Weekend Cooking: Pie for Everyone by Petra Paredez

I'm not quite sure why, but fall 2020 is turning out to be the season of the pie cookbook. I'm not kidding, I have at least four cookbooks devoted to pie baking in my review queue. Fortunately, we love pie, and I'm not going to have a problem baking one or several from each book over the coming weeks.

Now before you go wondering about all that sugar and butter, I have two things to say: (1) Hey, it's fruit, right? and (2) Not all pies are sweet.

Today's pie cookbook is Petra (Petee) Paredez's Pie for Everyone, which I received as part of the Abrams Dinner Party review program. As the subtitle says, this book includes "recipes and stories from Petee's Pie," one of the best pie shops in New York City. The cover gives you hint of what you'll find inside.

More than just a cookbook, Pie for Everyone is a resource for baking basics, like stocking up on equipment, tips and tricks for choosing ingredients, how to measure, three methods for making crust, and even a bit of history. I love the gorgeous photos found throughout the cookbook. Although most of them show the finished pies, I also like beauty shots of ingredients and especially the photos that show step-by-step processes (for example for piping on a topping). Features introduce us to farmers, provide information about foraging, and tell us stories related to pies.

Pie for Everyone has recipes for making baked fruit pies, chilled pies, custard pies, and nut pies. Paredez recommends which crusts and toppings to use for the different pies and also gives us storage information, so we know if we can make a pie ahead or if we have to refrigerate the leftovers.

I made the Sweet Potato Pie, which was an easy and pleasant change from pumpkin. I have the Autumn Pear Pie marked to try and am curious about Paredez's Cheesecake, which Mr. BFR requested. My new favorite pie is the Lemon Chess Pie. So easy to make (see recipe below) and so amazingly good.

Not up for dessert? No worries, Paredez includes a chapter of recipes for savory pies (think: chicken pot pie) and quiches. I made the Meat and Potato Pie, which we both loved. I also plan to bake the Chile Verde Pork Pie and Tomato Ricotta Pie.

I'm already looking forward to spring so I can start baking my way through the berry season, into the stone fruits, and then back to apple and pear. Have rolling pin, will bake pie!

Recommendation: Based on the three pies I made, I'm a fan of Petra Paredez's Pie for Everyone. Next time I'm in New York, I hope I have time to visit Petee's Cafe in Brooklyn or Petee's Pie on the Lower East Side. My only problem will be deciding which pie to order!

Lemon Chess Pie
Note: I added 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds to my filling before baking (the variation to this recipe) and then topped it with whipped cream before serving. And, no, I didn't crimp my crust.

One 9-inch (23-cm) pie

• 1 1/4 cups (250 g) sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons extra-fine cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 2-3 lemons
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup (75 ml) buttermilk
• 3 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 6 tablespoons (80g) butter, melted and cooled
• 1 bottom crust in pie pan, crimped

Preheat the oven to 400F (205C).

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cornmeal, and salt. Whisk in the lemon zest and juice, vanilla, buttermilk, eggs, and egg yolk until smooth. Add the melted butter and whisk until well integrated.

Place the crust-filled pie pan on a baking sheet and pour in the filling, making sure to scrape the entire contents from the sides of the bowl into the pan. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350F (175C) and bake for 40 minutes more, or until the center is puffed up and the top of the pie is golden.

Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and allow the pie to cool completely before slicing. Serve at room temperature. The pie will keep for up to 1 week at room temperature.

Shared with Weekend Cooking, hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader (and Baker)