Yes, I’d Love Another Slice

Apple pie. You don’t just eat it, you live it. Every… last… bite.  :)))

One of the things Jackie and I love these days is getting the whole, extended family together.  Now that the weather has changed, and everyone’s out and about more, we look in anticipation to have everyone over to the house. This year we’re celebrating May’s National Apple Pie Day. For those that know me, it doesn’t take much to trigger my love for food and desserts, (heck, I’d celebrate a cracker day, as long as there was cheese-dips!). We’ll be “enhancing” the celebration with “and ice cream, and chocolate syrup, and snacks, and good food off the grill, and, and and”. I’m guessing, if you ask a variety of people, most of them will jump at any chance they get to sink their teeth into a piece of apple pie, especially if it’s warmed up and fresh out of the oven with vanilla ice cream!. As my family already knows…There is no rule that says you can’t have apple pie as an appetizer! So, here’s some fun trivia and history and recipes so you too can have a reason to celebrate with friends and families.  Thanks to daysoftheyear.com and nationalday.com. delish.com, thetoastykitchen.com and epicurious.com for the info.  Enjoy!

  • National Apple Pie Day is kind of like a blank check for eating apple pie, so everyone should be sure to make the most of it!  It has the ability to get families together, whether baking in the kitchen or enjoying delicious desserts together. And for many people, this day is an act of patriotism. After all, apple pie is as American as, well, as they say, apple pie!
  • History reveals that apple pie seems to have been very popular in centuries past in countries like England and The Netherlands. Both of these countries have recipes going back many centuries. In fact, the history of apple pie dates back more than 600 years, to the 14th century with an English recipe. However, it was not cemented as an American classic until around the turn of the 20th century.
  • The first recorded apple pie recipe was written in 1381 by the master cooks of King Richard II. This recipe was not the apple pie that we know today, but a type of apple tart that was cooked without a pastry crust. The recipe called for apples to be boiled with spices such as cinnamon, ginger, and saffron, and then strained through a sieve before being mixed with eggs, cream, and sugar.
  • The first apple pie recipe that included a pastry crust was published in 1589 by a Dutch author named Joridt Bont. This recipe called for a mixture of apples, sugar, and spices to be placed inside a pastry crust, which was then baked until golden brown.
  • Apple pie made its way to America with the early colonists, who brought with them their traditional recipes and cooking methods. Apple pie quickly became a popular dessert in America, especially in New England, where apples were abundant and the climate was suitable for growing them.
  • During the 19th century, apple pie became an important symbol of American identity and culture. The phrase “as American as apple pie” was coined during this time and has since become a well-known saying. Though the exact origin of the phrase is unclear, a 1928 New York Times article used it to describe the homemaking abilities of First Lady Lou Henry Hoover.
  • One of the most famous stories associated with apple pie is that of Johnny Appleseed, a legendary American folk hero who is said to have traveled across the country planting apple trees. While there is some truth to this story, it is believed to have been greatly exaggerated over time.
  • According to the American Pie Council, nearly one-in-five Americans prefer apple pie over others, with 35% of those surveyed saying they have apple pie for breakfast.
  • An article in The New York Times in 1902 proclaimed the apple pie as the “American synonym for prosperity”, with troops in the 20th century saying they were fighting for “mom and apple pie.” In 1999, Vermont deemed apple pie as its official state pie.
  • During World War II, apple pie became a symbol of American patriotism and was often served to soldiers as a reminder of home. The US government even used apple pie in its propaganda efforts, with posters and advertisements featuring images of apple pie and the slogan “as American as apple pie”.
  • Apple pie remains one of America’s most beloved desserts. (Today, apple pie is the most popular flavor in America, followed by pumpkin, chocolate, lemon meringue and cherry – according to the American Pie Council).
  • In recent years, apple pie has even become a popular subject for competitive eating contests, with contestants trying to eat as many slices of pie as possible in a set amount of time. WATCH! :)))))

Steve’s Handy Tips On How To Enjoy the Day:
The great thing about apple pies is that they don’t have to be super complicated to make, so a person doesn’t need to be a master in the kitchen in order to rustle up a fantastic-tasting apple pie at home!  When making apple pie, here are some tips from the experts that might make the process go a bit more smoothly:

  • Instead of using all the same type of apples, mix it up by combining some apples that are sweet and some that are tart. The result will be more flavorful and delicious!
  • Many recipes call for brushing the outside of the crust with an egg wash after it is put together, but one expert tip is to brush the inside of the crust with an egg wash before adding the filling. This creates a barrier that keeps the apple juices from making the bottom crust soggy.
  • Once the inside has its egg wash, take a few extra minutes to layer the apples into the crust, rather than simply dumping them in.

