What pie catches your eye?

  • By Mina Williams Herald writer
  • Tuesday, October 25, 2011 11:05pm
  • Life

“The great American dessert is … pie,” Emily Post wrote in the 1937 edition of “Etiquette.”

Pie is something that brings a sense of tradition with a simple scent. It is the baked good for all seasons and pie comes in a seemingly infinite number of varieties.

When the scent of a freshly baked pumpkin pie is in the air, it’s fall. Catch a whiff of strawberry pie and you know that it’s summer. The spicy aroma of mincemeat is one of the winter holiday’s favorites.

Easy as pie is not so simple. Pie making is not simple to execute and even choosing a pie to buy can be a head-scratcher.

Styling starts with the crust. Double crusted and filled with fruit, and single crusted with a creamy filling are just two options. Some pies take a turn toward the savory with a mashed potato topping or baking powder biscuit bottom.

Crusts – basically flour and a source of fat bound together with a liquid – begin the “best pie” discussion. Every family has its time honored preferences for crusts whether that be a flaky, crunchy presentation or a toothsome style pastry.

The debate heats up when exploring butter versus shortening versus lard or any combination of the three. Then there is the liquid temperature deliberation – simply cool tap water or chilled further with ice cubes. Some people claim that using a mix of water and vodka produces the most flaky pastry.

That discussion comes only after fillings are explored. While apple is the leading filling favorite, other fruits – peach, pear, rhubarb and cherry – lead the top favorites list. Then there are the cream, ice cream and meringue styles that bring enough variety to eat pie daily. And that’s just the sweet side.

The warm and uncomplicated savory favorites such as quiche, shepherds, spinach and chicken pies hold a homey comfort.

Pie apparently is recession-proof, according to the American Institute of Baking and Information Resources. This stability comes as more consumers choose to eat at home and select convenient desserts. Americans eat 137 million purchased pies every year. Add in all the homemade delights and that’s a lot of pie.

No matter the crust or filling pie is a food to celebrate. Be sure to mark the calendar for National Pie Day, Dec. 1.

WHAT OUR READERS LIKE

Marie Callender’s blueberry.

Jill, Seattle

Berry Berry at Simply Desserts in Fremont. My hubby goes for the apple there.

Elisabeth, Kenmore

Apple, peach, pecan pie….from my kitchen

Christine, Edmonds

Apple pie from my sister

David, Shoreline

Apple pie from my mom

Linda, Everett

Apple pie is the best and I make it in my kitchen.

Barbara, Mill Creek

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.