Nielsen’s Diversity Day

Nielsen’s Annual Diversity Celebration was sponsored by its own New York Diversity Council. Nielsen’s Diversity Council began in 2006 and is dedicated to an inclusive and diverse work environment where individuals’ differences are understood, respected and valued.

The New York Diversity event was held to celebrate The Nielsen Company’s culture, heritage, and diversity through food, art, and music. The event was promoted to all Nielsen employees and encouraged the contribution of unique cultural dishes to represent each employee’s background.

The Multicultural buffet represented dishes from around the world. The dishes varied from Spanikopita to Seafood Gumbo to Mac & Cheese and were grouped by continent. Although I’m in no way Italian, I decided to make my Whole Wheat Penne a la Vodka with Asparagus. People seemed to enjoy it, as it was finished shortly after it was served.

To add to the festive theme, some of the attendees dressed in their native garments, which was quite entertaining. There were also contests where Nielsen Employees were eligible to win Knicks tickets, among other prizes. Overall, it was a great event that united many Nielsen Employees from Business Media, NetRatings, and Online.

Although my favorite part were the desserts, especially the Drop In Dessert and the Pecan Pie, you can find some pictures of the lovely spread below:

Fruit Salad

Coconut Shrimp with Chili Dipping Sauce

Plaintains & Arroz Con Pollo

Grilled Herb Chicken Skewer with Yogurt Dip

Greek Salad

Spanapikopita

Beef Satays

California Sushi Roll

Jessica Hartley’s Contribution Tag

Carrot Cake

Pecan Date Pie

Seeing as Thanksgiving is right around the corner, I thought I’d try out a new spin on the old favorite, Pecan Pie. But to my disappointment, my first Pecan Date Pie was quite a disappointment. As usual, I’d used a Cooking Light recipe and didn’t change a thing. I had an extremely difficult time making the crust, as it seems most other reviewers of this recipe had. But overall, I felt Cooking Light’s Pecan Date Pie was way too sugary. Granted I’d never tasted Pecan Date Pie, let alone Pecan Pie, but there’s no way that this is what it was supposed to taste like. My Dad told me that the morning after he’d tried a piece, he had had a diabetic attack because he was not used to eating that much sugar.

Although the Pie was mostly terrible, I felt the use of dates gave the pie a nice consistency and texture. Below is my recommendation on what a better Pecan Date Pie would taste like, though I have not tried it out myself. I increased the amount of Pecans, completely changed the crust to incorporate even more Pecans, and tried to use less sugar and whole eggs. I hope this proves to be a better tasting and more healthy recipe!

Yield

10 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)]

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1  cup  whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4  cup  pecans
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• 3 1/2  tablespoons  chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 2  tablespoons  maple syrup

Filling:

• 1/2 cup whole pitted dates, chopped
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (can also substitute for Splenda Brown Sugar)
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs and 3 egg whites

Preparation

1) Preheat oven to 325°.

2) To prepare crust, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour, pecans, and salt in a food processor; process until pecans are finely ground. Add butter; pulse 4 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal.

3) With processor on, slowly add 2 tablespoons syrup through food chute, processing just until combined (do not form a ball). Place dough on a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 4 or 5 times (dough will be sticky).

4) Keep dough whole if you plan on making a 9-inch pie. If you plan on making miniature 5-inch pies, then break dough into three pieces, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10-20 minutes. The dough become harder when refrigerated which makes it easier to mold.

5) Roll out one piece of dough between the plastic wrap into a circle large enough to cover the  pie pan by about 2 inches (whether it be a 5 or 9-inch pie pan). Then, plastic-wrap side up, place the rolled dough into the pie plate coated with cooking spray. Remove remaining plastic wrap. Press dough into bottom and up sides of pan. Fold edges under; flute. Then repeat with other two dough pieces.

6) To prepare filling, sprinkle dates and pecans evenly over bottom of crust. Combine corn syrup and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.

7) Pour mixture into prepared crust. Bake at 325° for 45-55 minutes or until a knife inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Please note that the amount of time the pies bake for will remain the same whether you are making a 5 or 9-inch pie.

Ingredients for Pecan Date Pie

Chopped Dates

Pre-Pecan Date Pie

Pecans, Dates, & Pie Crust oh my!

Raw Pecan Date Pies

Tah Dah!