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January 23rd is National Pie Day

Fri, 01/23/2009

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The American Pie Council, which is the only organization out there that preserves America’s pie heritage, has declared January 23^rd a fine day to celebrate pie.

Did you know they ate pie in Ancient Egypt? Or that there even was an American Pie Council? Well, you can learn more facts on their website about the wonderful world of pie.

If the thought of a day devoted to pies makes you hungry, here's a recipe from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book. Sweet Melissa's is a bakery with several locations in Brooklyn, NY.

(Blogger's note: Naturally, the author, Melissa Murphy, recommends using one of her piecrust recipes but we won't tell anyone if you just buy a pre-made one at the store...)

Sour Cherry Pie with Pistachio Crumble

My talented friend Andrea Lekberg created this pie during her tenure as pastry chef at Sweet Melissa's. Lucky for us! It is my favorite pie, and one of the best-selling pies in the shops.

For the Piecrust

1/2 recipe Flaky Pie Dough (page 137)

For the Pistachio Crumble

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup whole oats, ground to a flour in a food processor (yielding ½ cup oat flour)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup shelled unsalted whole pistachios, coarsely ground in a food processor or chopping medium fine by hand

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the Sour Cherry Filling

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon kosher sale

2 1/4 pounds fresh sour cherries, pitted, or 2 pounds frozen sour cherries, partially thawed

To Prepare the Piecrust

Roll out the pie dough into a round 14 inches wide and 1/4 thick. Gently fit into a 10-inch pie plate. Fold the edges under and crimp. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

To Make the Pistachio Crumble

1. In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, oat flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pistachios.

2. Stir in the melted butter and mix gently to combine.

Before You Make the Filling

Place a rack in the bottom third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

To Make the Cherry Filling

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.

2. In a medium bowl, place the cherries and sprinkle the flour mixture over the top; mix gently to combine. (If you are using fresh cherries, the natural sweetness can vary. Taste the mixture to see if you need more sugar than is called for.)

3. Pout the cherries into the unbaked pie shell.

To Complete the Pie

1. Sprinkle the pistachio crumble evenly over the top of the cherries.

2. Place the pie plate on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the juices are bubbling and thick. Remove to a rack to cool to room temperature before serving.

Fruit pies are best eaten the day they are baked.

Listen to the podcast with Sweet Melissa's Melissa Murphy.


	Everyone has a favorite sweet treat. Whether it's a delicious brownie or the perfect mouthwatering chocolate chip cookie, simple, homespun treats are some of our most beloved. Melissa Murphy has a love of desserts that started when she was born on Thanksgiving Day-her mother refused to go to the hospital until the two pies she'd baked had been served. Now, Melissa brings that passion to the loyal devotees of her popular, award-winning Sweet Melissa Pâtisserie shops.

Here are some other books with recipes for pies:


	It's all here: from the basic to the gourmet, from preparation to serving, all presented in a clear, concise, simple manner. Recipes for every level of expertise are included, from basic broccoli to Artichoke Souffle, along with all-American classics such as Chicken a la King and Peach Meringue Pie. In addition, the cookbook offers a cornucopia of food suggestions for any situation and any pocketbook: complete menus and table settings for each month of the year and holidays, storage tips, food-buying guides, calorie counters, and much more. The widespread attention to regional American cooking and the proliferation of home-style cafes across the country all point to a new pride and interest in American cooking. The Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook, with its 10,000 recipes and countless food facts and ideas, is a cornerstone cookbook for every kitchen.
	*A New York Times Notable* cookbook of 2007** Cooking with Shelburne Farms is a celebration of food from the land. With one hundred recipes featuring ten basic Vermont ingredients-milk and cheese, maple syrup, early season greens, lamb, mushrooms, game, fish, pork, root cellar vegetables, and apples-the dishes deliver rustic flavors with a fresh, comfortable, country-style cooking approach. There are recipes for low-fuss weeknight dinners, such as maple-black pepper roast chicken as well as dishes that will impress guests, such as roast duck legs with sour cherry sauce. With classics like hash, shepherd's pie, and tomato soup, and New England desserts like hot milk sponge cake and maple syrup pie, Cooking with Shelburne Farms brings a new twist to traditional favorites and pairs native ingredients with newer world flavors.

Or you could always make a pie that features in your favorite series:


	The millions of fans who read Patricia Cornwell's bestsellers know that her popular character, Kay Scarpetta, loves to unwind in the kitchen. Book after book finds her tapping into her Italian heritage to create delicious meals for herself and her friends. Brimming with full-color photographs and inspired by dozens of food scenes in Kay's kitchen and favorite restaurants, Food to Die For is a cookbook tailor-made for Scarpetta fans. Among the criminally good recipes: * Miami-Style Chili with Beer (All That Remains) * Grilled Grouper with Butter and Key Lime Juice (Cruel and Unusual) * Jack Daniel's Chocolate Pecan Pie (The Body Farm)
	Millions of Mitford fans around the world will agree-it's easy to put on a pound or two reading a Mitford novel. Scene after scene of the bestselling series' colorful characters enjoying tantalizing dishes can immediately start a craving. Then, before you know it, you've read several pages by the glow of the refrigerator lightbulb. Packed with more than 150 recipes from the Mitford novels and from the author's own recipe box, *Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook & Kitchen Reader* is loaded with tips, hints, jokes, culinary quotes, and delightful side-dish sidebars guaranteed to start a stomach rumbling. From Miss Sadie's Apple Pie to Puny's Cornbread, from Emma's Pork Roast to Marge's Sweet Tea with Peppermint, beloved characters come alive through their own favorite recipes. Here, too, are Karon's reminiscences of her own family's food traditions and-as dessert-four stories never before published in her books.

Now that you've had your pick of pies, read about where pie fits into American Culture:


	What could be a more fun and delicious way to celebrate American culture than through the lore of our favorite foods? That's what John T. Edge does in his smart, witty, and compulsively readable new series on the dishes everyone thinks their mom made best. If these are the best-loved American foods-ones so popular they've come to represent us-what does that tell us about ourselves? And what do the history of the dish and the regional variations reveal? There are few aspects of life that carry more emotional weight and symbolism than food, and in writing about our food icons, Edge gives us a warm and wonderful portrait of America -by way of our taste buds. After all, "What is patriotism, but nostalgia for the foods of our youth?" as a Chinese philosopher once asked.

Posted by: Julie Schaeffer, Online Content Coordinator