Lemon Meringue Pie

Interview with Carrie Benjamin

Performance Photos


Lemon meringue pie is not something I would normally pick off of a dessert menu, especially if there are other chocolately options available. But I realized after tasting one made from scratch, that I’ve never experienced a good one! The lemon pies of my past, were store-bought, or frozen, with tasteless crust, neon yellow filling (glowing with artificial colorings) and spongy (as in used for house cleaning) meringue topping. I’m a changed woman. This recipe creates a dessert with a buttery flaky crust, smooth and tangy lemon custard and a light, airy meringue that is just wonderful.

Carrie Benjamin, who was the inspiration for this recipe, couldn’t attend the performance because she broke her arm snowboarding the day before. I hope I did her proud, and hope she is on the mend. I missed her today. She was one of my students from my Tufts Introduction to Web Design class, as were several other of our interviewees. The great thing about teaching is that I have the honor and priviledge of sharing time and energy with some amazing people. And the sucky thing about teaching is that after this incredibly intense exchange of ideas, knowledge, and creativity it abruptly ends after the last class--which is really hard. But I believe that we become a part of each other during these shared moments, and even if we don’t ever cross paths again, we have still been forever changed by the knowing.