Ellen's Pie Odyssey

Dawn of the Mini Pie

2009-04-24T21:48:00.000-07:00

Since the infamous John Tyler pie disaster, I've mostly been eating pies made by other people. But in honor of the Foxfield Races tomorrow, I've taken the leap into the world of mini pies. Friends have been sending me links to mini pies for ages, and while I recognize that tiny food is very cute, I've been putting off making them because they seem like so much work. It turns out that they are so fun! I made one batch of Derby pies, and one batch of rhubarb custard, and if it wasn't 1 am, I would get to work on mixed berry....

When baked in muffin tins, filling for a regular 9 inch pie makes about 16 - 18 mini pies. You will use about twice as much dough as for a regular pie though, so fill your fridge with dough balls before you start. I was lazy and only made open-topped pies. I cut down a coffee filter to make a template until I got a handle for how much dough I needed for each pie. For one mini pie, I used a ball of dough about equal to a walnut in shell. I ended up rolling each crust out individually and then pressing them into the tins. Crusts this small are very easy to roll out, and if the edges are irregular, it still looks fine. Oh, and in retrospect, Derby pie was not the best choice for mini pies; you get a much higher crust to filling ratio with little pies, so the effect here is very much like a chocolate chip cookie wrapped in pie dough. But maybe you're into that kind of thing...

The great thing about making mini pies is that you can be really flexible. I made up the first six pies just to see if they would work, and then did a whole pan using the rest of the filling. And unlike making one whole pie, you can sample these before serving. I'm also eyeing my freezer full of dribs and drabs of summer fruits and thinking about making a whole variety of pies at once. I've seen my future and it is full of tiny, tiny pies.

Worst. Pie. Ever.

2009-03-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been clamoring for me to replace the photos of the poor maligned hard boiled egg pie, I have some good news and bad news. The good news is that obviously, those photos have been superseded by a new pie. The bad news is that it is arguably the most disgusting disaster of a pie that I have made yet.

My boss Jeff and I decided to use the occasion of president John Tyler's birthday as an excuse to have a bake off. Neither of us had ever made what is known variously as a John Tyler pie, a John Tyler pudding pie, a Tyler pudding, etc. It's basically a custard pie. I chose to use a recipe from The First Ladies Cookbook for a John Tyler pie with coconut. I took this very seriously too. I read general tips on custard pies in The Joy of Cooking, followed the very detailed pre-baking-of-crust instructions in another cookbook, and pan-toasted coconut to go on top. And let me just say, that if this had been a pie beauty contest, I think my pie would have won, hands down. But alas, despite multiple cookbooks telling me that a custard pie would be set, but still jiggly, I took my pie out too early, and when cut into, it was raw in the middle. And not just raw, but it oozed this bizarre yellow goo. Which led to jokes about Tyler's presidency being as half-baked as his pie, and to the lunchroom query of "can I drain you a piece of pie?"

Jeff's pie earned 4 votes on the tally sheet by the end of the day, and mine earned the comment "are you for real?" which I think amounts to about negative 5 points. The real kicker is that even Jeff's pie (which was hands down the contest winner) did not get finished. This is really saying something in an office where the lunch crowd once finished up unidentifiable leftovers that had been dubbed "alien autopsy." I think the real mystery now is not how John Tyler came to have his own pie, but how it has stayed in existence so long....

I think I'm going to have to demand a re-match.

National Pie Day '09: Hard Boiled Egg Pie

2009-01-23T05:52:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to make this pie for ages now, and today seemed like an appropriate occasion. I used a recipe from Retro Pies by Linda Everett which claims that hard boiled egg pie originated in Arkansas in the 1820s. We'll have to poke around and see if we can find any evidence of this. I realize that the pictures look kind of gross, but it smells really good and passes my test by containing only ingredients that I like. The pictures you are seeing are sliced eggs in a pre-cooked crust, eggs with sauce and veggies on top, and pie with pre-baked crust rounds on top. The sauce is kind of a white sauce with cheese and sherry and there are onions, celery and peas tossed in. This is either going to be delicious, or really foul.

National Pie Day '09: Sour Cream Blackberry Pie

2009-01-23T05:47:00.000-08:00

I've been craving some kind of berry pie, and since I've tried Aunt Ruby Alice's sour cream pie recipe with almost every other type of fruit, it seemed like time to go back to the original recipe and use blackberries. Hopefully I've cooked it enough; I have a tendency to under cook this pie. Here it is pre-cooking.

National Pie Day '09: Apple Custard Pie

2009-01-22T21:45:00.000-08:00

The pies are starting to stack up in anticipation of National Pie Day tomorrow. First out of the oven was the apple custard pie. I wanted to do at least one apple pie, but was frankly feeling too lazy to do a double crust. My New Year's resolutions include baking more pies and getting back specifically to improving my apple pie. Plus, I am growing to love fruit custard pies. This recipe reminded me of a light, eggy, apple pancake. The pie smelled lovely going into the oven, but as soon as it was too late to do so I wondered if perhaps I should have added some vanilla. Next time. I used a variety of apples in the hopes that interesting apple flavors would counteract the potential blandness of the custard. I think the final mix I used was Granny Smith, Macintosh, and Virginia Gold. You'll notice the big glob of cinnamon that resulted from my attempts to decoratively sprinkle the whole thing one last time before baking it. I include before and after baking photos.

Here Comes National Pie Day!

2009-01-20T05:36:00.000-08:00

Dear fellow Friends of Pie,

As some of you are aware, last year, I hosted the first annual Pie Appreciation Contest in honor of National Pie Day (January 23rd). The entries were all so inspiring and exciting that I then commenced my personal Pie Odyssey to better enjoy, experience, and promote pie. So it is only fitting that I revisit my roots and announce: The Second Annual Pie Appreciation Contest! Hooraaaayyyyy!

Those pie lovers among you who participated in last year's contest will remember that this is not a baking or recipe contest. This is about proving who loves pie the most, and the lengths that you will go to prove it, so non-bakers are more than welcome to enter. The categories of entry are the same, although the prizes are actually being arranged in advance this year and they are sooooo cool (P.S., If you entered last year and I never told you, your prize was the homemade pie of your choice; contact me for details).

The contest features the following four areas of competition:

1. Best photograph of a pie or slice of pie made or eaten by entrant in honor of National Pie Day. Entries will be judged on quality of photograph as well as perceived tastiness of the pie. Pie can be either sweet or savory. Note: you do not have to have made the pie, as long as you consume it. Since we are all amateurs however, homemade pies will not be judged on as strict an aesthetic basis.

2. Best popular song rewritten to honor pie. You do not have to record this, just send me your pie lyrics.

3. Best essay about a personal experience you have had making or eating a pie. 500 words or less please.

4. Wild Card: if none of these categories appeal to you, do something special to demonstrate your devotion to pie (i.e., eat 10 or more pieces in a day, knit a pie, choreograph a dance about pie, write a great pie joke etc.)

Contest Rules: Entries must be original to this year's contest. Collaboration between participants is fine, but if you collaborate, only one entry per household or group per category. Otherwise, you may each enter every category once. You can enter as many categories as you chose. In the unlikely event of a four category sweep by a single individual, I will get very excited and you will get some kind of extra prize. Probably a pie. All entries must be submitted via e-mail to me by 8 p.m. eastern on Friday, 23 Jan. Judging will be arbitrary and irrational, and no complaints about judging will be entertained. I reserve the right to make up new rules as the contest progresses. Entries will be posted on the blog with your first name and hometown. Now go enjoy some pie!

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pies

2008-12-02T15:45:00.000-08:00

Oh, pumpkin pie, how I love you! Despite the fact that I have infamously burned the Thanksgiving pumpkin pies on two non-consecutive occasions (ca. 1993, ca. 2001) my family trusted me to make the pumpkin pies again this year and they turned out just fine. I'm so used to making them the same way, year after year, that any other pumpkin pie just doesn't taste right anymore.

