Pie 101

The Fourth of July may be as American as apple pie, but we made rhubarb. It was fresh, tart and beyond delicious. We basically picked the rhubarb and put it into the pie pan, adding a few strawberries for good measure.

There is no mystery about pie, and no wondering about where the saying, “Easy as pie,” came from. But just in case nobody ever told you, here is Pie 101:

Cut more fruit than you need to fill your pie pan.
Add a spritz of acid.
Stir in about one cup of solids.
Bake until done.
That’s it.
Period.

Pies are easy and pretty much foolproof. Don’t drive yourself crazy with long recipes or loopy lists of ingredients. Use volumes of fruit that is fresh and available, and whatever appeals to you in any combination.

The cup of solids consists of a few tablespoons of cornstarch or flour to thicken the juice and hold the pie (somewhat) together; white sugar, brown sugar or both; a pinch of salt; a spice if desired, or any combination thereof. Dot the top with butter, if desired.

For this deep tart, my acid was lemon juice. Use lemon juice for apple pie, too, as it also reduces browning. The solids were a 2:1 mix of white sugar to brown with a dusting of cinnamon, and only a very scant cup. I wanted this tart tart.


Each summer when I come into a bale of peaches about to go south, my cup of solids contains more brown sugar than white, plus nutmeg. Cinnamon is good, too. My choice of acid is bourbon, and be generous with it when dousing the pie and when dosing the chef.

Cherry pie can be zipped up with lime juice and a little zest – an unexpected twist, like a Cherry-Lime Rickey. Or use a bit of almond extract while using this chance to integrate toasted slivered almonds into the pastry crust, sprinkling the remaining almonds on the top. Make a lattice top crust for this one. You could also try the almond variation with peaches or apricots.

Combinations are endless, but the procedure is easy and the same for each creation. Fruit is just so delicious, varied and plentiful this time of year. I hope you’ll try it.