I did not grow up in a household where dessert was a regular thing. More often than not, when we asked about a sweet treat after dinner, we were pointed to the fruit bowl or a jar of applesauce. However, once or twice a year, there would be pie.
The pie happened on no particular schedule. My mom baked in response to her own cravings and could not be hurried or begging into producing pie. We learned early that it was better to leave her alone and accept the serendipitous pie than try to wheedle it into being. And accept it, we did. Her pies were always sturdy, not-too-sweet creations that piled mountains of fruit into a nutty, half whole wheat crust. My favorite thing was being allowed a slice for breakfast the next day.
Thanks to this early conditioning, pie will be forever feel like a way create a special occasion out of a Wednesday evening. It’s one of the things I hope to do with my kids someday (of course, I have to have them first).
You may be asking yourself, why is Marisa waxing poetic about her childhood pie memories? I recently got a review copy of Ashley English’s new book, A Year of Pies, and now I can’t stop thinking about tucking food, both sweet and savory, between layers of crust.
Some of you probably know Ashley from her blog, Small Measure, or from her other four (!) books on all manner homesteady topics like Keeping Bees and Canning and Preserving. This book is similar in organization to her previous ones in that it offers an extensive section towards the front of the book that walks you through the equipment, the different kinds of crusts (and what each is best for), tips on rolling and the various techniques you can employ to achieve gorgeous crusts, before moving on to the recipes.
Once through that grounding section, the rest of the book is arranged by season, proving unequivocally that pie isn’t just a summer and fall dessert. Any winter day would be made better by the Maple Orange Walnut Pie on page 55 on the Carrot Pie on page 77.
The book contains sweet pies, savory pies (like the homey Chicken Pot Pie pictured below), tarts, galettes, crostada and hand pies. There are both bake and no-bake options and even a pie version of Polish-style stuffed cabbage. Ashley also invited a few of her blogging friends to contribute recipes, including a Gluten-Free Streusel Apple Pie from Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking author Kate Payne.
For those of us who are working our way through baskets of berries and armloads of peaches this time of year, I think it’s important to put a little of that fruit aside and make something that allows us to enjoy the bounty now, as well as later. Pie is on my to-do list for later this week.
My pie story is about buying love.
I had been staying in a friend’s house for a week while I visited his city. As a thank-you to him and his housemates, I set out to bake a sugar pie for them one day. (The friend was French-Canadian, so the choice of pie was fitting. And his housemates had never tried one!) I realized, as I was sliding the pie into the oven, that I had never actually learned how long it took for the pie to bake — I always just kept peeking at it until I could see the sugar bubbling through the crust. Paranoid of over-baking (and turning it into a tooth-gluey toffee pie) I parked myself in front of the oven with a book, peering through the window every couple pages until it was done.
I was later voted the best houseguest ever, partly due to having done the dishes, but mostly because of the pie.
Hurray for pie!
There’s still one farmer’s market in our area that sells sour cherries. Buying them by the quart, pitting, freezing and of course baking pies with them is one of my rituals of summer.
My favorite pies were always pecan pies… until I grew up enough to make them myself and realized what when into them. Now I’m hoping someday I’ll master the art of pie dough and stop buying them pre-made.
I love pie..homemade or store bought. My pie story is one of disappointment..my absolute favorite pie is cherry; I had bought one at Whole Foods and had been looking forward to it all day. When dinner was finally over and I went to cut it, I found that the pie was mislabeled and it was actually an apple pie! While still good, it just wasn’t the same! I’ll stick with making my own now so I know what I am getting!
I love pie and don’t make it often enough. My favorite is apple cranberry.
I have a blueberry pie story. When my brother was around 4 or so, he climbed out of bed early one morning and headed down to the kitchen. Someone had left a blueberry pie out on the counter, which was too much temptation to resist. He pulled down the pie, and started to eat it. And play with the bits. And throw them up onto the ceiling.
Needless to say, when my parents came down, everything in the kitchen was covered in pie.
Growing up, we (5 kids) had a cherry tree in the back yard. Living in the city with that huge tree was wonderful. I literally lived up there all summer long. It was my safe haven. Weather I was playing hide-n-go seek, running away from a sibling, or having gotten in trouble, I ran to the cherry tree. See, no one else would climb that tree like I did.