Others in the family are much better photographers than I am, so they took most of the people shots, and I took most of the people-eating-pie-pictures. Most importantly, the darling-nephews-eating-pie photos. But I will see about getting a group shot of the Thanksgiving table for full effect. Aside from eating pie with all the family, the other highlight of holiday pie this year was the fact that I fielded pie-related phone calls and texts from two independently-acting friends. I'm like a small scale version of the turkey hot line! Fortunately, based on reports and gorgeous after photos my pie advice did not destroy any baked goods. All in all, a lovely holiday. Hope everyone got plenty of pie, and especially some post-holiday breakfast pie.

Green Tomato Pie for a Change

2008-11-04T03:44:00.000-08:00

In honor of the election and in celebration of the idea of change, I thought I'd do something different and make a green tomato pie. Okay, I admit it, this is really just the intersection of election day and the arrival of green tomatoes from my csa, but still. I did want to make a pie for this very special day, and since I'm taking it to work, I thought it would be a bit much to make an overly partisan pie. Once the election is over we'll definitely have to make a pie to celebrate those candidates of ours who made it into office.

So as I was making up the green tomato pie, I thought hmmm, this seems familiar. And then I realized that the recipe was very similar to the mock apple pie that I made for April Fools. I wonder if this is going to taste somewhat like an apple pie? I hate to say it, but I think that this pie has a high chance of being disgusting. Green tomatoes, lemon, cinnamon and sugar don't seem like an obvious combination. Perhaps I won't tell anyone what's in this until after they've eaten it...

Well, have a very happy election day; I hope that the lines at your polling place are long enough to give historic levels of voter turnout, but not so long that you are waiting around all day. I won't ask you who you are voting for, but will ask: if you could make a pie for any current or historical presidential candidate, what would you make and for which candidate?

Mystery Pie Revealed: Concord Grape!

2008-10-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, so maybe not such a mystery since I have been talking obsessively about grape pies since I learned of their existence back in January. When I started the pie odyssey, I studied the rules for various pie competitions, and found that the Albemarle County Fair has a whole category for grape pies. How could a pie I've never even heard of have its own category of competition at my county's fair? Are there really that many people in the county making grape pies on a regular basis? If so, why have I never met them? Is there anywhere in the county that one can purchase a grape pie?

Anyways. With contributions of concord grapes from friends and strangers, I finally got enough for a pie. I used a recipe from Retro Pies: A Collection of Celebrated Family Recipes by Linda Everett (a fabulous cookbook that Miss Julie gave me). It was way less tedious to make than I thought it would be because you get to pop the grapes out of their skins, which is very satisfying. I include pictures of the separated pulps and skins. After heating and straining the pulps, you reintegrate the two parts, add a few other ingredients and pour into the shell. I opted for a crumb top rather than a double pastry crust, because I didn't want it to taste like grape jam on white bread. I've hesitated to make this pie because I worry that it is going to be too grapey; it certainly smells like jam. But why else does the pie odyssey exist, if not to make even the most seemingly repulsive of pies? I suspect that after eating this, I may only want to make toned-down versions in future. Like perhaps a grapes balanced by something creamy or cheesy, or perhaps paired with a really tart fruit, like gooseberries, or dare I suggest it, rhubarb...

It never rains, but it pears

2008-09-29T20:40:00.000-07:00

I've been sidetracked from apples this month as I've come across a source for free pears. Four pies and one tart later, I'm about to ready to move on to the six varieties of apple I've been hoarding. So before we get back to our first love, here's the pear round up.

1. Pear Tart: I used a basic pear tart recipe from Great Pies & Tarts by Carole Walter. It was quite nice, although I'm not such a huge fan of the apricot jam glaze. Apricot always just tastes strange to me. The crust recipe came from the same book - it turned out well, although it took forever to make; it involved all kinds of hand massaging of butter bits and swirling ingredients gently in a clockwise direction.

2. Two different Pear Sour Cream Pies: on the left, you'll see a pear sour cream pie based on Aunt Ruby Alice's sour cream strawberry pie recipe (see earlier post). On the left is a pie based on the apple sour cream pie recipe in The Joy of Cooking. Ruby Alice's involves mixing dry ingredients into sour cream and applying to the top. The final result is lovely and thick and creamy, and has a sugary crust on top. For the other one, I added some cinnamon and sugar to the pears, and then just dumped sour cream on top. It was nice when warm, but man, I had a leftover piece that came straight out of the fridge, and it was foul. It probably didn't help that I used low fat sour cream. Bleh. Oh, and I'm still having problems under cooking fruit pies, so the pears were a tad crunchy, which didn't help.

3. Pear raspberry pies: One out of the oven, one still in. I had a bunch of pears left and wanted to use them up, so I tossed them with sugar and frozen raspberries, and covered them with a crumb topping. I didn't chill the dough enough though, so the crust cooked very quickly and I took the first one out sooner than I would have liked. I'm hoping that because the pears are riper than the last bunch, they won't need as much cooking.

Coming soon: Pies I ate this summer, Various apple pies, The Piebrary goes international, and a surprise mystery pie of such strange and shocking flavor that you won't believe it and which I'll probably only make once.

Friends of Pie

2008-06-15T13:40:00.000-07:00

Kathy and Sara have earned the official designation of Friend of Pie. Not only did they let me stay with them after Helen's party, they made me waffles, gave me a tour of the finest container garden in the greater D.C. area AND had plenty of good pie and tart insights. I came away with some great new pie and cookie recipes, as well as a tart pan. I made my first ever tart pan this weekend, using summer veggies, including zucchini, sweet onions and mushrooms, with goat cheese and basil for extra flavor. I used my cuisinart to slice the onions and zucchini super thin. The edge of the crust got a little toasty in parts because I foolishly decided that I didn't really need to cover it with foil when I put the tart under the broiler. Fortunately it still tastes quite nice. Now that I have both pie pans and a tart pan, I may never eat anything non-pie-like ever again.

Helen's Strawberry Birthday Pie

2008-06-15T13:30:00.000-07:00

Since 75% of my blog readership knows our dear Helen, I don't feel that I need to spend any time explaining why she is most deserving of birthday pie. If for some reason you are unconvinced of this fact, let me know and I will provide you with a complete list of reasons for your edification.

After several test pies, I ended up making a strawberry pie consisting of a baked shortbread cookie crust, filled with uncooked berries covered in a fruity glaze. The shortbread crust won out over regular crust in taste-testing. Early prototypes of the pie also had way too much glaze, so I tried to use as little as possible in the final pie. Despite riding to D.C. under heavy air-conditioning, the pies looked a little worse for the wear, but seemed to taste okay. Next year's birthday pies will surely be even better. Happy Birthday Helen!

Ruby Alice's Strawberry Sour Cream

2008-06-05T03:46:00.000-07:00

I had to clean out the fridge a bit last night to make way for the lovely strawberries that I am picking up from my CSA tonight. One of the things that had to be used was a previous round of strawberries that was on its last legs. There were not quite enough berries for an all-strawberry pie, and what was left definitely had to be cooked, so I used it as an excuse to try a strawberry sour cream pie recipe that I got recently from my cousins Bob and Janet. The recipe comes from Bob's mother, Ruby Alice. I haven't cut into the pie yet, but the smell is incredible - Ruby Alice obviously knew how to bake. I do love a sour cream pie. Apple sour cream was my favorite for a while, but now I'm seeing that I'm going to have to do more with berries. And just wait till fresh peach season!

