Pot Pie from the Heart

And a farewell, for now

Issue 72: From Dana and Sara Kate

We jumped on the newsletter bandwagon 72 issues ago, when we were cooking up a storm while working on our cookbook and teaching classes online. Since the focus of our work has always been on children, we wanted a way to share with parents our approach to teaching them how to cook, and hopefully inspire them to cook together as a family.

We shared the stories behind the dishes we teach, many of which stretched back to our own childhoods and our own experiences of learning how to cook. It wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns: we wrote about the challenges of parenting, getting dinner on the table and feeding ourselves in alone time. And we did it by sharing the recipes that are closest to our hearts.

What we didn’t write much about was the journey of The Dynamite Shop, which over the course of five years has gone from a bustling brick and mortar after school program to a joyful online cooking school that wound down when Zoom fatigue set in, to an editorial brand that’s all about teaching kids to cook. A lot of work goes into recipe newsletters, from the shopping, testing and editing of recipes, to the narratives we wrap around them. As food media pros, it’s our comfort zone and we’ve enjoyed it so much—but we’ve decided to pause for now so we can focus our energies on projects that can help usher The Dynamite Shop into its next phase. 

Despite all the pandemic pivots, our mission has always remained the same: to inspire young people to cook from the heart, and to teach them all the skills they need to do that confidently and creatively. As we write this final newsletter, our book-famous pot pie cools on Dana’s counter: she made it for a friend who’s going into surgery and has a heck of a recovery ahead of them. As she wrote a little note to stick on the top, and it got her thinking about all the beautiful messages and designs our students would write on the boxed meals we used to make for the assisted living facility around the corner from The Dynamite Shop. 

When we delivered these meals, there was often an uncomfortable hesitation the first time a child interacted with the elderly residents, especially those who don’t speak English. But they always mustered the courage to hand them their meal and then found ways to connect, and it was always rewarded with big smiles and gratitude, sometimes hand claps and hugs and invitations to take a tour of the amazing garden they tend in the backyard (which the children loved). The kids were happy to return with more food and the residents looked forward to receiving it and spending time with them.

It’s been such a gift to witness what happens when kids learn that food isn’t just fuel and recipes aren’t a sport played on competition cooking shows. We’re so grateful for everyone’s support these last few years, and specifically, to you, paid subscribers (Substack will stop your monthly billing here on out, btw) for supporting this newsletter.  We hope it has given you some tools—in the shape of our beloved recipes—for bringing all the gifts of cooking into your home. Wishing everyone a happy, healthy New Year.

Family-Style Pot Pie with Lattice Crust
Serves 6

5 tablespoons salted butter 
2 medium yellow onions, diced (about 2 cups)
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
2 ribs celery, chopped (about 1 cup) 
2 tablespoons minced garlic 
1 to 2 Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
8 ounces white button or cremini mushrooms, sliced (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour substitute, such as Bob’s Red Mill 1:1) 
3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 cups chopped, cooked white or dark meat chicken (For a vegetarian version, substitute with the same amount of peeled and chopped vegetables, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips and/or mushrooms)
1 cup frozen peas 
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley leaves
1 sheet (10” x 15”) frozen puff pastry, thawed 

Heat the oven to 400ºF. 

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, mushrooms (or parsnips, if using) and thyme and cook, stirring often, until all the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the flour and stir until fully combined with the vegetables. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the flour is golden brown. Add the broth, stirring constantly, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the filling thickens, about 3 to 4 minutes. 

Season the filling with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the chicken (if using), peas, and parsley; stir to combine. Transfer the filling to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes. 

On a lightly floured work surface, slice the puff pastry lengthwise into 1-inch strips. Weave a tight lattice pattern on top of the baking dish, pressing the ends of the pastry into the edges of the pan. (For the shorter strips, snip off the ends and then press the ends together to make another strip.) Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.