If the cherries were ripe, I always had a good reason to be up there. I could spend hours up in that tree. And why shouldn’t I? I was always told by my Mom when I was in trouble, “you just wait until your Father gets home, he will get you down.” Well my Dad wouldn’t climb that tree either. He just sent me up a bucket and told me to pick cherries until it was full. What a punishment! We always ended up with pies, tarts or on really really good days jelly!
I always had a very good reason for being bad LOL…Is that so bad?
Strawberry Rhubarb. Hands down!
My grandma was famous for her pies. She made a pecan and a sour cream raisin pie that were heavenly! I’m still working on imitating her!
One time early in my marriage I was given a small bag of hopeless looking Jonathan apples. It was fall so I thought I would impress my new husband with an apple pie. I found an outstanding recipe and whipped those pitiful looking apples into a pie to remember. Every fall I make apple pies and baked apples and strudels, but I’ve never been gifted with apples again.
From the time my kids were small, we allowed (fruit) pie for breakfast so long as they also had cereal, so this is normal for them, but not for their friends. This has led to my having a reputation as a pretty cool mom. It never lasts, but I enjoy the moment. So many pie memories!
My mom would rarely make pies. We lived on a big property with my grandparents. So 2 houses and a huge repair car garage. Im from Vancouver Island, so blackberries grow like weeds. Grandma would make a blackberry pie out of all the berries that my brothers and I would pick for the day. So yummy. I live now in Montreal, and would never dare buying blackberries that come from mexico. its just not the same. Thanks grandma!
Growing up in Germany I’d never had a piece of pie until I moved to the US. It took me a while to master baking a decent one, but now they are one of my favorite desserts. Especially rhubarb raspberry pie, yummy. 🙂
Oh, pie… My mom rarely made pie when I was growing up, because she thought making the crust was too fussy. After a lesson at 4-H camp, I worked on perfecting my technique and now I’m the designated crust maker of the family.
My mom’s pie, a peaches and cream delight made with heaving whipping cream and nutmeg, will always be the gold standard, upgraded with an all butter crust.
Pie is one of my favorite things to bake. I love how even if it comes out a little wonky looking, it’s still great becaue it’s pie! I’m so curious about the carrot pie mentioned in the post.
My favorite pie is pumpkin but, unfortunately, my husband doesn’t like it. Actually, maybe that is a good thing because it keeps me from making them and eating way too much! I’m not the best pie maker, but I enjoy trying.
Mmm every pie I can think of, I can think of a friend or loved one associated with that signature dish. My aunt- pumpkin, friend Jess, apple and Juli, Pecan- all part of my favorite community of bakers and cooks! This book looks lovely.
My entire life I used premade pie crusts to bake. I never had anyone to teach me, but my family always raved about my homemade fillings and were accustomed to the store bought crusts.
When I was diagnosed I found that the one thing that alleviated the pain when the pain meds didn’t quite work was to stand up. Although I always cook and bake a great deal, I was getting bored standing around all the time so I decided I would teach myself to make pie crust – my husband’s favorite dessert being apple pie.
It was frustrating and sometimes a big ol’ mess, but the looks on the family’s faces when they tasted my first “real” pie were priceless. I won’t ever forget it.
Now I am making everyone at my husband’s work and the oncologist’s office fat with all the pie I keep sending in. heehee
I adore pie. I think pie is the new cupcake! My favorite pie is chocolate cream. My first professional food writing article contained a recipe for spicy chocolate cream pie. It holds such a special place in my heart 🙂
Every fall I spend a day making individual sized bunches of chicken pot pies, loaded with chicken, potatoes, veggies and cream sauce. When cooled I wrap them tightly and layer them into my freezer. When the days get cold and grey there is nothing better than taking out one of the pies, heating it up, which makes the house smell all warm and snug, and then diving in for a wonderful winter meal.
My very first pie was made way back in a grade school class called Home Economics. The teacher insisted everyone learn how to make a perfect lemon meringue pie.
I am a life-long Vermonter. The state fruit is the apple and the state pie is apple pie. When serving apple pie, a good faith effort must be made to offer with it (a) a glass of cold milk, (b) a slice of cheddar cheese, or (c) a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It is the law. I always have it with vanilla but my father-in-law must have it with a slice of cheddar 🙂 Come have a slice of my apple pie- it only takes about 18 of the small, wild apples that grow in my back yard. It’s a total time-suck to peel/slice them all, but so worth it in the end 🙂
Ever since I was very little, pies have been my favorite thing to bake. When I went to college, I would bake a pie whenever I was feeling homesick or stressed. Luckily for me, my college’s identity is tied up with apple trees, assuring an abundance of free apples during the fall semester. Unluckily for my dorm, though–I set the fire alarm off twice in the same semester (due to dripping pie juices), forcing us all out into the Vermont snow in the middle of the night to wait for the fire trucks! But I shared my pies and that made everything alright.
