Experiment with recipes and make notes on the results. Even a failed pie has merit.
May 26, 2010 - PIE IN
THE NEWS
The Pennsylvania Senate just passed a bill making it
legal for non-profit organizations to sell pies made
in kitchens that haven't been inspected, thus making
it easier for the general public to acquire pie AND
support a cause at bake sale fundraisers. Pies
(such as faux-pie cheesecake) made with dairy will
still be subject to the kitchen-inspection
regulations. So if you're at a bake sale in
Pennsylvania and want to buy some homemade
cheesecake, you'll still need to know the secret
handshake to get into the black-market basement.
Go Pie!
April 29, 2010 -
TRAITOROUS
Despite my general feelings on
cake, I have consumed more than a slice or 2 of
red velvet in my lifetime. After all, one
should not take a stance without conducting some
"opposition research". And this week I
succumbed to cake's sugary siren song. It
started innocently enough with a batch of delightful
strawberry/chocolate cake balls for my son's
birthday. But of course, cake balls are the
gateway sweet. First it's a tiny little cake
ball, then it's sharing a slice of cake after
dinner, which leads to a cupcake free-for-all at the
office. Next thing you know, you're freebasing
gooey batter. Time for a cake detox.
Perhaps I should try the Piet (tm
makemesomepie.) Time to
Go Pie!
March 14, 2010 -
BE WELL-ROUNDED
Today is 3.14. Pi Day. Although Pi and
Pie are not the same thing, they're close enough
(They sound the same... There's only 1 letter
difference... You can use Pi to figure out the size
of pie...) that everyone should celebrate today with
pie. (But really, any flimsy excuse to
Go Pie! will do.)
February 13, 2010 -
HEAVENLY PIE
I had the pleasure of feasting on a massive slice
(or 2...) of apple pie at the Must Be Heaven
franchise in downtown Bryan, Texas. As much as
I wanted to add a scoop of ice cream on top, it was
way too cold outside to even think of ice cream
without shivering. So instead I paired it with
a steaming mug of creamy hot chocolate.
Normally I'd say hot chocolate and apple pie are not
a natural combination, but when they're both as warm
and sweet and delicious as these were, 2 positives
can't equal anything but another positive. But
how good was the pie?
Go Pie!
November 15, 2009 -
SMART VERMIN
My son and I went on a Cub Scout camping trip this
weekend. Gorgeous weekend with perfect
weather, tasty s'mores, and the traditional Cub
Scouts' Dutch Oven Cobbler.
But in the morning we learned one of the campsites
had been raided by raccoons during the night.
They opened the cooler and ate the ready-made pie
crusts. And nothing else. Just the pie
crusts. Those are some smart and discerning
raccoons. So, to the raccoons at Mineral Wells
Sate Park - Way to
Go Pie!
October 22, 2009 - THE PASSING OF A
LEGEND
Soupy Sales, who took THOUSANDS
of pies in the face during his entertainment career, passed away
today at Calvary Hospice in the Bronx, NY. He was 83 years
old. Farewell, Soupy. Thanks for the laughs.
October 1, 2009 -
AUTUMN IN NEW ENGLAND
New England in the fall is one of the world's great majesties.
The crisp air, the beautiful leaves, the fuzzy sweaters...
I had the great pleasure of vacationing in Boston recently,
which serendipitously coincided with the Boston
Ähts Festival. While browsing
the wicked awesome ähts, I happened
upon The Hairy
Potter. He makes beautiful pie pans. And as a
former chef he makes them with the understanding that they can't
just be beautiful, they also have to be functional. And
sometimes huge.
In addition to basking in the joy that is Boston, I also had the
opportunity to pick fresh apples in an orchard in Rhode Island.
And of course the best use of the fresh apple medley is apple
pie! Which makes the perfect
Pie of the Month for October.
September 10, 2009 - WE WENT PIE
The 2009 Pie Off was a great success. The competition was
fierce in this Pie vs. Pie Battle Royale. There were an
overwhelming number of fantastic, delectable entries, and the
judges definitely had their work cut out for them. But
somehow they narrowed it down, and the
top winners were...
Go Pie!
September 7, 2009 - SET THE DVR
Food Network's Challenge will air its Best Episode Ever - the
Pie Challenge - Monday September 14. According
the
website, "Challenge follows four professional bakers as they go to Celebration, Florida, to compete in the National Pie Championships. Over 120 pies will be created, vetted and judged, but only one pie will be worthy of being named
'Best In Show.' The grand prizewinner earns $5,000."
Go Pie!
August 4, 2009 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. PRESIDENT
On this anniversary of our President's birth, there may be some radicals who question the facts of said birth, but there is no doubt of Mr. Obama's status as a pie fan. Indeed, the President and the First Lady have both publicly declared their status as pie aficionados - on the record, in print, in their official capacity (and in long-form, I'm sure). So, in honor of the 50th anniversary of Hawaii (the State in which President Obama was born) joining the Union, the August Pie of the Month is Pineapple Pie.
