’ll see you when I’m 80! 😉
I just watched the showed and I thought I had recognized someone because I’ve been reading your blog for couple of a years now! I had enter the same category as you with my idea of pancake batter pie crust with ying & yang dark and white chocolate filling but didn’t make it. Good luck and have fun on your next amazing venture!
@DougGGW – oh wow! You’ve been reading since i started blogging?! Thank you!! Your recipe sounds unique! Thanks for the support!
So the finale of Recipe to Riches aired Wednesday night, & Glo McNeill wins which includes a $250,000 cheque.
@WS – yup!
Hi! To make your Canadian Pie, what size mason jar do I use? Thanks!
@d brumleve – hi! Good question! I forgot to write that! It’s the Bernardin Jar, 250 mL 🙂
i would like to print this can you help me joan
@Joan – print the recipe in a publication or just for your personal use? For personal use you can just copy and paste it in a word document and print it. For public use please e-mail me at mpak (@) followmefoodie.com Thank you!