Experiments in Strawberry

2008-06-03T19:40:00.000-07:00

I've been pondering the various elements of Helen's strawberry birthday pie. I got to tinkering in the pie lab last night with somewhat mixed results. First of all, I have to admit to a rookie mistake. It's terribly embarrassing, but I feel compelled to confess. I wanted to experiment with combining strawberries and a graham cracker crust. I also wanted to play around with a cooked strawberry pie (as opposed to glazed, uncooked berries). But it wasn't until I got the frankenberry pie in the oven that I thought "hmmmm, one generally uses graham cracker crusts for icebox pies, not baked pies." So yes, I scorched the edges of the crust. Badly. Very very badly. So badly that I couldn't bring it into work in it's pie form, despite the fact that people in our building will eat anything. This is also why you're viewing the pie in extreme close-up, sans edges. The good news is that the rest of the pie was totally edible, and in fact the bottom of the crust was quite lovely. For the filling, I used a recipe from Ken Haedrich's cookbook Pie that called for some manner of mint flavoring as well as lemon juice and nutmeg to flavor the pie. After calling Susan from the grocery store to ascertain that peppermint extract was probably the same thing as mint oil, that's what I went with. I was pleasantly surprised by the filling - it was much less jammy than I thought that a cooked, all-strawberry pie would be. The berries held their shape somewhat, and the crumb topping that I put on top was a nice addition. Scooped out from the burnt parts, it came out rather like a strawberry crisp. Still, there was a lot going on with this pie - cinnamon in topping and crust, nutmeg and mint in filling.....when re-heated it smelled a little bit like potpourri. It had a strange aftertaste too - I think that might have been the mint. I'm currently thinking that mint is not going to make it until the final pie, unless there is a groundswell of popular support for it. I liked the different elements of this pie very well, but it was very much a practice pie. In trying out different recipes, I didn't really consider the pie as a whole, which in terms of edibility is an issue. Still, it can't be that bad, since I'm eating some as I type. Although I do get queasy every time I think about finishing the whole thing on my own. Perhaps I can freeze some of it....

The Great Pie Exchange of '08 - part 1

2008-06-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

I have a new favorite pie. Jeff and I agreed to swap pies recently. I’m to make him a spinach pie, and last week he gave me his famous rhubarb custard pie in exchange. Wow. Rhubarb custard pie gets everything right that strawberry rhubarb gets wrong. The flavors complement each other beautifully, without getting too lost or intertwined. It’s tart, sweet, and creamy all at once. Totally amazing. Fortunately, Kori was visiting when it arrived at the house, or I would have eaten the whole pie by myself in a matter of days. It had this magical quality whereby you would eat one piece, and immediately need a second. But once you ate the second piece, you only felt as full as if you had one piece, so you didn’t feel like a total glutton. Kori and I spent a lot of time debating just what Jeff’s crust secret is; her thought is that it reminds her of the crust of her great-grandma’s fried apple pie so we came up with all these theories about how Jeff could have fried the lattice top and then magically applied it to the pie. I ran some of these suppositions by Jeff this morning to see if I could get a reaction that would tell me we were on the right path, but he just smiled and declined to comment. I’m going to have to spend some time in the pie lab trying to figure this out.

Presidential Pie

2008-05-31T06:59:00.000-07:00

While poking about on the history of Hoosier pie, I came across a great historical newspaper editorial about President Benjamin Harrison and pie that I had to share. I’ve transcribed it below with some very minimal annotation. The article mentions Hoosier pie, but I suspect here that the author is not specifically referring to a sugar cream pie, now known as a Hoosier pie, but is talking about Indiana pies in general. See what you think. Harrison’s relationship with pie was apparently life long. His obituary in the New York Times of 14 Nov. 1901 tells that while he lay dying, his young daughter from a second marriage brought him an apple pie that she had made. The former president smiled his recognition, but could not speak. He died not long after.

Milwaukee Sunday Sentinel, 27 Oct. 1889
Raising a Pie Issue

We doubt if that Democratic newspaper in New York which is interviewing a discharged Whitehouse cook can make any large amount of political capital out of the charge that the president and Mr. Halford[i] eat pie for breakfast. Most people in this happy land will ask with Emerson, “what else is pie for?”[ii] The notion that pie is something to be avoided, that it provokes dyspepsia, has been urged with assiduity for thirty years, yet pie continues to be the most popular of all the products of the bakery. It is worthy of note that pie is the horror, real or pretended, of those who have foisted on society those modern pastries that have done more to derange the human stomach and starve the human body than even hot mince pie. It was a proper distinction that was drawn by the Western man who, when asked what pastry he would have, replied: “I don’t want any pastry – gi’me some pie!” Pie is important enough and good enough to hold a place of its own without being classed under those modern abominations that are served under French names as food for human beings.

We are glad to observe that a reaction has set in against fancy desserts and in favor of pie, and we owe something to Mrs. Harrison[iii] for a noble example. When Gen. Harrison entered the Whitehouse, some anti-pie person persuaded him that it would not do to eat the plain and wholesome cookery of Indiana, including pie. Pie, he was told, was not only injurious, but was under a social ban. What was the result? “The new cook’s dishes laid him out.” He neglected pie for the croquettes, soufflés and other atrocities of the anti-pie element, and fell into the sharp clutches of dyspepsia. ‘Lige Halford, also, succumbed. Then Mrs. Harrison asserted herself. She fired the two French cooks and sent back to Indiana for her old negro cook,[iv] whose picturesque bandana now brightens the kitchen where the white cap of a gesticulating Frenchman recently bent over pylorus-vexing dishes. No more perfidious soufflés and croquettes for the president. He can have corn-beef boiled with cabbage, turnips and potatoes if he wants it; potatoes with the skins on, salt rising bread, corn-pone, hominy, baked apples, apple-dumplings and pie – good old-fashioned Hoosier pie, about which there is no fraud, and which makes a man feel that, whatever trials beset his path, life is still richly worth living. We look to see an improvement in the administration of national affairs, now that the president’s internal affairs are arranged.

If the Democratic party wants to switch off from the tariff issue and raise a pie issue for the next campaign, all right. If that party chooses to make war on pie and become a party of white-cap French cooks, well and good. This country will vote for pie every time.

[i] Elijah Walker Halford was Harrison’s aide/secretary (The Presidents: A Reference History [2002], 300).
[ii] This anecdote seems to originate in James Bradley Thayer’s A Western Journey with Mr. Emerson (1884) which recounts an 1871 journey Thayer made with Ralph Waldo Emerson.
[iii] Caroline Lavinia Scott Harrison was Benjamin Harrison’s first wife.
[iv] Dolly Johnson was the cook that the Harrisons brought to the White House from Indiana to replace the French chef.

Ask a pie girl....

2008-05-25T05:51:00.000-07:00

We here at pie central get all manner of pie queries. I reproduce one below with my response, for the benefit of the greater pie community.

Dear Ellen,
Since you are my favorite, smartest, funniest, most awesome cousin, I throw myself on your mercy and beg you to share your pie wisdom with me. What pie does one take to a Indy 500 party? I only wish that I could be as wonderful as you,*
-Cousin Lee

Dear Cousin Lee,
After much consideration, I stick by my original suggestion of a Hoosier pie. Alas, Nascar does not seem to have a traditional pie the way that the Kentucky Derby does, but at least you can make a nod to the great state of Indiana. You may need to put on a pot of coffee to go with this though - beer and brats followed by a mostly sugar pie may be a bit much. As to being as wonderful as me, well, more pie will surely help.
-Ellen

(*May not be a literal transcription of original query)

Rhubarb Season

2008-05-25T05:12:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I love rhubarb. It always seems like such a huge treat, probably because fresh rhubarb is relatively hard to come by. I've spent the last few weeks trying to corner the local market on rhubarb, and may even freeze some for later if I can convince myself not to eat it right away. A big thank you to all of the folks who have been reporting their rhubarb sightings or who have purchased rhubarb on my behalf. I think the other main reason that I love rhubarb is that I associate it with family and friends. Rhubarb is not something that you find served commercially that often, so most of the occasions that I've eaten it have been with my grandparents, aunties, or parents. It turned out to be nice then, that Mom and Dad came to visit last week and I was able to serve them rhubarb pie. For crust, I used the same Cuisinart all-butter crust that I have been making a lot of lately. Unfortunately the dough I used had been sitting in the fridge for a week which had some ill effects. I kind of cheated on the filling and topping - I was really craving rhubarb crisp, so I used Aunt Susie's rhubarb crisp recipe and put it in a regular pie shell. The filling and topping were great, as expected, but the crust was a little leathery. Fortunately, it was a pie that aged well, and with each passing day it was better than the day before.