MMMM – pie! I remember one morning as a child staying at the cattle ranch my uncle managed. I had gotten up when it was still dark and made my way to the kitchen. My uncle was sitting at the table, in the dark enjoying a bowl of fresh blueberry pie and cream. I thought he had warmed the pie (although this was before microwaves) but it turns out it was the cream that was warm – it was fresh from the cow! It’s one of my favorite memories and fresh blueberry pie is one of my favorites! Warm with cream of course!
I hadn’t actually had a slice of pie until I was well nigh 14 years old (in Spain, pies are not really a thing) but once I had that slice of apple pie, I knew I was going to start making pies and hence started a year of pie pastry failures until I finally taught myself the knack. I haven’t failed since and happily stuff my pies with…well, anything, fish chowder for instance!
My mom never made pies. she liked to tell about the time she made a pie so bad that college aged boys would not eat it….
Now I’m grown up, and I love to bake, even pies 🙂 My husband will not eat fruit pies. When I make one I get it all to myself 🙂
My husband always joked that he married me, not for my pie, but rather for my mother’s lemon meringue pie. She loved to cook, and I think the fact that he probably had one of the largest appetites she had ever encountered was a wonderful challenge for her. Now I make the pies…while not quite as good, lemon meringue is still the go-to choice.
My favorite type (and the kind that tugs at my heartstrings most) of pie is the sour cherry pie that my Bubi (grandmother) makes. She made me one for my high school graduation, which is the first time I can remember it. She continues to make them for special occasions, specifically Valentine’s Day and her wedding anniversary. I made her teach me how to make them a few years ago and I’ve been continuing the tradition for my husband and I.
I taught my niece how to make the recipe a few years ago and was surprised by a blueberry pie on my last visit. I certainly wasn’t that impressive during middle school.
Though it isn’t my favorite pie, Thanksgiving would not be complete without my grandmother’s mince meat pie. It feels like home to me.
I prefer cake, but hubby and Pops like pie the best.
I like to keep my men happy, so I’ve made a lot of pies over the years. ;>
A good chicken pie recipe is one I’ve been looking for for a long time.
Sour cherry is my all time favorite pie. It’s sweet and tart and fruity and delicious! And a book devoted to pie making sounds like something I need to read!
Hi Marisa! I’ve brought your lovely cookbook with me to visit my Mother in law, who is 88, in NH. She was quite intrigued by it and I saw her copying a recipe on the sly…we always make preserves out of her peaches and blueberries when we come here and she loves cookbooks.
My pie story: My Grandmother was a big fan of apple pie with a slice of sharp cheddar and we had this yummy treat with our Sunday dinner most weeks. Because she made so many pies, she made a big container of pie crust “starter” (for lack of a better word) that she kept in the kitchen cupboard ( the one with the squeaky door). I have always been a dough hound and this temptation was always too much for me. I’d open that squeaky door (fervently hoping I wasn’t heard, though I suspect she always knew what I was up too) and I’d sneak pinches of that crumbly nirvana that was made up of flour, salt and spry. I always think about my grandmother when I cut butter into flour now and it makes me smile. She was such a lovely wee person.
I love pie. Really love pie. I made my first one when I was 13 or so without any help and from that day forward I became the family Pie Maker. These days I’m all about crumble tops and free-form crostadas.
Some close friends of mine got married a couple years ago, and instead of having a wedding cake they had everyone bring a pie. I brought a peach and blueberry crumb pie. Mmmm. Delicious and a great memory.
Every year on my birthday Mom made me a Lemon Meringue Pie, I love the tart lemon with the piled high meringue. Better than a cake any day!
My favorite, by far, is sour cherry! This looks like a fantastic book!
I’ve never been able to make a completely successful pie. The crust is soggy or weird or too small or too thick…I’m a disaster.
Maybe this book would help 🙂
I loved your mention of pie for breakfast – now that I’m making my own pies, having a slice for breakfast is without a doubt my favourite thing to do.
