I've eaten a lot of pie in the past 15 years. There are some things I learned along the way.
First, you never know where you will find a good slice of pie. From strange little bunkers in the post-industrial, concrete jungle of sprawling Los Angeles (blackberry pie that will make your soul weep) to country mulch-farms in South New Jersey (caramel-dripped apple pie that is worthy of a national holiday). Amazing pie can be found anywhere and everywhere. You need to keep your eyes open and your stomach empty.
Second, never joke about someone's pie-making ability. Pie bakers are serious (even when they are not serious people, pie baking makes them strangely earnest). They believe in the power of their pie. They believe it is extraordinary and they want you to experience this gift. And sometimes...well, sometimes their extraordinary pie is pretty ordinary (or occasionally, outright awful). You can never tell them this. It is the adult version of debunking Santa Claus. Heart breaking and a bit dangerous. Just keep on eating and hope you can hold it down.
Lastly, pie brings us together. I am not shaming cake. Brownies are wonderful, Pudding still makes me laugh. But pie is different. Pie binds us as humans. Coupled with a good cup of coffee, the pie eating ritual slows us down, forces us into the present and makes us a little more decent.
First, you never know where you will find a good slice of pie. From strange little bunkers in the post-industrial, concrete jungle of sprawling Los Angeles (blackberry pie that will make your soul weep) to country mulch-farms in South New Jersey (caramel-dripped apple pie that is worthy of a national holiday). Amazing pie can be found anywhere and everywhere. You need to keep your eyes open and your stomach empty.
Second, never joke about someone's pie-making ability. Pie bakers are serious (even when they are not serious people, pie baking makes them strangely earnest). They believe in the power of their pie. They believe it is extraordinary and they want you to experience this gift. And sometimes...well, sometimes their extraordinary pie is pretty ordinary (or occasionally, outright awful). You can never tell them this. It is the adult version of debunking Santa Claus. Heart breaking and a bit dangerous. Just keep on eating and hope you can hold it down.
Lastly, pie brings us together. I am not shaming cake. Brownies are wonderful, Pudding still makes me laugh. But pie is different. Pie binds us as humans. Coupled with a good cup of coffee, the pie eating ritual slows us down, forces us into the present and makes us a little more decent.
(PS - If you are looking to make a pie pilgrimage, the I Like Pie Bake Shop in Claremont, CA is a must on the list. Incredible.)
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