My second rhubarb pie of the week was eaten at work. I was sitting at my desk one morning and Jeff came up and handed me a piece of rhubarb pie. Nothing says "this is going to be a great day at work" like receiving pie from your boss first thing in the morning. I asked Jeff if it was okay if I posted a picture of his beautiful slice of pie here, and he modestly claimed that if I posted that as a "before" picture, I might need an "after" picture of myself spitting out the pie in disgust. Which, of course, was not necessary, as the pie was delicious. However, I think his kids might be disappointed, because it sounds like they were eagerly anticipating said "after" picture. Jeff managed to find rhubarb that was actually pink in color (what I bought was mostly green) so his pie has a lovely rosy color. Once again, his crust was lovely and flaky as well, not like the old boot that my rhubarb pie was cooked in. I also approve of the fact that Jeff, like me, is generally opposed to the combination of strawberries and rhubarb. Personally, I think strawberries and rhubarb is for rhubarb haters with a palate so unrefined as to be unable to enjoy rhubarb alone. It's one of those combinations where the two parts are actually worsened in combination. I took a rhubarb cake to a coffee at work on Friday, and was surprised at the number of people who told me that they were afraid of rhubarb! More for the rest of us, I guess. (Pictures: Dad with my rhubarb pie, Mom and Dad at Natural Bridge, Jeff's rhubarb pie, top view and profile)

Strawberry Pie mini-odyssey

2008-05-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

The Pie Odyssey is something like the Tour de France, in that there is an overall project (a lifetime of perfecting pie baking) composed of smaller trials of varying natures. This year, apple pie is the long endurance race over flat surface. Right now, I am commencing a strawberry pie sprint. Over the next month, I must find and bake the absolute best strawberry pie recipe for the Lady Helen's birthday. Here are our requirements:

Helen:
1. It may not be a tart
2. No other fruits besides strawberries shall be included in said pie. This is not a mixed berry pie, nor is it a strawberry rhubarb pie.
3. Pastry crust is preferred, but if a graham cracker crust or equivalent is deemed most suitable, allowances will be made.
4. There will be a side of whipped cream.

Ellen:
1. Filling ingredients shall enhance the strawberries, and not obscure them. This will not be an ice cream pie, a cream pie, a no-bake strawberry cheesecake pie, or berries suspended in gelatin. This requirement generally knocks out any pie with "chiffon" in the name.
2. Since the emphasis is on the berry, and we're in the right season, only fresh and not frozen berries will be used for the final pie, although any test pies may use frozen.

Now that we've laid our ground rules, what do you think I should make? I have some great looking recipes, but I'm torn between what I think of as the classic strawberry pie (a baked pie shell, with uncooked berries covered in a light glaze mounded artfully in a pyramid) and some more daring recipes that call for actually baking the strawberries and adding crazy ingredients like "white creme de menthe." I don't know how I feel about cooked strawberries. Oh, and is it acceptable to put a crumb topping on an berry pie? I think I've had blueberry pie with a streusel topping, but I don't know about other types of berries. What strawberry pies have you made, eaten, or dreamed about?

Happy Derby (Pie) Day!

2008-05-03T16:23:00.001-07:00

Apparently I cannot tell you that I made a Derby pie in honor of the Kentucky Derby as there is some controversy over who has the right to call their pie a Derby pie. So I will just say that I made a lovely pie with which to celebrate the day. My inspiration for this pie comes from that famous friend of pie, Lady Helen, who first introduced me to an actual Derby pie last year in Kentucky. Once I realized that the Derby was today I started looking for recipes online and found a few that looked okay, but not great. Without prompting however, Mom sent me a recipe that looked much better than any I had found, most especially because instead of corn syrup, it called for bourbon. How well does my Mom know me that she knew I was thinking about Derby pie?

If you've never had a derby pie, err, excuse me, "thoroughbred pie," it is like a cross between a pie and a chocolate chip cookie. Unlike a fruit pie, it feels too rich to eat for breakfast; I think the ideal way to eat this is warmed slightly, with real whipped cream and a cup of strong coffee. I've been dreaming about bourbon whipped cream too - does that exist? Let's get right on that, shall we? I'm posting pictures of the pie pre- and post-baking so that you can see how the filling resembles chocolate chip cookie dough. When baked, it is a slightly gooier than a chocolate chip cookie, and slightly less sticky and chocolaty than a fudge pecan pie. Hmmm, I have a sudden desire to create a wall chart to sort out the continuum of chocolate nut pies.

It's a special day not just because there is a seasonally appropriate pie, but because today is the first day that I used both levels of my double-decker pie basket at once!! Behold pictures of basket with "thoroughbred pie" on bottom and spinach pie on top. If you've visited me or eaten dinner at my house anytime from June 2005 to the present, there's a 50/50 chance I made you a spinach pie. What can I say, I'm a creature of habit. But hey, I finally found a new recipe! And I think I'll go back to the old. This one was okay, but when served at room temperature, the ricotta was a little too gritty. It was a lovely day for a daytrip and picnic here in central Virginia; please see picture of "thoroughbred pie" at Thomas Jefferson's country home, Poplar Forest.

Honeypie: Results of Pie Tasting #3

2008-05-03T04:36:00.000-07:00

Filling: 6.5 out of 10 (average of 8 voters)
Crust: 6.5 out of 10 (average of 8 voters)
Overall pie: 6.63 out of 10 (average of 8 voters)

It’s very exciting for all of us here at the pieodyssey (i.e. me) to get back to our apple pie roots after a bit of a hiatus. Which is good, because I’ve got a stack of tasty looking apple pie recipes to work through. Now to business. This pie got solid, but not gushing reviews. I think it comes out as slightly better than commercial pie, but nothing to write home about. Nobody really felt that they could taste the honey flavor, which is perhaps good if you are using this as a sugar substitution recipe. The most noticeable difference was in consistency – the filling was drier, with less gooey stickiness, which several people missed. The apples were drier and harder too – just not a juicy pie. The good news is I just got another honey apple pie recipe from one of our visiting researchers and from what he says it’s a much juicier recipe. I’ve moved this recipe up in the queue. In regards to crust, our tasters agree that it could still be much flakier, but seem to think it’s getting more aesthetically pleasing at least. For my part, one of the main things I would change about how I did this pie was the application of spices. The recipe called for you to pour honey and spices over top of the apples once they were arranged in the pan. The dryness of the pie meant that the spices didn’t migrate evenly throughout the pie and deposited in an even layer across the top of the apples, which both looked and tasted weird. Thanks to all who tasted and sent comments! Now, I must dash to the farmers market because I’ve been hearing rumors of rhubarb.

Pie #3: Honeypie

2008-04-29T20:32:00.001-07:00

So it's been an embarrassingly long time since I've made an actual apple pie. I'll have to catch up before summer fruit season comes along and tempts me into making lots of fresh peach pies etc. Back on the apple pie track, I've been planning for ages now to start experimenting with sweeteners. I just told Susan that over the phone and she asked in a horrified tone: "you don't mean artificial sweetener, do you?" No. I mean it's time to move into the honey and maple world instead of white or brown sugar. Today it's an apple pie with honey.

This recipe is one Julie gave me; it's a WWII era recipe that calls for honey, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg (recipe source: Harriet H. Hester, 300 Sugar Saving Recipes [1942]). The spice combination and amounts are pretty similar to other pies I've made for the odyssey. The crust is a basic butter crust from my Cuisinart manual. I used a mix of Granny Smith, McIntosh and Golden Delicious apples cut into slices. I arranged the slices much like those in the tart pictured in previous post (whoops, forgot to take a picture before putting the top crust on) and it looked lovely. I made an effort to mix the different varieties of apples evenly. The only problem is I packed the slices in very tightly and then realized that the honey and spices might not be able to work their way down to the bottom. We shall see. I'm mainly curious about how great the difference in flavor is between sugar and honey. It certainly smells nice coming out of the oven....

Yet another local pastry

2008-04-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

I just had a tasty apple tart in Gordonsville, Virginia. It had a nice, fruity glaze. It also got me thinking about presentation - wouldn't an open apple pie with slices arranged like this look lovely? My pie making philosophy is generally that taste is much more important than appearance, but if I submit a tasty but homely pie to a competition, it might not do so well. Although with this tart, the quality of the presentation also had a lot to do with the presidential place mat underneath it.

Local Pie Report

2008-04-20T07:42:00.001-07:00

I'm pleased to report that recent findings suggest that there is indeed a lot of fabulous pie hiding in central Virginia. Here are some local pies I recommend:

Peanut butter chocolate pie from the Dogwood Restaurant at Lake Monticello in Fluvanna County. Susan (coworker, not sister) brought this in to work, and it was so good. It's like a giant peanut butter cup, and is rich enough to constitute a meal in and of itself. Thanks Susan!

