“Dessert is not a meal,
it’s a moment.” 
Ahn Luu

It’s no secret to anyone who knows me well that I love desserts. Whether it be a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a hot fudge sundae, a serving of Crème Brûlée, or a slice of white cake with chocolate frosting and raspberry filling, a good dessert is the perfect ending to a delightful meal with family or friends. 

Chef Ahn Luu, in the quote above, makes a valid point. Dessert, in itself, is not a meal. It is, however, a moment if it’s done well. Not surprisingly, I have experienced bland ice cream and stale cake, usually items purchased at a local grocery store. More often than not, however, the desserts I’ve enjoyed have been delectable. These treats have either been purchased at quality bakeries or ice cream shops, or they have been homemade. For some reason, homemade desserts always seem to taste just a little bit better. I think it’s the touch of love that goes into them that makes the difference.

When asked to identify my favorite dessert item, I’m always at a loss to answer quickly. I have so many I like that it’s difficult to narrow it down to just one. When pressed to do so, my response is usually key lime pie.

The first time I recall having a slice of key lime pie was in Jamaica in 1971. It was incredibly tasty and tangy. Together with the graham cracker crust, it made for a perfect dessert following a traditional Jamaican dinner of curried goat, white rice, and plantain. I don’t think I will ever forget that first taste of the pie. It had a zing to it that I had not experienced previously in my lifetime. 

In the years since that meal, I have had good-quality key lime pie only a few times, most often when visiting the Bahamas. I enjoyed a slice for dessert when I stopped-in for lunch at Bahamian Cookin’, a local restaurant in downtown Nassau. All the food at Bahamian Cookin’ tasted homemade, including the amazing slice of key lime pie. It was quite a treat.

I received an email from my friend, Christine, in Nassau this past Friday morning. She mentioned that she was making pies for her family and friends. She attached some photos of the pies she was baking. I looked at the images and had an overwhelming desire to cut a slice from each pie and enjoy them all, but the 2,700+ miles that separate us made this totally impractical. 

Although I said in my blog post just two days ago that “I don’t have the desire to travel such distances” anymore, I am definitely eager to plan another visit to Nassau. For homemade pie, especially key lime pie, the desire is real and the distance is not an obstacle!