Steve’s Apple Pie Party Tips
The best way to do this is to get a few friends together and make a variety of apple pies using different recipes and baking methods. Try adding some adult beverages, like an apple pie cocktail.  Plus, there are many ways to make apple pies, so this is the perfect time to take the opportunity to try a recipe that puts a new spin on an old classic:

  • Caramel Apple Pear Granola Cream Pie
  • Savannah High Apple Pie (piled super high and topped with streusel)
  • Individual Fried Apple Pies (more like hand pies, can be served on a stick)
  • Spiced Bourbon and Cinnamon Apple Pie (now we’re talkin’)
  • 35 recipe variations

Classic Recipe:  CLICK

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DO YOU LIKE CONTESTS?
Me, too.

As you may know the Kowalski Heat Treating logo finds its way
into the visuals of my Friday posts.
I.  Love.  My.  Logo.
One week there could be three logos.
The next week there could be 15 logos.
And sometimes the logo is very small or just a partial logo showing.
But there are always logos in some of the pictures.
So, I challenge you, my beloved readers, to count them and send me a
quick email with the total number of logos in the Friday post.
On the following Tuesday I’ll pick a winner from the correct answers
and send that lucky person some great KHT swag.
So, start counting and good luck!  
Oh, and the logos at the very top header don’t count.
Got it? Good.  :-))))
Have fun!!

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Oh Granny

I love apple pie. So, I always get way more apples than needed for a pie. You know why? Because I also love to eat apples. Apples in the morning. Apples at lunch. Apples for an afternoon snack. An apple after my evening run. So, I ALWAYS get way more apples than needed for a pie.  :)))

It’s that time of year again.  I’m not sure if it’s the cool nights, early sunsets, changing cloud patterns or just my gastronomical clock changing, but there’s something about October and my need to eat lots of apple pie. It’s an odd thing, that lasts through the holidays too.  Maybe it’s the piles of apples at the market or the smell of pumpkin spice at the grocery store (can’t believe how many products offer a pumpkin spice version (saw pumpkin spice Spam – what a waste of some good SPAM!), but I have the craving.  My first subtle (no comments about me not being subtle!) effort to convince Jackie it’s time to bake is when I bring home a rather large array of different apples from the farmer’s market – green, golden, red, macs, Honeycrisp.  Then I try pulling the pie dish out and leaving it on the counter with the cinnamon.  Or maybe it’s the “backup” half-gallon of vanilla ice cream and bonus sized Cool Whip container.  Jackie, amazing as always, pulls out one of her favorite recipes for Dutch Apple Pie and goes to work.  I love it when the house fills with that amazing aroma of sweet apples and hot pastry dough – it settles the mind and gets me ready for the transition from summer to fall.  There is nothing quite like a slice of amazing pie ala mode! Below are some great recipes, and a little history on the delicacy and the all-important crust.  Enjoy, and thanks Smithsonian and the recipes from All Recipes, Inspired Taste, Taste of Home and Tasty.co.