Apple cranberry tart from Foods of All Nations in Cville. Lovely and light - a fabulous flavor combination. The cranberries complement the apples without overpowering them. When I move into my mixed fruit and apple phase, this is going to be my inspiration. Thanks to Deb for bringing this in to share!

Spinach cheese pie from the Charlottesville Farmer's Market. It's been a while since I've been to the Farmer's Market because I get most of my seasonal produce through a CSA, but I went yesterday and found that there is so much pie! I bought a slice of spinach cheese pie from an eastern European woman who told me to reheat it and put some sour cream or buttermilk on it. It may look like spanakopita, but the cheese was a bit more solid than feta and the filling had a slight egginess to it. Really yummy. Looks like I'll be spending more time at the Farmer's Market.

Piebrary: New Acquisitions

2008-04-19T14:12:00.000-07:00

So I've been a little distracted from the pie odyssey lately. That's about to change. To keep you occupied while I catch up in the kitchen, I thought I'd share some of the newest acquisitions to the piebrary. If you want to inspect any of the handwritten recipes or pie clippings we have received, you'll have to come to the piebrary during regular business hours. We have recently acquired the following:

Lee Bailey, Southern Food & Plantation Houses
Marion Cunningham, The Fannie Farmer Cookbook
Ken Haedrich, Pie
Pascale Le Draoulec, American Pie
Carole Walter, Great Pies & Tarts
Linda Everett, Retro Pies
Mealtime Marvels, Lard in 133 Recipes
Martha Logan, Prize Winning Pies with Swift's Silverleaf Pure Lard
Good Housekeeping's Party Pie Book
Aunt Jenny's 12 Pies Husbands Like Best Recipe Book

Big thanks to Mom and Dad, Aunt Nancy, Aunt Susie, Anna, Julie, Susan and Carly!

April Fool's Pie

2008-04-01T14:01:00.000-07:00

The previous post was a red herring. What Jeff and I made were actually mock apple pies, in honor of April Fool's Day. Instead of apples, Jeff's filling was made of Saltines, and mine was made of Ritz crackers. We then brought them to work under the guise of a contest to determine the best variety of pie apples, and forced our colleagues to vote on them in a blind taste test. I think we managed to fool a few people, although some of our co-workers commented that the pies were lemony, or had an interesting consistency.

I don't know all the details of Jeff's recipe, but the one I followed (courtesy of Julie) called for a simple syrup flavored with lemon juice and peel and then poured over a pie pan full of coarsely broken Ritz crackers. I then sprinkled this heaping mess with cinnamon, nutmeg and butter and put on a top crust. Sadly though, I did not seal it well enough and lemon goo scorched on the inside of my oven. It also seeped under the crust and made it very difficult to remove from the pan. My crust applying technique needs work. The good news is that the crust itself seemed to be an improvement over all previous. Hooray for Cuisinart!

So was it convincing as an apple pie? I'm not sure. When I was making the syrup, it smelled a lot like Seven Up and I thought there was no way anyone would mistake it for an apple pie. It also looked weird (read: revolting) as I was composing it. I include pictures of crackers in pie shell before and after the application of goo. When it came out of the oven though, it really smelled like apple pie. I include a profile of a slice of each of ours (my pie is on the left). Looking at a slice, it pretty much looked like apple pie, although if you looked closely enough you could see the lovely crimped edge of the crackers. I think Jeff's had a more convincingly apple flavor - mine was rather too lemony, seeing as how I doubled the amount of lemon peel called for. As an apple pie, they were fair, but as a pie in general, they were super. I would definitely make and eat this again. Which is good, because I have two more rolls of Ritz. My experience is different than most eaters though, since I knew going in that the pies were not made of apples. I wonder if the pie tastes more or less like apples if you think that's what it is?

All I can say is that it is a rare pleasure to work for someone who not only appreciates pie, but who appreciates the delight that is fake pie as well. Oh, and in case you're interested, the building voted Ritz crackers as the best variety of "apple" to use in pie. Sorry Saltines.

Comparing Apples to Apples

2008-03-31T19:43:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I have been giving serious consideration to the exact right blend of apples to use in a pie. We can agree that a single pie should have a variety of apples ranging from tart to sweet. One of us, however, favors using a combination of a couple of very tart and a couple of very sweet apples. And one of us thinks that ideally all varieties used in a single pie should exhibit both sweetness and tartness in a single apple. But I can't tell you who expounds which apple theory because we're setting up a blind taste test at work tomorrow. We're each making an apple pie with relatively similar ingredients, differing only in varieties of apples used. We're going to try to keep things cordial however, because really, when there are two pies, everyone wins. Please enjoy this photo of my first batch of food processor made pie crust.

Squeeeeee! Food Processor!

2008-03-26T17:17:00.000-07:00

Look what came in the mail today!!!!!!!! Food Processor!!!!!! It's an early birthday present from the whole family (Mom, Dad, Sues, Anders, Erik and El Segundo). I'm so excited that I can barely take an in-focus picture of it. Here it is in box, and out of the box with dough blade in place. DOUGH BLADE!!!!!!!!

Lemon Chess

2008-03-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

Well, the crust came out tough as old shoe leather, but the lemon filling, and the accompanying blackberry sauce were quite nice. Mom and Dad were of great assistance and searched out several chess pie recipes for me to chose from. I purposely chose a recipe that called for corn meal in the filling because I wanted to see how it would turn out. So I used the pie and crust recipe from New Southern Cooking by Nathalie Dupree (1986) and a blackberry sauce recipe from Lee Bailey's Southern Food and Plantation Houses (1989).

After inspecting several varieties of white corn meal, yellow corn meal, corn flour, masa, polenta, etc. etc. I bought a little bag of what seemed to be finely ground yellow corn meal. To reassure myself that the pie wouldn't be gritty, I passed the corn meal through a sieve but it really wasn't necessary. The texture was quite pleasant, without a hint of grit. I think the crust was so bad because it had to be pre-baked; I must have over-cooked it. I think next time I would substitute a shortbread base from my favorite lemon bar recipe to use as crust. The pie itself was rather sweet, so the slight tang of the berry sauce was nice to cut the sweetness. My new pie basket was wonderfully helpful.

Spoiled Rotten

2008-03-22T16:14:00.001-07:00

I pretty much have the nicest relatives ever. The pie recipes, tips and stories have been rolling in from all quarters, and lately, my mailman has been groaning under the weight of all the fabulous pie-themed gifts that have been arriving. Mom and Dad have been scouring their cookbooks for every chess pie recipe that they can find. Auntie Sues sent me a rolling pin, some great vintage cookbooks, and a reversible apple-print apron that Auntie Nance made for Grandma Bird once upon a time. Earlier this week, Uncle Rolf sent me a fabulous gift box of apple finds from the antique stores of Iowa, including two apple plates, a ceramic apple wall hanging, and a great lidded glass apple. I saw a similar glass apple several months ago and have been pining for it ever since! Just a box arrived from Auntie Nance containing among other things, an apple print place mat that I suspect she made herself. And what are these items pictured in? Could it be? Yes. It is. It's a double-decker pie basket from Auntie Nance. I did not even know that such a thing existed, or how I could possibly have lived without it all these years. Now I don't have to worry about my pies sliding around in the car anymore. Also, now I can go on the two-pie-picnic of my dreams. Thanks so much for all the great gifts! I feel like the world's luckiest pie-lover.

Checkmate.

2008-03-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

I was contemplating what dessert to make for an Easter get together, and I've decided that I want to try my hand at making a lemon chess pie. Now, I've eaten lemon chess pie any number of times, but never made one. I've been looking at recipes online and in cookbooks and I'm totally stumped by the fact that the majority of lemon chess pie recipes I've found call for corn meal in the filling. How does that not make for a totally gritty pie? At first I thought it was a misprint for corn starch, or even for corn syrup, but no, it's always corn meal. Even recipes online that purport to be Bill Clinton's favorite lemon chess pie call for corn meal. Maybe they mean some kind of magically super finely ground corn meal? Has anyone out there ever actually made such a thing? Also, do y'all think it is acceptable to use a graham cracker crust? I just think that would be so nice for a change, but I don't know if that tampers with the essence of chess pie....