Growing up my nanny made the absolute best pies, I always joke I’ve been ruined for life because of them. My nanny also had a crazy sweet tooth (which skipped my mum and went straight to me) so she would always sneak me an extra piece of pie when my mum wasn’t paying attention “so it won’t go bad”.
My Mothers Apple pie is the only apple pie I will eat. My favorite pie is strawberry rhubarb. I haven’t gotten the hang of making great crusts-hopefully, one day!
The first pie I ever baked entirely on my own was made with black raspberries that I picked myself, also entirely on my own. But I was more than happy to have friends help me eat it! It was a bit seedy, but delicious nonetheless.
I have lovely memories of my mum’s pies and though I have her crust recipe, mine is never QUITE the same as hers. Enter Julia Child’s sweet short crust recipe and free form gallettes… a whole new world, in which pie crusts are easy (!) to roll out and the free form shape is very, very forgiving!
Pie is my favorite thing. My husband and I are really pie people, not cake people so when we got married on July 4th 2009 we decided to have wedding pie instead of cake. We cooked all the food of our 60 guests including 15 pies, homemade crust and all. We had 6 kinds: peach, apple, rhubarb, shoo-fly, ollalieberry and chocolate mousse. It was the most amazing cooking feat of my life and I feel incredibly proud. People still talk about all the pie at our wedding. Too bad I was so nervous and excited, I barely ate any!
My mom has always baked amazing pie. I still swear by her crust recipe. But one day she made a rum pie. I ate it unsuspecting. What a disappointment! Maybe I would like it more now but my 5 year old palate was disappointed for days afterward.
I grew up in rural northeast Kansas in the 1960’s, where gardens were not optional and the hen house had more than just a few “girls”. the family depend upon the food sources or meager income – “egg money” for extras on occasion- essentials often. Our farm neighborhood shared “expensive” equipment and worked with each other to put up hay, harvest- where more manpower was needed. The women most often were members of an Extension Service Unit that provided a bit of social connection, education on food preparation and preservation, clothing construction and all topics household management.
One neighbor woman was an avid gardener with one of those enviable gardens, strategically placed alongside the gravel road to town so all could see what was coming up. (Actually location was determined by proximity to the kitchen door and not being in the barn yard itself…) We admired/envied the garden on those infrequent trips -all 2.5 miles- to town on Saturday for groceries or Sunday for church.
L. was a baker of pies!!! Pies for church dinners, for the local cafe’s, baking contests, etc. She was respected as a good cook and her pies … MY … oh my!! She once told me that she couldn’t understand why young women couldn’t get up early enough to bake pies before their families got up. “Just can’t understand” that. She explained that the house is coolest then so the crust will work easily and the stress load is lowest so you can be gentle with the crusts. “If you have frustrations to work out, make bread and knead your stresses away.”
Here’s to you. L- I always look forward to baking some of your recipes. Perhaps early in the morning before the family gets up.
ALL time favorite pie: Huckleberry! It is not common and it takes me home to my childhood in Idaho. Makes me think of my Gradad and Grammy, two very special people in my life!
I never grew up making pies, much less eating them. When I came to this country, I was fascinated by them and decided to learn how to make them. My first endeavor was the apple pie. My family loved it and from then on apple pie is my ” go to pie. ” I have perfected my crust through the years but always open to new ways and ideas.
I think I only ever had frozen pies growing up (Sara Lee’s, at Thanksgiving), coming from a Chinese family where pies aren’t exactly common. But I’ve been dreaming of peach pies and blueberry pies recently- I’m hoping to pick up some fruit from the market for a pie this weekend, actually!
My mom used to bake up a storm when we went on family vacations in an RV (in a tiny propane oven!). Some of my favorite pies were the ones she made in Myrtle Beach, SC, where the scent of baking peaches wafted through open windows and made the entire campground envious!
One Thanksgiving my grandma forgot to put sugar in the pumpkin pies! Surprisingly there were still delicious and we gobbled (pun intended:) them up!
My mom was a wonderful pie baker. Sunday mornings she would bake 2 or 3 pies before I got out of bed, for the big Sunday dinner after church. She taught me how to make my first pie, cherry, for a home economics class demonstration. I’ve been making pies ever since. Fruit pies are my favorite thing to bake. Mom has Alzheimer’s now and is no longer baking pies, but she passed that skill onto me. I always think of her and smile when I am making a pie.