Happy British Pie Week: I Wanna Eat Some Tatties

Hello from Austin, TX! I can’t wait to meet all of my fellow food folks at Techmunch later tonight, but until then…let’s celebrate British Pie Week!

There is a reason our friends across the pond supply us with such a wealth of pie related news. That’s because they eat ‘em for lunch, dinner and dessert. Savory pies rule the pub roost and I’m not going to discriminate.

Craig Hennessey and his Cumberland Tattie Pot

Not Pie: It’s a Bird, it’s a Tiffany Lamp, it’s a…Cake?

Wow! Just…wow! We interrupt this radio silence to bring you one of the most gorgeous cakes I’ve ever seen.

Maggie Austin Cakes' Tiffany masterpiece based on the famous Pond Lily motif.

I’ve been looking at tons of wedding cakes, but this one, err…takes the cake. Sorry. If I lived anywhere near DC I might be considering an about face on my own decision (don’t worry, Betsy, I’m not). Find out more about Maggie and her fabulous cakes in this Capitol File article. It’s pretty interesting stuff. She used to be a ballerina and you can definitely see that delicate influence in her designs.

You’ll be seeing more of me soon. Wedding planning has taken up a lot of my time lately, but I’m off to Austin for SXSW and Techmunch tomorrow. I’ll be reppin’ pies hard in the land of BBQ and cupcakes (seriously, there are one thousand cupcake parties at SXSW). If you are going to be there please hit me up or meet me at Pie Hard.

What Pie Did You Make (or eat) This Thanksgiving?

I can't really express how amazing this tart tastes!

Pumpkin? Pecan? I made this crowd-pleasing Chocolate Caramel Tart with Sea Salt. It sure looked luscious (especially on my sister’s beautiful dessert plates)! This is one of my favorite, most indulgent recipes to make when I know I’ve got to impress a crowd. My chocolate tempering skills still need some work (for the ganache) and, unfortunately, I got a nasty burn on my finger while making the caramel…but, I think it was worth it in the long run.

I’ve got a few more pies ahead of me this weekend as I gear up for the Bay Ridge Pie Social at my friend Justin’s art school for kids: The Art Room. We’ll have more on that later (plus the reveal of my citrus experimentations), but for now why don’t you let us know what kind of pie you dug into on Thanksgiving down there in the comments.

Breaking News: Pies Take Over the New York Times

Diner's Rye Pecan Pie. This photo totally belongs to the New York Times

There have been rumblings for a while now. Pie is on the up and up. And now, the newspaper of record has taken note.

Pie had been lurking below the radar in recent years: taking cover during the ice cream trend, perhaps waiting to see which way the macaron tide would turn. (For proof that the cupcake craze has gone too far, consider the new turkey cranberry cupcake with gravy in the batter from Yummy Cupcakes in Los Angeles.)

Suddenly, New York and San Francisco are national centers of pie innovation.

Go read the article already! It mentions some of my favorite Brooklyn pies, including Diner’s dope Rye Pecan Pie and a few specialties from the ladies of Four and Twenty Blackbirds (they’re Salted Caramel Apple pie rides food trends without being trendy). It’s pretty cool to live in the epicenter of pie innovation!

Chocolate Opium Pie (I’m not counting anymore)

One of the greatest, and most interesting, cooking personalities on the web has declared it Pie Week. Who am I to argue with the one and only Pioneer Woman herself? So, despite the fact that National Pie Day isn’t until December 1st I’m going to go ahead and celebrate by sharing my recipe for Chocolate Opium Pie.

My camera died, so please excuse this "soft focus" iPhone image.

Don’t worry, it’s totally legal. So where did the name come from? This dense and decadent chocolate mousse pie is fragrantly spiced with pink peppercorns, cinnamon and a touch of ancho chili powder, so I wanted a name that evoked the spice route and honor the flavors that make this treat unique. Never used pink peppercorns? They’re fragrant, sweet and spicy! And while they are also peppery, they are not actually peppercorns, but the berry of a South American plant called Baies Rose. How exotic. And if the richness of the fancy chocolate decked with spices seems a bit intense for you, the tangy crème fraiche topping does a great job of cutting through the noise.

Intrigued? Read on for a recipe that will make you a hero this holiday season. And apologies for the lack of pretty pictures. They’ll be back!

Prettiest Pie 2010-It’s a Two-Peat

Victory is sweet!

It's still a winner!

For the second year in a row I took home “Prettiest Pie” at Enid’s Apple Pie Contest.  I guess my pie success really hasn’t been a fluke.

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!

This Sunday is a big day for me. It’s Enid’s 8th Annual Apple Pie Contest here in Brooklyn.

You should go.