Baker-in-Chief

2008-03-16T15:45:00.000-07:00

I consider myself very lucky in that I have fabulous co-workers. And I don't just say that because some of them read the pie blog. Our office is an incredible mix of smart, funny, sweet people with an amazing array of talents and interests. Not least among these is my boss, Jeff, who has contributed many fine articles and recipes to the pie archives. He and his family are true pie aficionados. On Friday, we had an office birthday party for our two wonderful March birthdays, and Jeff made a really super apple pie. I figured that I should write it up, because it has caused me to reevaluate a few things about how I approach apple pie.

Overall, it was a lovely, sweet pie with a beautiful and tasty crust. Jeff tried to claim that the crust was not up to his standard, but it was certainly a million times better than any crust I have ever made. For apples, he used one each of the following: Pink Lady, Jazz, Sonya, Braeburn, and Granny Smith. It was a really interesting mix of apple flavors - you could really taste the sweet apples (I'm thinking Pink Lady?). I had been leaning towards the tart apples in my mixes, but now I'm reconsidering. Another thing that was a revelation for me was that he diced his apples, so that they all mixed really well, and every forkful of pie had pieces of every apple. It was super! Despite the smallness of the pieces, they retained their shape and that slight crispness that is so important. I think I need to be cutting my apples smaller. I had found some recipes for grated apple pies and just couldn't understand how that could be appealing - I think now that it must be a lot like the diced apples? Hmmmm. Experimentation is necessary. Oh, and also? Jeff didn't use any cinnamon, so the apple flavors really came through. Maybe apple pie doesn't need any spices at all? Well, it was a delicious pie and it reminds me that I need to get back in the kitchen soon. I have some recipes all picked out; now if I could just find some time.....

Happy Pi Day!

2008-03-14T05:29:00.000-07:00

Hope you're all celebrating the day in style. I'll be thinking of you all at 1:59, the stroke of pi (3/14, 1:59). I know, I know. If you send me pictures of your pie or math for the day, I'll post them!

Three things to know:

2008-03-09T13:25:00.000-07:00

1. The Pie Odyssey will make more pies soon - I've had a couple of other projects take momentary priority, but have not given up pie. Although I was momentarily tempted to start a corn fritter odyssey...

2. If you are a millionaire who makes pies and lives in Charlottesville, it turns out that rendered goose fat is available at Foods of All Nations.....at a price of $12 for a little bitty container! Now I have a good excuse not to make a goose fat crust.

3. Don't forget that this Friday (3/14) is national Pi Day....the day when pie lovers and mathematicians celebrate together. Not to be confused with National Pie Day, a holiday which is only about baked goods.

A conundrum

2008-02-24T14:06:00.000-08:00

I answered the phone one day not long after embarking on the pie odyssey and it was my sister Susan who nonchalantly started the conversation with “So, are you rendering your own lard right now?” Which delighted me as a piece of sisterly silliness, much along the lines of our extended conversation about how I need my own churro machine. But I’ve been catching up on pie reading and just got to an article that Sara sent me (Melissa Clark, “Heaven in a Pie Pan: The Perfect Crust,” New York Times, 15 Nov. 2006) which discusses among other things the wonders of pie crusts made with leaf lard, beef suet and duck fat. Oh, and apparently some of these fats need to be rendered or otherwise processed at home. Now, I don’t currently eat meat. I’m not overly strict in restaurants etc., in part because it doesn’t always occur to me to ask in advance if the peanuts in the pie I am eating have been crushed in a ham bag. And yes, chances are I’ve eaten a pie crust with lard in it and not realized it. But consciously making a lard crust and rendering my own beef suet at home is another story. For the integrity of the pie odyssey, do I need to try making every type of pie crust? If I make a pie for my test subjects and don’t eat any of it, can I trust the survey results? I always figured that if I started eating meat again, it would be because I couldn’t pass up a feta dill burger or some sliced beef brisket, not because I felt compelled to make and eat a duck fat pie crust. But Crisco is, I am assuming, a relatively young product in the history of American cookery. To be true to the American apple pie, do I need to do some experimentation with lard? I’m somewhat torn…maybe my test subjects will protest the lard crust for health reasons and I can forgo making it…

Oh, and by the way, I am so disappointed that the Library of Congress' new Flickr site does not have any fat rendering photos. That's what the Library of Congress is for!

A pie present!

2008-02-23T11:28:00.001-08:00

I had to post a picture of the beautiful rolling pin that Auntie Sue just sent me. It's the perfect size and weight, and has Badger Red handles. Plus, it was one of Grandma Bird's so it's extra special. I don't think that Grandma Bird and I ever made pie together, but we certainly rolled out our share of cookies and tea rings so this is a really wonderful gift.

Not an apple pie.

2008-02-19T17:55:00.000-08:00

The pie odyssey took a slight detour into the land of savory pies tonight, as I made mushroom turnovers for dinner. Mom gave me a copy of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison recently, and this is the first recipe I have made from it. On first bite, the turnover tasted strange, but on the second bite, it was great. This would make a lovely brunch pie. The crust turned out nice and flakey, although I'm not so good with rolling out dough yet-they're a bit irregular. I did use my brand new pastry knife though, and found it to be so much more efficient than the table knife I had been using. I include multiple turnover beauty shots.

Pie Across Virginia: Virginia Diner

2008-02-17T06:31:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I began the second mission of the pie odyssey – identifying and tasting quality pie across the state of Virginia. My friend Kim suggested the Virginia Diner in Wakefield, Virginia as a good starting place. It’s a bit of a drive (Wakefield is southeast of Richmond), but it wouldn’t have been bad if we hadn’t been completely stopped on 64 for 45 minutes on the way there. It was totally worth it though. It was a delightful dining experience.

I was really torn between apple pie and peanut pie. I feel like I should be trying a wide variety of apple pies as a learning experience, but I’d never had peanut pie before. Plus, the last 10 miles of the drive, we passed so many peanut stores and peanut billboards, that I really felt like if I was ever going to try peanut pie, Wakefield was the place to do it. The only solution was to get both. I ate the peanut pie on site, and saved the apple for later.

If you’ve never had peanut pie, it’s very similar to pecan pie, but slightly more orange in color. The peanuts make it a bit saltier too, which contrasts nicely with the sweet goo. Like pecan pie, you couldn’t eat it every day, but it’s a lovely treat. I totally approve that the Virginia Diner served it slightly warm with a bit of whipped cream. They offered me ice cream on top, but that seemed like too much sugar even for me. I found many recipes online that purport to be the Virginia Diner’s peanut pie. One of these recipes advocated breaking up your peanuts by putting them in a used ham sack so that as you hit them, they absorb the flavor of ham. So I guess there is a chance that their peanut pie is not strictly vegetarian, but I’m going to pretend that I don’t know that.

The apple pie that I took home was really tasty as well. Not the best I’ve ever had, but perfectly satisfying. I ate it sooner than I intended because it smelled so good. It was lightly seasoned, with thickly sliced apples and a pale, smooth crust. I was relieved to see that even at the Virginia Diner the apples cook down and leave a gap under the crust as you can see from the profile shot I took.

Virginia Diner stats:

Location: Wakefield, Virginia

Pies available: peanut, peanut butter silk, apple, chocolate chess, key lime. They also have non-pie desserts if you’re so inclined – Kim had what looked like a great brownie sundae.

How are pies displayed: on a great placemat with beauty shots of all the pies.

Other highlights: you get a packet of peanuts as soon as you sit down and the onion rings are fabulous.

Things to know: apparently the Diner gets really busy in tourist season, but you can only make reservations for groups of 8 or more, so probably a good idea to go in the off-season.

Highly recommended.

Happy Valentine's Day from the Pie Odyssey!

2008-02-13T19:39:00.000-08:00

In case you wanted your Valentine's Day to be more apple-pie-tastic, I've come up with some advice.

