Happy Pi Day! It's the day I celebrate 3.14 by creating culinary circumference: pie.
Hounds in the Kitchen has recipes for pie dough, mushroom pie, and spinach feta pie. I shared my lemon meringue pie failure and dozens of photos of pate en croute, my Charcuteplaooza pie. Like so many other food bloggers, I made peanut butter pie in remembrance of Jennifer Perillo's husband Mikey last August.
Today, Pi(e) Day 2012, I offer 10 Life Lessons in Pie:
1. Life is Messy - It's inevitable that a pie maker ends up with a little flour on her apron or the floor or both. No big deal - washing up is part of life.
2. Pretty is Nice - A pie with a perfectly tucked crust and carefully cut center is a truly beautiful thing.
3. But Pretty isn't Everything - Ugly pies can taste great and pretty pies might be unpalatable. It's best to taste every kind at the table to find your favorite.
4. Mistakes Happen - Making pie isn't particularly difficult, but sometimes the crust and filling elements don't come together just right. Most of the time you still end up with something tasty and if not, there's always another day to make another pie.
5. Mom's is Best - At least my mom's pie crust is best. I am not as exacting and will never make pie as precisely as she does. Enjoying Mom's pies for summer birthdays and winter holidays is a sacred family tradition.
6. Always Make New Traditions - Creating and curating rituals anchor our bonds to family members. We made a new family tradition in Valentine's tea which usually includes pie.
7. Think Out of the Box - Family traditions are key but great pies are made by thinking a little differently sometimes. Lil's entry to pie day (coming soon below) is all about the mini pumpkin pies she made. The individual desserts were a fun compliment to dinner one night this week.
8. Everything in Moderation - Pie is tasty but stuffing anything in a fatty crust is not usually the healthiest choice. We enjoy sweet pies on special occasions and savory pies not more than once a month.
9. Eat Close to Home - The best pie is made with the freshest ingredients. The freshest ingredients come from as close as your backyard garden. I have yet to make a 100% backyard pie but it is a dream of mine because I know the taste would be out of this world.
10. Math is Important - When weighing flour, calculating volume for garden soil and diving pie into fractional pieces, homesteaders are using math. Calculating totals at the farmers market, square footage of a garden bed, or expansion of a ratio preserve recipe all require a mastery of numbers. Practice math and you'll enjoy a more efficient DIY life.
How are you celebrating Pi Day 2012? Comment or link below!