Each time I show up with pie at a party, the office, or a neighbor’s door, I am greeted with the same responses: “You made that? From scratch?!” People are always shocked and appreciative at the appearance of home-made pie, even before they sink a fork into it. And while I must admit that these reactions often gratify my pie-makers’ ego, the fact is that there is no secret.
Pie-making is not mysterious; it has just been forgotten.
Many of our grandmothers made pie as a natural part of the day. Pie was a constant at large gatherings, church potlucks, social events, city fairs, and dinner tables. Bringing apple pie to a new neighbor was such a common gesture of goodwill that it has become cliché today. Linda Stradley’s History of Pie is an excellent resource if you are interested in a more in-depth look at the way pie is woven into our history.
There are countless good reasons to take up the torch and become a pie-maker. Here are just a few:
- Pie invites you to be creative. Unlike many desserts, pie gives you a lot of leeway to experiment, and pies—particularly fruit pies—are hard to mess up. It is intensely gratifying to come up with something original.
- Pie can often be made with ingredients you already have. If you cook at all, chances are you have flour, sugar, salt, and shortening sitting around your kitchen. All you need is some type of fruit, and you’ve got pie makings. We all love to enjoy a day without a trip to the grocery store, don’t we?
- Pie makes you popular. This cannot be understated. Whether you are baking for your kids, your friends, your co-workers, or your neighbors, your personal worth skyrockets when bolstered by pie. It is a great introduction in a variety of social situations. People are always more eager to open the door for you when they catch a whiff of warm pie.
If these reasons have convinced you, I hope you will grab a pan and a pie plate and dedicate a little time each week to pie-making. If you are eager to start but need some guidance, or if you are a seasoned expert looking for new recipes, check back weekly. I promise it will make your life more delicious!
Pie is definitely the ultimate comfort food. A home-made pie is somehow more special than cookies, cakes, or steamed broccoli.
ReplyDeleteMy mom baked a pie every few days. The question was never if we would have pie; it was what kind we would have. It took me a long while to realize that not everyone had a constant supply of pie. I'm pretty sure I had dates only because of my mother's pie-making skill.
Unfortunately, she didn't really bring me on board. I think it was hard for her to give up her specialty while I learned. Our family (aka my dad) might have been cranky about eating sub-par pie indefinitely.
Now, I CAN bake pie, but I seldom do. Damn Weight-Watchers. Surely a pie now and then couldn't hurt.
As for crust, I sometimes have better luck with butter and milk instead of shortening and water simply because milk and butter are colder; therefore, the crust holds together a little bit better. Melanie is right. Give up your inner perfectionist, and just make pie.
I am the pie-equivalent of the Cookie Monster. Unlike Sesame Street, however, I refuse to abandon my passion for the sake of political correctness. I only like two kinds of pie: hot and cold.
ReplyDeleteYou've sold me. But those store bought crusts will have to do. Or are you a pie purist?
ReplyDeleteI am for people making pie in any way, shape, or form that is fun for them. I certainly like home-made crust better than store-bought, but making crust is time-consuming, and will cover your kitchen counters, appliances, and any nearby pets in several inches of flour. I don't scoff at store-bought crusts--I appreciate any level of pie-making effort. But don't ask me about store-bought filling...
ReplyDeletePie-making isn't a mystery? I certainly find it a mystery that this appetizing art has been forgotten. But I ask you, oh pleasant pie producer, has it been forgotten, or has it been excluded from a generation of fast and fantastically fattening food fetishees (multipicity of interpretation intended in the last bit)? So, is this history book you recommend monumental, antiquarian, or critical? Does pie tell the story of an American generation, or is it the story?
ReplyDeleteNice alliteration. I find pie both a useful link to a pre-fast-food era, and yummy.
ReplyDelete