Pie-related phrases you should call your sweetheart:

Sweetie Pie
Cutie Pie
Apple of my Eye

Pie-related phrases you should not call your sweetheart:

Half-Baked

Apple varieties that would make appropriate nicknames for your sweetheart:

Hubbartston Nonesuch
Rome Beauty
Honeygold
Westfield Seek-No-Further

Apple varieties that would not make appropriate nicknames for your sweetheart:

Granny Smith
Leathercoat
Norfolk Beefin'

(For information on these and other apples, see: Roger Yepsen, Apples, Barrie E. Juniper and David J. Mabberley, The Story of the Apple and Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr. Old Southern Apples.)

Privateer of Pies - Results of Pie Tasting #2

2008-02-13T19:17:00.001-08:00

The scores are going up, so we’re definitely making progress. Nobody called this pie serviceable, which is also a good sign. Still, there is plenty of room for improvement, especially with the crust. If adding pirate apple brandy makes this pie a captain, I would say it is a generic privateer of a pie rather than, say, the Jean Lafitte of pies. A doughy rather than doughty captain as it were. Read on for a summary of comments…

Crust: 6.81 out of 10 (average of 8 reviews)
Well, the good news is that the addition of apple brandy did not give the crust a creepy apple flavor as I was afraid it would. Several people commented that it tasted like shortbread but there was disagreement over whether that was good or bad for a pie crust. A couple of tasters liked the increased saltiness and butteriness, but others thought it was bland. I think it was definitely an improvement, but it could indeed have had more flavor. If I made this exact pie again, I would sprinkle the top crust with cinnamon and sugar before baking. Along with his comments Eric submitted another chapter of his dissertation “The subduction zones of crustal plates in the formation of Blue Ridge Mountain (area pies).” I’ve studied the cross sections he submitted and agree that the stratigraphy suggests that I need to either roll crusts thinner and/or start using a pie bird to allow the crust to settle as the apples cook down. A Ph.D. in pie geology to you, sir. I think Anna may be right in that the crust could have benefitted from being cooked a tad longer. To be honest, I was afraid that if I cooked it any longer I would fall asleep and burn the pie, as I have famously done before.

Filling: 7.7 out of 10 (average of 8 reviews)
The score for filling increased the most – a whopping .7 point increase. Since the only thing that changed was the apple blend, I think that it was the increased tartness that did it. Plus, I really think I like chunks better than slices – the apples held their shape more and were less mushy. Endrina suggests adding lemon juice for increased tartness. Ultimately, I would like the flavor to come mainly from the apples, but until we’re there, it might be time to play with lemon juice. I suspect there will be a dramatic difference when apples are actually in season. Personally, I thought the pie could have used more spices; I think that when I added more apples, I forgot to also add more spices. Oops. I would continue to add more apples though – this pie just isn’t dense enough for me. Plus, with an entire office sharing one tiny pie, the only way for everyone to have more pie is to build up.

Pie: 7.3 out of 10 (average of 8 reviews)
I added a new question to the survey this go round at Susan’s (co-worker, not sister) suggestion. The final question asked whether or not the tasters would eat a second slice of this pie. While the answers certainly varied in enthusiasm level, they generally proved my theory that any pie is better than no pie, and seconds are best of all. Some people in fact had already had seconds by the time they got to the questions.

Thanks to all who commented. Even if I didn’t quote you, I’ve read your comments carefully and entered them into the pie archive for further study. Hmm, the pie archive might have to start handing out research fellowships...

Pie #2: Captain Apple Pie

2008-02-12T19:29:00.000-08:00

This pie has the same amount of sugar and the same spice blend as the control pie. I’ve changed the apple blend though. I’ve replaced the Staymans with McIntosh and Granny Smith for a more complex, and hopefully tangier taste. I thought that the volume of apples in the control pie was insufficient, so there is approximately one additional cup of apples in this one. I also cut the apples in chunks, rather than slices this time.

Pie profile:

Apples: 1 part Golden Delicious, 1 part McIntosh, 1 part Granny Smith

Lemon juice: none

Sugar: small amount, white sugar only

Spices: a mix of cinnamon and nutmeg

Crust: rolled pastry, top and bottom. Uses a mix of butter and crisco. Water replaced with apple jack.
Predictions: The combination of apples will give this pie a tarter taste than the control pie. I think the filling will have a firmer texture as well due to the new apples introduced and the fact that the apples are cut into bigger chunks. I would guarantee that this is going to be a better pie than the control pie, except that I think the crust is either going to be really great or really awful. Although it did smell heavenly when I rolled it out...

Fool Proof Crust?

2008-02-11T19:39:00.000-08:00

When one person (Carly) told me that alcohol (vodka) was supposed to be better in pie crusts than water, I was intrigued. When a second person (Susan) reported that alcohol (apple jack) was supposed to be particularly good for apple pie crusts, I was sold. Now before you protest, yes, I am aware that the American Pie Council’s official rules for the amateur division of the National Pie Championship strictly prohibit recipes with alcohol. Well, we’re not exactly at National Pie Championship level yet. And I have apple jack in the cupboard that needs to be used up. So, as I mix up dough for a pie to be made later in the week, I thought I would share some important tips for baking with alcohol. Don’t expect fancy tips though, these are practical considerations for all of us novices.

Apple Brandy = Apple Jack. Generally, if you are baking with it, you do not need fancy alcohol, so don't go buying the finest bottle of calvados that money can buy.

Do your alcohol research before you go to the liquor store.* Chances are, the alcohol you are buying is some strange thing that you would never drink and know nothing about. Likewise, while the average liquor store clerk may have great advice for picking out party liquor, they may not be an expert on the finer points of alcohol for fruitcakes. Back before I knew that apple jack was apple brandy, a clerk tried to tell me that what I wanted was sour apple schnapps. Fortunately, I knew just enough to realize that my fancy cake should not be made with something that was florescent green, but it was a close call. The internet is for nothing if not alcohol research. Search on whatever booze your recipe calls for and come up with several substitutions so that you can price compare. Keep in mind that the alcohol your recipe calls for may in fact be a brand and not a type – figure out what flavor you are looking for and you might be able to use one of any number of brands. *Note, this rule applies not just to baking, but to cooking with wine also. I recently saw a confused woman at Food Lion asking an equally befuddled clerk if the pink “wine” she was holding would work for cooking a roast. People who do not do their research before going to the store end up with strawberry-flavored roasts.

Apple jack is usually shelved with the other fruit brandies. This might be far away from the actual brandy. Often, it is the dust-covered section of the bottom shelf in the back of the store.

It is perfectly acceptable, when buying fruit brandies or other baking alcohols to loudly tell everyone in the store that you are buying it to bake with. They are more likely to believe you if you can make eye contact.

And finally, it is important to remember that you should not serve apple jack to your dinner guests; it is apparently not an after-dinner drink. Don’t be fooled by the presence of such delicious words as “apple” and “brandy” nor by the jaunty pirate and the old-timey script. Inexpensive apple brandy should only be drunk straight if you have some paint that you need removed from your esophagus.

Pie's the Word

2008-02-07T14:57:00.000-08:00

My brilliant friend Helen suggested that the Pie Odyssey should tackle the etymology of pie-related phrases in everyday use. In that vein I bring pie and etymology lovers the exciting news that among the words added to the online edition of the Oxford English Dictionary in December was the phrase "cutie-pie." Although I'm glad to see the OED recognizing the importance of pie-themed vocabulary, I am sorry that the entry for this phrase focuses more on the cutie and less on the pie. So you'll just have to check back for more fruitful discussions of the language of pie in future. (If you want to see the entry for cutie-pie, it sorts under cutie; the OED online is a subscription-only affair, but if you have affiliation with a university or library, you should be able to get access through your library's online catalogue.)

Dough you want to know a secret?

2008-02-05T16:10:00.000-08:00

A recent increase in discussions regarding pie has made something obvious to me: good crust is what makes someone’s reputation as a pie baker. It turns out that everyone knows at least one pie baker against whom all other pie bakers are measured and in every case, the first thing people praise about their (uncle’s/grandma’s/neighbor’s/friend’s/librarian’s) pie is the quality of the crust. Nobody ever says “wow, Aunt So-and-so really knows how to make a nice, firm, non-runny apple pie filling.” Comments are always about the lightness/flakiness etc. of the crust. And everyone’s special pie maker has a decided trick; in a twenty four hour period I have been counseled both to use only ice water and to use only room temperature water in my crusts. However crusts are made, they are clearly the secret to pie celebrity, and I need some serious practice if I am ever going to take anyone on in a pie bake-off.

