Pie Making As Art

There is an artistic quality about the making of a pie: the taste, the texture and the appearance all meld together to form something to be savored, not only by the tastebuds, but also by the eye. Unfortunately for me and the people who eat my pies, I have only found success in the taste and the texture categories, while the beauty of the pie eludes me.

Everytime I put together a crust I throw at least one attempt into the garbage. It either sticks to the waxed paper or it reaches the right consistency prior to adding any water. I have no idea why or how this occurs, but it does each and every time.

I have visions of pies that look like these, but my piecrust tends to have more of a patchwork quality that comes from the cutting and piecing that my top crust always requires, a little from this side to patch up the hole on that side.

Oddly enough, both of my daughters make beautiful pie crusts in spite of the fact that I have been their teacher. I will admit a tinge of jealousy whenever they whip up a gorgeous and tasty pie using my recipe, but obviously not my technique.

At this stage, many years into being a pie-maker, all I can hope for is that practice really does make perfect, but for now I remain the baker of the ugly, yet delicious pie.