Love: Irrational Numbers... (π) & Einstein

Happy Pi Day and a very happy birthday (posthumously) to Albert Einstein. It is kinda cool that he was born on sort of a significantly mathematical day... Even if he always said he was bad at math like most Physicists (chuckle haa haa). Of course by bad they mean amazingly beyond most of us. I will be shameless at this moment and tell you that Walter Issacson's biography Albert Einstein is incredible... Read it. Then read it again. Because you'll want to. Great biographer Issacson... His bio of Steve Jobs is equally superb. I am incredibly inspired by biographies and have quite a collection as well as a future reading list... hmmm... maybe we can share that soon!

Albert Einstein born March, 14, 1874

"There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle,

or as if everything is a miracle." -- Albert Einstein

For a little background on Pi Day... it is celebrated on March 14th (3.14) around the world. Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159.

Pi has been calculated to over one trillion digits beyond its decimal point. As an irrational and transcendental number, it will continue infinitely without repetition or pattern. While only a handful of digits are needed for typical calculations, Pi’s infinite nature makes it a fun challenge to memorize, and to computationally calculate more and more digits.
(from the official Pi Day website... www.piday.org)

{I ate some pie... hee hee hee hee hee!!}

If you really want to make a day of it, make a Pi(e) and enter it into this contest on the web!
http://www.instructables.com/contest/piecontest/

If you're like me... there was a time in your life when math, numbers the thought of it all scared the daylights out of you. Just give me a great book to memorize and leave me alone... However, I'm the kind of gal that a number can't back into a corner that easily. In fact, all it took was going into my high school Algebra class and having my teacher turn me away. Yes. That was the moment. I came in after school to ask for help. He told me quite plainly...

"Rebekah, you don't need to be good at math. When will you need it?

Don't worry about it and just get your other work done." -- Mr. You Know Who

My retort 21 years later... "Great spirits have always encountered
violent opposition from mediocre minds." -- Albert Einstein

Well Mister... Apparently I didn't need you. Because in the end, I needed ME when I got a 4.0 in my Physics class...Descriptive Geometry for Engineers and Structures in Architecture school ya big wanker!! Should have sent him my grades huh? Well, I made sure I was damn good at math after that lame ass. I was also told that I couldn't take drafting in high school because it was for BOYS. No, I'm not kidding. And no I didn't go to school in 1950. I graduated in 1991. I just went to a lame back woods school that tried to hold me back. Well, needless to say it didn't work! It's been a while since I've played with all those lovely numbers... I miss it. I fear I'd start from scratch again since I have a bit of a memory disability (we can discuss that later... it makes me sad).

Anywhoooo... I promise myself I won't let my son be afraid of those numbers and he can go as far as he wants. Who knows... a new proof? a theory? time travel explained? A mother can be so proud in her head! Have fun today and by the way, Xan and I are making apple hand pies and reading the Theory of Relativity! Our recipe is below... But if you aren't up for making an apple pi, how 'bout a pizza pi? or whoopie pi? spinach pi? quiche pi? shepard's pi? or just buy a frozen pi(e) and hang out on the pi website with your kiddos and teach them a little about circles. Then hop over to a few pages about Einstein and read his quotes at least... just brilliant.

Apple Hand Pies
Crusts
1 cup white flour + some for dusting
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. margarine - cold
4 Tbsp. water (more for higher altitudes)

Filling
2 medium apples, peeled and cut small
1-2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
a pinch nutmeg

Mix together the flours, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add in margarine and incorporate. I stirred a bit and then gave in and just used my fingers until the mixture was a uniform crumbly texture. Add the water and stir/mix with fingers until combined. Once your dough is formed, shape it into a ball and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes in a sealed container (or plastic wrap). If you're a nerd and you want to know why you let the dough rest in the fridge... it is because the fats get a chance to obtain a bit of moisture when they get cold and bond with the dry stuff... When you bake it the bits of water get released slowly and make a flaky crust! All hail Alton Brown!

Time for apples... peel them and slice them very thin. Toss with the lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and set aside. I like my apples cut very small so there's more "apple goo", but it depends on what you like.

When the dough is sufficiently cold, plop the ball out and cut into equal eighths, like a pizza (but smaller of course). Flour your surface and roll one of the eights into a circle (doesn't have to be perfect). Make sure the dough isn't too thin or it will break when you put the filling in. Once rolled out, add a 2 or so tablespoons of filling in the middle (whatever will fit, start with less so it doesn't get messy), fold over, press the sides together and then roll them over once more and press with a fork to seal. Repeat with the other seven eighths.

When finished, take a knife and cut some small slits in the top... a Pi (π) perhaps?? This will allow the steam and goo to come out and look delicious.

You can put these in the freezer if you'd like a quick apple treats whenever you wanted. If frozen or fresh, preheat the oven to 375F or (190C) and bake for roughly 15 min fresh or 20 minutes frozen. Keep an eye on them since everyone's oven is a bit different! When they're browned and goo is dripping out of them, they're ready.