  • Apple pie is a longstanding symbol of America, but the dessert didn’t actually come from America, and neither did the apples.  Apples are actually native to Asia and have been in America about as long as Europeans have.
  • The early colonists of Jamestown brought European apple tree cuttings and seeds with them. The only native apple in North America was the crab apple, and the colonists found its tiny fruit “a poor substitute for Malus domestica.” Settlers primarily used the apples to make cider (the hard and soft kinds), which was preferred to water as a drink and easier to produce than beer, which required labor-intensive land clearing.
  • During America’s colonial history, planting trees was a good way to preserve a land claim; colonists who didn’t “improve” their land in some colonies, like Virginia, could have it taken away from them.
  • Apple trees are easy to cross-pollinate, meaning that deliberately producing new apple varieties is relatively simple. By 1800, writes Tim Hensley for the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, American farmers were growing a mind-boggling 14,000 varieties of apple, many of which had been bred in the country. Around the same time, John Chapman, otherwise known as Johnny Appleseed, had brought the apple to American folklore fame. “Chapman’s beloved apples became ‘American’ by association.”
  • The first recorded recipe for apple pie was written in 1381 in England and called for figs, raisins, pears, and saffron in addition to apples (now why would you go and do that??).
  • There were other differences, too: early apple pie recipes generally didn’t include sugar, and their pastry crust was “coffin” pastry, which was intended as an inedible container, not a part of the pie. There are also recipes for Dutch apple pies as far back as 1514.
  • A 1924 advertisement appearing in the Gettysburg Times promotes “New Lestz Suits that are as American as apple pie.” And by World War II, the America and pie association was cemented. American soldiers would tell journalists that they were fighting for “mom and apple pie,” giving rise to the expression “As American as mom and apple pie.”
  • The secret to great apple pie is also in the crust.  It’s not a topic to be thrown about – as making “the best crust” has merit and prestige in a family.  Surprising, the history of “crust” goes back many ages – here’s some highlights:
  • The first pies, called “coffins” or “coffyns” (the word actually meant a basket or box) were savory meat pies with the crusts or pastry being tall, straight-sided with sealed-on floors and lids.  Open-crust pastry (not tops or lids) were known as “traps.”  These pies held assorted meats and sauce components and were baked more like a modern casserole with no pan (the crust itself was the pan, its pastry tough and inedible).  These crusts were often made several inches thick to withstand many hours of baking.
  • A small pie was known as a tartlet and a tart was a large, shallow open pie (this is still the definition in England).
  • Historians have recorded that the roots of pie can loosely be traced back to the ancient Egyptians during the Neolithic Period or New Stone Age beginning around 6000 BC.    These early forms of pies are known as galettes, which are essentially rustic free-form pies.  Our ancestors made these pie-like treats with oat, wheat, rye, and barley, then filled them with honey and baked the dish over hot coals.
  • Between 1304 to 1237 B.C. the bakers to the pharaohs incorporated nuts, honey, and fruits in bread dough, a primitive form of pastry.  Drawings of this can be found etched on the tomb walls of Ramses II, located in the Valley of the Kings.
  • The tradition of galettes (pastry base) was carried on by the Greeks.  Historians believe that the Greeks actually originated pie pastry.  The pies during this period were made by a flour-water paste wrapped around meat; this served to cook the meat and seal in the juices.
  • A cookbook from the mid 16th century that also includes some account of domestic life, cookery and feasts in Tudor days, called A Proper newe Booke of Cokerye, declarynge what maner of  meates be beste in season, for al times in the yere, and how they ought to be dressed, and  serued at the table, bothe for fleshe dayes, and fyshe dayes, has a recipe for a short paest for tarte:  “To Make Short Paest for Tarte – Take fyne floure and a cursey of fayre water and a dysche of swete butter and a lyttel saffron, and the yolckes of two egges and make it thynne and as tender as ye maye.” (where are the apples??)
  • Animated pies or pyes were the most popular banquet entertainment. The nursery rhyme “Sing a Song of Sixpence . . . four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie,” refers to such a pie.  According to the rhyme, “When the pie was opened, the birds began to sing.  Wasn’t that a dainty dish to set before the King.”  In all likelihood, those birds not only sang, but flew briskly out at the assembled guests.  Rabbits, frogs, turtles, other small animals, and even small people (dwarfs) were also set into pies, either alone or with birds, to be released when the crust was cut.  The dwarf would emerge and walk down the length of the table, reciting poetry, sketching the guests, or doing tricks. (where are the apples??).
  • During Charles V (1364-1380), King of France, reign, the important event at banquets was not dishes of food but acts such as minstrels, magicians, jugglers, and dancers.
  • The chefs entered into the fun by producing elaborate “soteltie” or “subtilty.”  Sotelties were food disguised in an ornamental way (sculptures made from edible ingredients but not always intended to be eaten or even safe to eat). During this time period, the Duke of Burgundy’s chef made an immense pie which opened to the strains of 28 musicians playing from within the pie.  Out of the pie came a captive girl representing the “captive” Church in the Middle East.
  • The Pilgrims brought their favorite family pie recipes with them to America.  The colonists and their pies adapted simultaneously to the ingredients and techniques available to them in the New World. At first, they baked pie with berries and fruits pointed out to them by the Native Americans.  Colonial women used round pans literally to cut corners and stretch the ingredients (for the same reason they baked shallow pies).
  • Samuel Clemens (1835-1910), a.k.a. Mark Twain, was a big fan of eating pies.  His life-long housekeeper and friend (she was with the family for 30 years), Katy Leary, often baked Huckleberry pie to lure her master into breaking his habit of going without lunch.  Samuel Clemens also had a recipe for English Pie: To make this excellent breakfast dish, proceed as follows: “Take a sufficiency of water and a sufficiency of flour and construct a bullet-proof dough.  Work this into the form of a disk, with the edges turned up some three-fourths of an inch.  Toughen and kiln-dry in a couple days in a mild but unvarying temperature.  Construct a cover for this redoubt in the same way and of the same material.  Fill with stewed dried apples; aggravate with cloves, lemon-peel, and slabs of citron; add two portions of New Orleans sugars, then solder on the lid and set in a safe place till it petrifies.  Serve cold at breakfast and invite your enemy.”

Here are some recipes to try – and yes, please stop by the office and share a slice or two.
By Grandma Ople
Favorite Apple Pie  
Taste of Home
Made from Scratch

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DO YOU LIKE CONTESTS?
Me, too.

As you may know the Kowalski Heat Treating logo finds its way
into the visuals of my Friday posts.
I.  Love.  My.  Logo.
One week there could be three logos.
The next week there could be 15 logos.
And sometimes the logo is very small or just a partial logo showing.
But there are always logos in some of the pictures.
So, I challenge you, my beloved readers, to count them and send me a
quick email with the total number of logos in the Friday post.
On the following Tuesday I’ll pick a winner from the correct answers
and send that lucky person some great KHT swag.
So, start counting and good luck!  
Oh, and the logos at the very top header don’t count.
Got it? Good.  :-))))
Have fun!!

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