Sweet Land of Liberty: A History of America in 11 Pies by Rossi AnastopouloMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Despite the casualness of the writing, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was hard-hitting, especially in the chapters about sweet potato pie, pumpkin pie, and bean pie. It was often funny, as in the Jell-O pie chapter. Apple pie provided the overarching theme for this book that tells each pie's history based on the time in society in which it was created. As a white Anglo-Saxon protestant born and raised in New England and raised with families descended from the Mayflower, I revere apple pie; not only for it's culinary artistry but because of the depth of its hold on our lives and traditions.
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| My pumpkin and apple pies (apple way in the back) My own crust |
That reverence is now less than it was, but I doubt I will ever shake it completely. Even though I basically knew all there was about apple pie and probably knew that it did not deserve such reverence, I ignored the knowledge until it bludgeoned me over the head in this book. And pumpkin pie? My personal favorite? I will never be able to appreciate it as much as I have in the past. I will bake the original sweet potato pie recipe of the enslaved people. I may even bake a bean pie. I have made chiffon pies and sugar pies already but probably will not ever do so again.
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| My blueberry pie with berries we picked. Frozen store crust. |
Each year in school we make no-bake pies (Jell-O pies) for Pi Day. I thank the white patriarchy for creating these pies (but not for much else). They make Pi Day more fun and much easier and give the kids a chance to "bake" when they have never cooked before. So yes, I am contributing to mass consumerism in this country, just like the patriarchs from the fifties wanted me to do.
I had two disappointments when reading: Anastopoulo never mentioned Pi Day or gave us the low-down on Johnny Appleseed.
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| Strawberry Chiffon Pie KAF recipe Every inch of it from scratch |
This is an important look at the social history of pie in our culture in the US. If you bake, read it.
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| Chocolate Cream Pie KAF recipe Every inch from scratch on a snow day |
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The pies look delicious, I love the pumpkin and the chocolate cream pie. YUM! Thanks for sharing the book review. Take care, enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteI age some of each pie. Delicious.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day. ♥
The pies look delicious! A piece of each please!
ReplyDeleteThe pies all look delicious - it is a favorite treat of mineš„§
ReplyDeleteBean pie. Years ago, there was a startup business that came to our company in downtown Binghamton with samples of bean pie. We all absolutely loved it. It's the first time I had ever heard of bean pie and I found its history fascinating. We were going to order this man's pies for our holiday party but we couldn't find him. Apparently he had gone out of business. It's too bad. For me, there's nothing like a good pie. Peanut butter pie is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteSounds like an interesting book. We grew up on holiday pumpkin pies made from the recipe on the Libby's can of pumpkin. I still make them from the recipe on the label as I love the spices added. I do remember making chiffon pies decades ago, and my favorite of lime meringue pie made from I think was lime jello. You;ve brought me back to the beginning years of my cooking. Haven't a clue what bean pie is. Never heard of it.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds fascinating and delicious. My Sweetie despises sweet potato pie or i'd bake it instead of pumkin.
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