July 10, 2009 - AN OPEN LETTER TO ESQUIRE MAGAZINE
Dear Editors,
Through the past week on the campaign trail, Barack Obama has
been focusing on the message that really matters - his opinion
on pie
(or O-pie-nion, if you will) . Sweet potato pie, in
particular. Even going so far as challenging audiences
across the Northeast to sweet potato pie contest against his
mother-in-law. With Obama acting as judge, of course.
But Obama's love of pie does not discriminate. As he
showed in Ohio, he's also a fan of cream pie. As he
explained to reporters, "I'll take a cream pie,
I don't mind. I like all kinds of pie." If that doesn't
earn him the right to my vote, nothing would. Mr. Obama,
way to
Go Pie!
August 10, 2008 - PIE OFF!
Your August 2009 cover, boldly announcing "The Sexiest Pie Maker
Alive", made me positively giddy. But how could I not know
Esquire was featuring me, the Pie Maven? Then I
opened the magazine to discover you were referring to
Mary-Louise Parker. Nonsense. I mean, sure she's
sexy. And talented. And an engaging writer.
But to bestow a Pie title upon her? I take umbrage at
that.
Then again, I have long promoted the idea that anyone
can make a pie, despite what self-important celebrity chefs say
(I’m looking at you, Rachel Ray). And perhaps she
developed her pie skills by reading the Pie Maven. So
maybe you didn't get it all wrong.
Also, kudos for capitalizing on the irresistible lure of Pie to
boost circulation in these hard economic times. Way to
Go Pie!
Sincerely,
The Pie Maven
May 27, 2009 - EVERYBODY'S ALL-AMERICAN
Commenting on President Obama's Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, Slate's John Dickerson really cut to the heart of
what really matters in his commentary Checking the Boxes:
"As a bonus, Sotomayor is even credited with saving baseball.
No word yet on her stance on apple pie." I now dream
of the day when the nominee is grilled extensively during the
confirmation hearings about her pie values. Perhaps, if
we're really lucky, a lengthy pie memorandum will be issued.
Go Pie!
May 25, 2009 - BAKING IN THE AGE OF CONVENIENCE
I just discovered Cool Whip powdered mix. Just add milk. (Is
this new, or do I just live in a backward hole-in-the-wall that
takes forever to get new products?) Haven't tried it yet, but
if it's as good in reality as it is in my imagination, this is a
boon to pie. When the urge for
cream pie strikes, just whip up a batch - no need to make a
run to the store, no pressure to hurry and make a pie before the
whipped cream goes bad. Powdered staples last for eons, just
hanging out, waiting patiently to be put to use. Of course, it
doesn't solve the problem of realizing halfway through pie
preparations that the milk is expired...
Go Pie!
May 10, 2009 - THE GIFT OF PIE
Being a Pie Maven, I’ve gotten used to providing pies for
others. My mom in particular often has pie requests.
So imagine my surprise this weekend when Mom actually made a
pie. And shared it with me! I think this may be the
first time in pie history that someone made me a pie. And
it was good. Super sweet super gooey peanut butter
chocolate pudding pie. Happy Mother's Day!
Go Pie!
May 2, 2009 - PEACH PIE FAIL
Some see a cold, rainy day. I see a perfect pie-baking day.
Since it’s spring and there were some frozen peaches on hand, it
was time for the first peach pie of the year (I’d normally wait
a little longer for fresh, ripe peaches, but my peach craving
got the better of me).
Didn’t have enough flour for a whole crust, so I just made a
bottom crust. But in my converting from a 2-crust recipe to a
1-crust recipe, I gaffed on the measurements. Managed to eke out
a functional crust, but the result was less than stellar.
Decided on an oat topping to replace the top crust. But the
recipe calls for brown sugar and I only had white. Again, the
result was functional but less than stellar.
The final gaffe - I only had half the amount of peaches needed
to fill the pie.
The result? Crunchy chewy bottom crust topped with a spattering
of peaches and a simplistically sweet topping. But despite
that, it was surprisingly delicious.
Go Pie!
April 24, 2009 - GAME ON!
The Great American Pie Festival and National Pie Championships
begin today! If you're in the Kissimmee, FL, area, make sure to stop by and
enjoy the entertainment, demonstrations, and never-ending pie
buffet (wear your stretchy pants!) Best of luck to
all the contestants!
Go Pie!
April 17, 2009 - PIE IN THE NEWS
If you spent days on end in a small
lifeboat held at gunpoint by brutal pirates knowing you were
likely to be brutally murdered at any second and were likely to
never see home again, what would you do when you finally did get
home to your family and loved ones? According to a CNN
report, Captain Richard Phillips was welcomed home with chicken
pot pie. Yes, of all the delicacies to celebrate his
homecoming, the wondrous pie was given the honor.
