I have a story:
On Julian's 1999 visit to the States, after his Faces of Homeopathy was published, I met him for dinner at a friend's house. I wished to contribute to the meal and asked what I could bring, our host suggested dessert. I asked if an apple pie was ok and he responded only if it was home baked. Knowing that Julian was on a restricted diet I asked what he would like he told me Gwenyth (Julian's wife) often made him a tart with a crust of raw almonds and dates, filled with fresh fruit and anything with sugar is completely off limits as is most baked goods.
As the dinner date loomed closer (by three weeks) I phoned a few friends I know who bake for a living, and asked if they would bake an apple pie for the dinner. They all said an apple pie was not worth the trouble for them make it there were so many shops in the area that made good ones, why didn't I just buy one. I had promised "homemade"
Well, what a dilemma....I have not ever baked in my life. So I spent the next three weekends learning how to bake an apple pie. I even made the crusts. I used my friends as guinea pigs, much to their delight. By the third weekend I was even fashioning leaves out of the left over dough and placed them all around the top of the pie for decoration.
Now what was I to make for Julian? I had e-mailed Gwenyth the night before the fateful dinner, to ask how to prepare the tart. She e-mailed the recipe to me, at which time I found out that the almonds needed to be soaked for 8-12 hours. Gwenyth also said that Julian didn't usually have dessert. "Don't worry. Julian won't mind if there's no dessert anyway."
Uh-oh
So I brought a beautiful selection of organic fruits to dinner for Julian.
After dinner I brought out the apple pie, and told everyone the story of how I became the apple pie maven literally in one month of weekends. They all had a good laugh, especially when our host said he wasn't serious about it needing to be homemade, & he didn't really expect a homemade apple pie. Anyway ….. Julian looked at the pie, looked at the plate of berries and nuts, then proceeded to slice a serving of apple pie for himself, saying he couldn't resist as long as I left the fruit with them for breakfast, and not to mention it to Gwenyth.
Julian said it was the best pie crust he had ever had. I'm sure he was being his gracious self...but it was nice that my first experience in baking an apple pie was enjoyed by sweet Winnie !
I also gave him a copy of Dictionary of Domestic Medicine by John H. Clarke M.D. a 1901 edition that I had found in an antique bookstore. He said it was a book he did not have in his library.
Best,
Lynn
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