Now that Halloween is over and Thanksgiving is just around the corner, it’s vacation time. With all the excitement, I’d like to take a moment to talk about pie dessert. Pie is one of America’s most cult desserts, and not just since the creation of the Star Spangled Banner.
Back in the Pilgrim days, pioneers learned to stretch the ingredients using different types of fruits and berries that grew wild in the forests and hedgerows. Back then, there was more crust than filling, but over time, the variety of pies increased and their quality improved. The evolution of nature led to experimentation with new recipes. Pies have evolved over time. Thanks to modern science and culture, today we can buy fruits and berries year-round or bring them in from other provinces at a minimal cost.
The history of pies is fascinating to many. The inventiveness of the pioneers is remarkable. Women in colonial times used round pans to cut corners and stretch ingredients. For the same reason, they also made flat pies. Rhubarb (a New World horticultural plant) was known as the “pie tree”. Three basic products were needed to make the golden pie: lard, flour, and water.
The origins of pastry go back to the golden age of Greece. The Romans who conquered Greece tasted this delicacy and brought back the recipe through the Roman roads. The recipe for the pastry spread throughout Europe and different cultures adapted it to their own cuisines and customs. When the colonists arrived in America, they started with what they had. The colonists experimented in their own kitchens and created different pastries made in their former homeland.
Regional pies were born. Pumpkin (a native vegetable) in New England, pecan pie in the South, and “nervous pie” (fruit pudding) in the Pennsylvania Dutch kitchen. The pie was an important pleasure in the lives of the pioneers. It is said that one day a ship carrying molasses to Connecticut was held up at sea and the settlers decided to postpone their Thanksgiving celebrations until the ship arrived, in order to use the molasses to make pumpkin pies. Today, pumpkin pie is still a staple of Thanksgiving dinner in New England.
Dutch apple pie, cherry pie, pumpkin pie, lemon pie, chocolate pie, pecan pie, coconut pie, fruit pie, pudding pie, cream pie, savory main courses such as chicken or beef pot pie, rice, potatoes, crackers, corn, and flaky pastry crust. Moreover, the choice of pies is endless. This Christmas season, get into the pioneering spirit, experiment, and have fun.