Go Pie!
March 19, 2009 - PIE IN THE NEWS
In the new O Magazine, Oprah interviews First
Lady Michelle Obama. Michelle's praise for pie is important
enough to be the cover blurb, enticing readers to buy the
magazine to learn about White House pie. (According to Michelle
Obama, "The pie in the White House is dangerously good.") Yet
another reason the office of President of the United States is the most
prestigious title in the world.
Go Pie!
March 17, 2009 - BRING IT
The National Pie Council has issued the Pie Times for March
2009, and has posted new rules for the 2009 APC CRISCO NATIONAL
PIE CHAMPIONSHIPS. The deadline for entry and recipe submissions
is April 9.
Go Pie!
George Washington made cherries popular
(with the not-lying-about-chopping-down-the-cherry-tree tale),
so it is traditional to honor him by baking a cherry pie on his
birthday. Who are we to defy tradition?
Cherry Pie
1 Basic 9” Double Crust (unbaked)
6 cups pitted cherries (about 2 pounds)
2/3 cups sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Stir together the sugar and cornstarch until evenly mixed.
Add the cherries and almond extract, and mix together until
cherries are evenly coated.
Pour the filling into the pie shell. Cover with top crust and
cut several steam vents.
Bake for 25 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and
bake 30 minutes more, or until the crust is golden brown.
Go Pie!
February 2, 2009 - PIE PORN
Olivia Munn (of G4TV's Attack of the Show) makes her love of pie
well-known. In response to National Pie Day, she promised
to jump into a huge pie if she got 10,000 signatures on her
petition to make the last week of January National Pie Week.
I am proud to report she did indeed get the signatures, and she
did indeed jump into a 3,000-pound pie (a vat of pudding,
actually, but close enough). Wearing a French Maid
costume.
Go Pie!
January 23, 2009 - HUZZAH!
It's National Pie Day! Bake a pie, eat a pie, share a
pie...whatever you do today, make sure you
Go Pie!
If you live in the Portland, Oregon, area, check out the
Pie-Off! The Pie-Off will be held August 30 at 3pm in Washington Park.
There is a $5 entry fee, payable in cash on-site. Enter as many
pies as you like.
There are 12 categories the judges of the Pie-Off will be
judging:
Best Fruit Pie
Best Crème Pie
Best Nut Pie
Best Custard Pie
Best Pumpkin Pie
Best Mash-Up Pie
Best Mock Pie
Best Local Pie
In addition, the judges will award in the following additional
arenas:
Best Overall Pie
Prettiest Pie
Most Original Pie
Best Pairing with Pie
Go Pie!
July 1, 2008 - GO BLUEBERY PIE!
July is National Blueberry Month. The blueberry is one of the
SuperFoods - chock full of nutrients and contain one of the
highest concentrations of antioxidants of any food. And they're
magical - a raw blueberry is rather bland with a unappetizing
whitish center. But when cooked, they become a gorgeous
blue-violent, decadently sweet and juicy. A blueberry can even
perform a sort of litmus test - they turn reddish when exposed
to acids in baking, greenish-blue when exposed to alkaline. So,
celebrate this wondrous berry by eating it. In pie form,
of course.
Blueberry Pie
20 ounces blueberries (approximately 4 cups)
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
5 tbsp flour (or cornstarch)
1 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 Basic 9” Double Crust
Egg Wash
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
Mash up half of the blueberries in a small bowl.
Mix together the sugar, salt and flour.
Add the mashed blueberries and orange juice and stir to combine.
Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes. Fold in the whole berries.
Pour mixture into bottom crust.
Lightly brush the edge of the crust with the egg wash and place
the top crust (this recipe works great with a lattice top).
Once you have the tope crust in place, brush with the egg wash,
trim excess dough and edge of crust in order to seal.
Place on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for about 1 hour
15 minutes. The pie should be bubbling lightly around the edges.
Place the pie on a rack and allow to cool to room temperature
before serving, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Go Pie!
May 6, 2008 - GUILT-FREE!
Today is International No Diet Day. A joyful day to gorge on
pie, yes, but it has serious origins and a serious message. In
1992, Mary Evans Young (director of the British group "Diet
Breakers") established the holiday as part of her work in
battling the anorexia epidemic, helping people appreciate
themselves for what they are and to appreciate the body they
have. So, show your body you appreciate it by feeding it pie.
(And, if you know someone struggling with an eating disorder,
encourage them to get help.)
Go Pie!
March 14, 2008 - π
Happy Pi Day! Today is the day we celebrate Pi, that
mathematical constant that (as far as we've been able to figure
out) never ends. Not only is today 3.14, today is also Albert
Einstein's birthday (born March 14, 1879). Perhaps that has
something to do with why someone established this day to
celebrate mathematics, mathematicians, and Pi. You can honor
this day by calculating the area and volume of the pie you eat
today.
Go Pie!
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*The Fine Print
