I'll start off by admitting that the reason this post is two weeks late has everything to do with a bit of sulking. There's no question that had I won even an honorable mention at the
Brooklyn Kitchen's Daisy Flour Savory Pie Contest you would have heard about it before now. Still, the competition was worthwhile.
Pictured are only about two thirds of the gorgeous pies ultimately assembled. Because I know you're wondering, the one on the cake plate is a pork and cranberry pie, served with mustard and pickles, baked by a genuine Brit.
The competition was fierce, and the fiercest competitor of all was Stacey (look left), who was actually overheard telling a judge that it didn't matter if she won, as long as she beat me. She put up a pretty good fight, braising DiPaola turkey thighs in Six Point Righteous Rye for her hipsterish galette (look right).
Guidelines and restrictions were few--home made crust, containing at least 50%
Daisy WW Pastry flour. Beyond that, it was a free-for-all. I toyed with tomato tart recipes for a while, but ultimately went with a version of
these pasties. I hewed pretty closely to the filling design, but substituted walnuts for pine nuts, and threw in a bit of walnut oil.
Stacey and I colluded back and forth on our pie plans for the week or two before the contest. Tempers occasionally got heated, and an unnamed husband did suggest that perhaps my well-meaning suggestions were a vicious sabotage, but in the end I think we were both pleased with our entries. Stacey's sported whales, mine bears. No one else had cut-outs of any kind, so I'm not sure what's wrong with us.
The judges went at their judging, and pie flew everywhere.The grand prize went to a
Deli Pie, with honorable mention for a truly astonishing Chicken and Waffle Pie. Matt, who went above and beyond in his quest for perfect pie photography, was so struck with the Chicken and Waffle, that he talked about it for days.
The maker of the Deli Pie, whose blog is named Ugly Food Tastes Better, was nice enough to mention that my pie looked very professional, but clearly the judges agreed with her basic philosophy (although her pie was far from ugly), and gave no points for presentation. Critiques included the over-crumbliness of my crust, the the spill factor of my unbound filling. A bit of cream or egg to bind the whole thing together, or a bit more mashing of the squash cubes, is in order for the next attempt, and a better crust seasoning also seems warranted.
But we fought the good fight, the pies went down kicking and spitting, as you see, and we will be back. We will win! We will march on a road of your bones. Just wait for sweet pie season....
