American Pie: The History of Pie On Our Thanksgiving Dining Room Tables (part 2)
Although your dining room table or serving cart may not hold any surpises or “lively” content, highly animated pies or “pyes” were often presented as live banquet entertainment in jolly old England’s 17th century. The nursery rhyme “Sing a Song of Sixpence . . . four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie,” was quite literal when it said, “When the pie was opened, the birds began to sing. Wasn’t that a dainty dish to set before the King?” Chefs, trying to be as amusing and popular as the court’s minstrels, dancers and court jesters would create pies with a surprise inside ranging from living animals to living people (dwarfs) set into pies. When the crust was cut they were released and entertained guests with frivolity.
The pilgrims brought pie with them to the New World where they used what ingredients were on hand, like Native American fruits and berries. To economize the pies became round and shallow, more like pies today. Later, the colonial woman made pie a dinner staple and served it almost every day. Modern pie became a standard in contests at county fairs, church picnics, and other social events. As Americans moved West regional ingredients affected pie making and it still continues to be an evolving food item depending on the season and ingredients. Books and movies have been written with pie as a pivotal element in the story.
Here is just a partial list of pie ideas for you to partake of this holiday with friends or family at your dining room table…
Fruit pies include: Apple (the most popular fruit pie of all) Apple pie always has a top crust of pastry or brown sugar and oat crumble. Also includes peach, cherry and even plum pies.
Berry pies: The variations are limitless although most berry pies have a pastry upper crust or brown sugar-oat crumble. Berries are also often created in the form of a cobbler. Blueberry, Blackberry, Strawberry, Raspberry, Huckleberry, Boysenberry, Gooseberry, Mulberry and Cranberry
Custard pies: Pumpkin and Egg
Citrus pies: Key lime, Lemon
Cream Pies: Cream fillings range from coconut to banana. The crust can be a pastry bottom or a honey graham cracker crust and either covered in whipped cream or a meringue. Coconut cream, chocolate cream, butterscotch cream, banana cream
Nut or meat pies: Pecan pie or mincemeat pie
Vegetable pies: Sweet potato pie (Thanksgiving pie can be sweet potato with pecan or plain), Rhubarb
Amish pie: Shoofly (Molasses)
Favorite toppings on pies: Whipped cream, ice cream, milk and sugar (especially popular on cobblers)
Tags: Amish Dining Room Table, apple pie, berry pies, blackbirds baked in a pie, cherry pie, cream pies, custard pies, fruit pies, pumpkin pie, Thanksgiving
