Pie in the Sky

Today I was preparing a turkey pie for our supper and my stream of thought took me to thinking about pie crusts and their purpose. Preserving food was a very difficult task before refrigeration, freezers and canning. These are all very recent methods of keeping our foods fresher, longer. Food had to be dealt with quickly and eaten within a very short time. 

Pie crusts became a way of keeping the food within them a few days longer. They were made with lard and usually in a heavy, deep dish. The crust would be thick and heavy as to envelope the food and protect it. It was most often a meat dish. Usually hunted game or pork. It was baked in a wood fired oven and then set to cool. 

Pie cupboards were created to keep the vermin out of the food. They were made mostly of wood with holes (vents) drilled into the sides to allow air to flow through. The vents were tacked with bits of metal grating so no creatures could get in. 

These pie safes, as they were called, are very collectable now and often found as decorative furniture in some homes. 

My mother tells of a story when she was young. The pie safe was full of goodies as Christmas was near. My grandmother had a lock on it. She was out and so my grandfather conspired with the children to enter the cupboard from below and remove some of the tasty morsels. He was positively delighted to be conducting this prank with the children and all anticipated how my grandmother would react once she discovered the theft !

I don't think you have to imagine too hard how my grandmother reacted. At first she just couldn't figure it out but once she did she was angry. Problem was, she couldn't get mad at the children because their father had set them to it. 

Needless to say they didn't try it a second time. Its always interesting to me how food got to be presented the way it is. There is always a story, usually practical and makes perfect sense. 

By the way. Our turkey pie tonight was delicious. 

Making Pies for Thanksgiving

I "LOVE" making pies. Wasn't something I grew up with and didn't know how to do until I became an adult. I love making pies and I love eating pies ! Sweet, savory, doesn't matter.
A lot of people are hesitant to make pies saying they are too difficult and the pastry doesn't turn out very well. There are countless ways to make the pastry and countless ways to create a pie. I have different recipes and techniques depending on my mood, the amount of time I have, ingredients on hand and what kind of pie I am making.
My mother in law, who I had the privilege of knowing only a short time, taught me a lot about making pies. She made pies for the families' small restaurant in northern Saskatchewan from 1952 until about 1968. This woman made A LOT OF PIES !!! My husbands' personal favorite is raisin. For some reason I don't make this kind too often but many, including husband, say I make the BEST butter-raisin tarts in the world. They are better than raisin pie I think.
Pies like so many things that are worked and created by hand take practice. They take practice and more practice. You do it until you become familiar with it and comfortable with it and eventually you can't help but be proud of your handiwork. I think pies are an incredibly artistic type of food. There is a lot you can do with the pastry to make the pie look appetizing and beautiful.
I have my tried and true recipes for pastry and fillings but I also like to attempt new recipes that intrigue me to see what comes out of it.
In Canada we have spent the last two days celebrating Thanksgiving. It is time of celebrating the harvest and abundance of food from the season. It is a time of family and friends coming together to share and celebrate over a feast of roast turkey and all the wonderful foods that go with it. Our traditional meal is usually turkey, potatoes, squash, brussel sprouts, red cabbage. Lots of gravy and turkey stuffing and of course cranberry sauce to go with the turkey. For dessert OF COURSE there is PIE, pumpkin pie and apple pie are probably the favorites.
Next day is the best. We get to eat left over turkey made into.......TURKEY PIE !!!
When my daughter was in school we used to go every year for spring break to Victoria for the day. One of our indulgences was to go to the Dutch Bakery on Quadra Street and eat CHERRY PIE with ice cream. It was something we really looked forward to and became a special memory for my daughter and me. Then we would go to the best used book store ever, next door. Wow, that was a great time.
Special holidays and occasions and good food go hand in hand and create some of the most precious memories of our lives. I LOVE to create wonderful foods for my family and friends. This is a gift my mother handed down to me as well as a number of other special elders throughout my life. These women showered their families with a most amazing talent for LOVING to cook for and feed their families and friends. It is truly a fine and generous way of displaying your love and affection. It satisfies both the cook and the eater(s).
HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE.