Your Perfect Pie

In 1902, the English suggested that pies should only be eaten twice a week. The New York Times responded with, "Pie is the American synonym of prosperity, and its varying contents the calendar of the changing seasons. Pie is the food of the heroic. No pie- eating people can ever be permanently vanquished."

Although Europeans have been eating pies since at least the 1400s, Americans eat more pies that any other group. In fact, some pies are especially associated with the United States. In addition to the apple pie, which makes use of this common American fruit, there is also the pumpkin pie and the Pennsylvanian Dutch shoofly pies made with molasses.

What Makes a Pie a Pie?
A pie is any dish with a crust, either on the top, the bottom or both, and the crust can be made from crumbs, meringues, biscuits or pastry. Pies are almost always cooked in a shallow dish with sloping sides.

A tart is a type of pie. Tarts are always open-faced and usually have a pastry-style crust. Small tarts are sometimes called tartlets. Originally, pies were deep dish and filled with meats, while tarts were meant for dessert. However, after the American Revolution, when sugar became scarce and housewives needed to be thrifty, shallow pies of all types were developed because they required less filling.

This was an excerpt from Your Perfect Pie by Carma Spence-Pothitt, available on Amazon.com.