"The Tom Hanks of Apple Pie" - Results of Pie Tasting #1

2008-02-05T15:15:00.000-08:00

For the purposes of the Pie Odyssey, I figured that I would need a controlled group of testers. I landed on my workplace as the perfect spot because, 1. The same group of people can reliably be found there every day, 2. My co-workers form the perfect combination of discerning food critics with a willingness to devour anything that appears on the kitchen table.

Predictably, the results of the pie tasting were all over the map, so I am exercising a baker's prerogative and focusing on the comments that were either repeated the most, or rang true with my own taste test. Overall, I think the most important trend was that multiple testers independently described some aspect of the pie as "serviceable." Here's a breakdown of results.

Crust: 6.7 out of 10 (average of 7 reviews)
Just as many people said that the crust was flaky as said that it was not flaky, but overall the tendency seems to suggest that the crust was on the dry side, and perhaps too thick. The good news is, two reviewers commented on its lack of greasiness - Eric commented that the "Crisco-iness lingered afterwards (in a pleasant way, not a gross way)." What kind of pies have you guys been eating?? Bottom line, my goal for future crusts is to work the dough less, while simultaneously rolling it thinner and magically increasing the flakiness. Check.

Filling: 7 out of 10 (average of 7 reviews)
I think taste-tester Anna nailed the analysis when she described the filling as "very similar to what you would see in an apple strudel." The consensus (and I agree) seems to be that the filling was mild and bland - not unpleasant, but a little boring. I get the sense that most tasters would agree that the way to give it more flavor would be with different, perhaps tarter, apples, rather than with more spices. I agree that the apples could have been firmer. Most people were okay with the sweetness level (sorry Polkadotta) so I won't adjust the sugar level just yet. There were two positive statements about the relative viscosity of the pie, so the cornstarch level seems to have been okay. When asked what they thought about the variety of apples used (Stayman and Golden Delicious) folks were pretty lukewarm. Jeff (who gave me the article mentioned in a previous post about the virtues of mixing apples) said the combination was "Not as exciting as one might hope from an apple mixture" and I totally agree. Obviously, this is not the right combination. My theory is that in a truly excellent apple pie, it is the fruit that does the real work. More experimentation is necessary, especially with tarter apples.

Overall Pie: 6.79 out of 10 (average of 7 reviews)
The consensus seems to have been that this pie was ideal....as a control pie for the great Pie Odyssey. Touted by Susan and Eric respectively as an "average joe" of apple pies and the "Tom Hanks" of apple pies, this was a mild and inoffensive (and dare I say, generic?) apple pie that will serve well as a baseline against which to measure future pies.

Thanks to all who tested pie and submitted comments. Your reviews have been archived in the official pie safe and will be taken into consideration. Posterity will thank you for your efforts.

Know Your Apples: Golden Delicious & Stayman

2008-02-04T20:59:00.000-08:00

Originally, the control pie was going to be made only from Stayman apples, but my boss gave me a great article on cooking with apples that advocated mixing sweet and tart apples for optimal effect (see Marcia Kramer, "Mix 'Em Up, Says 'Professor Apple'" Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2005). This article cites the oft-quoted apple expert Tom Burford, aka Professor Apple and puts my Stayman apples firmly in the tart category. Fortunately, I also had one giant Golden Delicious (sweet) that I added.

The Stayman originated in Kansas as a seedling of the Winesap in 1866. These were grown locally in Lovingston Virginia. My pre-baking taste test showed these to be mildly tart, with a very slight mealiness. The Golden Delicious originated in West Virginia, and may be the most common apple in the world, despite having only been discovered around 1890. This one had a lovely, pear-like flavor before cooking and was mildly sweet. (Sources: Barrie E. Juniper and David J. Mabberley, The Story of the Apple [Timber Press, 2006] 156; Roger Yepsen, Apples [Norton, 1994] 114-5, 210-1.

Pie #1: Control Pie

2008-02-04T20:40:00.000-08:00

Okay, we're starting with a pretty standard recipe, both for filling and crust in order to establish a baseline to compare all future pies to. For the filling, I used a modified version of the basic apple pie recipe in the 1962 edition of the Joy of Cooking. The crust derives from Auntie Sue's friend Sis, who is an excellent pie baker. It's basically flour, salt, crisco and ice water.

Pie profile:
Apples: 1 part Golden Delicious, 2 parts Stayman
Lemon juice: none
Sugar: small amount, white sugar only
Spices: a mix of cinnamon and nutmeg
Crust: rolled pastry, top and bottom.

Things I learned while making the control pie: Don't lick crisco off your fingers. It's time to buy a pastry knife. When it says to dot with butter, that should happen before the top crust goes on. It's time to go through dough rolling 101. The edges on this pie are irregular, and I had to repair a minor crack.

Predictions: The pie will be slightly tart, with a very traditional spice profile and a moderately juicy consistency.

What, no pie?

2008-02-03T07:50:00.000-08:00

Part of the impetus for the pie odyssey is what I perceive to be a general lack of pie in the state of Virginia. Prior to moving here, I spent most of my adult life in Texas and Wisconsin, where pie is omnipresent. Without half trying, I could name multiple locations in either state where you can get delicious pie. In Houston, there is a fine 24 pie restaurant. In college, there was a Pie Lady who would come around to the various academic departments once a week with a box full of mini pies for sale. My college roommate and I spent many lovely hours comparing the virtues of the various Pie Lady flavors – would we get apple this week, or lemon chess? It was the pie lady who first introduced me to the concept of buttermilk pie.

In Wisconsin, it seems like every restaurant has a bakery counter loaded with pies. There are bars that have pies up on the bar in front of the taps. Madison has one pie restaurant that features both sweet and savory pies, such that you can have an entire meal, just of pie. I always felt like in Wisconsin, when you were waiting at the bus stop, there was a 50/50 chance that whoever was standing next to you might actually have been a revolving pie case, and not an actual human being.

But Virginia just doesn’t seem to have that strong a pie culture. My co-workers are probably sick of hearing me rant about this, but when the topic came up again last week, none of us could think of a single restaurant in our area with a pie case. It was chilling. But I’m optimistic that I just haven’t been going to the right places, and may in fact need to venture farther afield in search of pie. So a second goal of the pie odyssey is going to be searching out places in Virginia with good pie. And of course, promoting pie to the people of Virginia. (photo: pies on top of the bakery case at Monty's Blue Plate Diner, Madison Wisconsin. courtesty Michel H.)

The Pie that Launched a Thousand Ships

2008-02-02T18:22:00.000-08:00

After celebrating National Pie Day (January 23rd) in grand style by baking two pies, sampling five pies, and hosting a pie appreciation contest, I've really been in pie withdrawal. Without the high of National Pie Day, the days have been greyer, the birds have chirpped less and I've been picking at all of my non-pie meals with disdain. Will Pie Day ever come again? Will the nation's windowsills ever hold delicious, steaming hot pies again? The answer must be a resoundng YES! In my post-Pie-Day melancholy, I have been contemplating a crazy dream - a way to pass the misery between now and next January - a great Pie Odyssey!

What, you ask, is a Pie Odyssey, and how do I sign on for such a journey of deliciousness? Well, to answer the first question, as with any great journey, we cannot know it's full scope at the outset. But I'm starting with the following goal: To spend the year improving my somehwat limited pie-baking skills, with the ultimate hope of creating an original recipe to enter in some manner of baking contest! Now, if we're going to be serious about this (and we are) this means that we've got to be focused and scholarly. And we're going to have to start with basics. Which means that I'm declaring 2008 to be....Ellen's Year for Apple Pie! All year long I'm going to study, experiment with, and taste apple pie recipes. Hold onto your forks, because there is going to be so much pie this year. Also, keep your library card at hand, because there will be footnotes. (photo: lovely local Stayman apples for the first (aka control) pie.)