Tuesday, August 15, 2006























Crustaceans

Some things run in families; things like male pattern baldness, red hair, insanity – those traits attributable to genetic make-up. In my family, you also inherit pie.

My mother was a great pie baker. Her apple pie was the best anyone anywhere ever made, followed (not necessarily in this order) by her strawberry, blueberry, lemon, chocolate, pineapple, grape, rhubarb, banana cream, and pecan pies. She must have learned about pie from her mother and her aunts.

Apple, rhubarb, grape and blueberry were “double crust,” the tops being decorated with a design resembling three shafts of grain. The design also vented the pie during baking. I’ve never seen her exact design on anyone else’s pies, so as I roll out my own crust, I am aware that I am probably perpetuating a little bit of artistry handed down many generations. I am a link in a chain of women, each one of us carefully adding some sweetness to the lives of loved ones.

As I cut this design of three curved lines decorated with small leaf-like slits, I wonder if my grandmother ever thought back to her mother and her grandmother as she made her pies and drew their design (a sort of homespun coat of arms) with her knife.

I place my pie in the oven. I think sweet thoughts.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can't really be sure Mom did but I sure remember Grandma making that design and I used to watch her and always do the same. It's not quite as eloquent as the one shown, but nevertheless, the same design. Interesting!

DirkStar said...

I am a pie addict! When my wife and I were married everyone brought their favorite pie.

NO WEDDING CAKE!! Pie... Ice-cream...

M-m-m-m-m... Pie...

..................... said...

aha,
found it. beautiful post. it's lovely when worthwhile traditions pass along to the next generation.
when i place a pie in the oven i think that i want to eat it all....can't help myself.

meggie said...

My Mother made lovely pies too. She never did get Flakey pastry down pat, but I have inherited my paternal grandmother's flair for flakey! And my mother's pastry was lovely.
What a lovely tradition with the decoration, to vent the pie. My maternal grandmother had a blackbird pie funnel... I often wonder what happened to it!