Pie Heaven

Last night, I made the best pumpkin pie ever.

It was a bit premature, I know, since Thanksgiving isn't till Thursday, and turkey day, such as it is, is not until Friday. My husband's family always eats lasagna on Thanksgiving, and while they have turkey too, it's not the same carby, over-the-top, gorge-yourself-on-
stuffing-and-mashed-potatoes-and-corn-and-
cranberries-shaped-like-the-can-they-came-in (then top it all off with pie) meal I grew up with. So I figured this year I'd make my own turkey dinner with all the trimmings, including pie, on Friday. But I ended up making the pie early.

The thing is, I wasn't sure I'd be able to make a decent pie that I could eat. I've always made pumpkin pie with evaporated milk, but I haven't seen a soy version of that, so I had to go looking for a pie recipe that was naturally dairy free.

I found one on a vegan Web site. It needs few ingredients -- just canned pumpkin, sugar, spices and tofu (yes, tofu) -- and requires very little work, so I figured if it turned out tasting like crap, at least I wouldn't feel as if I'd wasted my time. I was skeptical about the tofu though. I've eaten it before, but I had never cooked with it before, and I quickly learned that it smells a bit like something you might use in elementary school art class. Then again, raw meat smells pretty bad too, so I gave the tofu the benefit of the doubt and mixed it on in.

And the pie was amazing. Really amazing. The only difference between it and regular pumpkin pie is that it's not quite as firm (but I think if I used firmer tofu, it would be). Even my husband, who doesn't like pumpkin, told me it was "delicious."

I had been a little bummed on Saturday when I passed the lady fingers at Trader Joe's, knowing there's probably no way I can make those without dairy products, but this pie recipe gives me hope that I can still eat well in a world without dairy.