“As American as apple pie.” There’s
a reason we’ve had this saying for so long; it’s because it’s true. Americans
cannot hold claim to inventing pie in general, but we can take full tribute for
the invention of sweet pies—fruit, custard, anything without meat. Back in
Ancient Greece, where almost everything in our society started, they made
spiced meat pies. These pies sometimes had figs in them for added flavor, but
there is no record of anyone making a fruit pie. These meat pies made their way
through Europe to England and then came over to America on the Mayflower. When
the colonists became revolutionaries, they also became revolutionary bakers.
Looking for a way to get food on the run, the revolutionaries made small, hand
held fruit pies (McDonalds, anyone?).[1]
No matter where you go in America
or whom you hang out with, there will be a pie. There are diner pies. These
pies represent rural, small town America and are homemade, simple, classic,
usually topped with Reddi Whip. They come out of their pie cases to sit next to
blue plate specials or a cup of coffee.
A close relative of the diner pie
is the blue ribbon state fair pie. These pies are also homemade but are a bit
more fussy, just like your pageant girls. Just like the keys to perfect pageant
hair, these pies are made from secret recipes handed down from mama to
daughter.
We also have the busy family pie.
These are usually courtesy of Marie Callender but could also be an ice box pie
or a “mud pie”—chocolate pudding pie with a pre-made graham cracker crust.
These are part of the new American dream of the two kids and a dog with the white
picket fence. They are middle America and are a special treat for the high
speed suburb families.
Finally you have the country clubs,
the leisure class, today’s daughters of the Revolution. These are your chiffon
pies, your meringue pies, the pies that require more attention and would look
best if eaten off of vintage china while sitting under an umbrella sipping tea.
These are your first ladies, Lady Bird Johnson, Jackie O, Nancy, Laura and
Michelle pies.
Beyond being able to unite America,
pie can also help us talk about our family history. In my family, pie has been
a centerpiece at many family meals. My daddy’s mama makes a thin custard pie
with a Crisco crust. She is the product of the Great Depression, coming from a
small farming family in Pennsylvania. She doesn’t want to waste anything, and
even uses the leftover piecrust. She puts cinnamon and sugar on the rolled out
leftovers, making a cookie to have with her coffee in the morning.
My aunt on my mama’s side is the
product of a changing family dynamic. My Nana became a journalist when my aunt
was a child, so she has always felt a little cheated. Homemade pie was a
special treat when Nana was trying to juggle being a local socialite and a
writer. As a result, my aunt makes a generic apple pie to try to recapture a
childhood every American expects.
I am a product of generation X. I
am selfish and decadent. I feel entitled to have the best, which is why I make
a deep dish apple pie with a butter crust. I may even add a slice of Gouda on
top.
So, the next time someone offers
you a helping of pie, go ahead and take it. What you’re getting is a part of
American history, and a part of family history. No matter how you look at it,
there is truly nothing as American as apple pie.
Enjoy the famous pies of O’Charley’s Restaurant and Bar while attending “A Little Mystery, a Little Talk, a Little Pie
with Mollie Cox-Bryan” on November 4th at 1pm in the Main
Library in Downtown Harrisonburg. Mollie
will be selling and signing books after the program. For more info contact
Cheryl Metz at 434-4475x129.
Written by Jane Lightfoot 2013
[1]
Time Magazine, “A Brief
History of Pie” (http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1862315,00.html)
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