pie

Hip hip hooray! Today is PI DAY! Okay, I don't really get that excited about mathematical constants, but I didn't think I could let the day go by without an acknowledgement. Pi, which is the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle, is approximately 3.14. At least, that's the way most of us learned it in school. If you have continued your education beyond high school, you may have memorized a few more digits for pi, such as 3.14159. And if you're a complete genius (freak?), you might know even more, such as 3.14159265358979323846... My husband pointed out to me that the ultimate pi day will be March 14, 2015 (the first five digits being 3.1415), although an argument could be made for the following year, March 14, 2016 (rounding up from 3.14159 to 3.1416) being a truer representation of the value of pi. Either way, I'll be using it as an excuse to wear a geeky t-shirt and eating some extra pie! If you were hosting the ultimate pi day party, what kinds of pie would you serve?

Making a perfect pie crust is a skill that can take years to perfect. How can something made from such simple ingredients be so difficult to master? I don't know! That's why I always buy pre-made crusts! But this year, I am going to figure out the magic and mystery behind homemade pie crust. I have gathered some helpful video tutorials on pie crust making, along with some highly-rated recipes, and put them all together on this page. I've included video from Alton Brown and Cat Cora, as well as some home cooks. It's amazing how you can conjure such a delicious, tender, flaky, golden, crispy, soft, beautiful crust from just flour, fat, salt, and water. Sure, some people add extra stuff, but the basics are always the same. I've never had great success with pie crust. Maybe it's because I'm too impatient to mix the cold fat with the flour properly. Or maybe it's because my hands are always warm, so the dough gets sticky and overworked. I don't know. But I hope I can figure it out this season. Otherwise, it's back to the frozen crusts for good!