60th Birthday Key Lime Pie

My dad recently turned 60. He's from Florida and loves that most Floridian of desserts, the key lime pie. When I decided to throw him a sixties-themed family birthday party about a week ago, there was no doubt that there would be a birthday pie on the table next to the birthday cake. (Why choose?)

I decided to use a key lime pie recipe from Gourmet, found on epicurious.com. I would make that graham cracker crust. I would track down some key lime juice. I'd separate those eggs.

But despite my inarguable domestic gifts, I got downright overwhelmed planning the birthday meal of barbecue, cole slaw, cornbread, macaroni and cheese, and fruit salad. I found myself chanting, "make cake...find candles...iced tea...remember tape." With the hours counting down until the birthday lunch, I had a beautiful realization in the grocery store. I'd buy the damn pie. This move was a winner because the Edwards key lime pie is totally delicious. Even when you forget to defrost it. This pie gets points for its substantial, firm crust, its firm and tangy filling, and its firm...did I mention I forgot to defrost it? I highly recommend this pie. Inexpensive (about $7, maybe less) and a huge time saver.

Morehead City Pie

On a recent trip to the Carolina coast, two members of the Pie Club visited Floyds 1921 Restaurant in Morehead City. The food was excellent, and the atmosphere is great--it's a rambling old (1921) house with dining areas tucked away in rooms. A highlight of the evening was the pie. (Isn't it always?) We tried pecan pie a la mode and key lime pie.

These pies were classically delicious, and the presentation, as you can see in the photos, was lovely. The key lime pie had a nice crisp tang to it. I wouldn't say that these are pies I'll remember all of my life, but a pretty great way to finish off the last night at the beach.

crust ****

filling ***

appearance ****

Sunday is the Perfect Day for Tomato Pie

Paula Deen may not have done everything right in her life--the scary photoshopping of her magazine cover photo being one prime example--but she does make a damn good tomato pie. The main ingredients in this homemade pie are cheddar, mozzarella, mayonnaise, tomatoes, and basil. Really, on a summer day, who could ask for anything more? The Pie Club has a very strict rule about not giving ourselves ratings, but it's a testament to this very rich pie that it was consumed in less than 20 minutes by four adults (and one baby, who didn't really pull her weight).

kroger blueberry pie

overall rating: This pie was good, but it wasn't the Rapture.

crust **

filling ***

appearance **

number of ingredients: approximately 33

life-expectancy: four days (consumed on the first day)

price $6.99

This Kroger blueberry pie was pretty delicious. Taste trumps pretty much everything else in our book, so overall everyone was happy. Pielet thinks the blueberries might be wild Maine blueberries, as its dark berry streaks resembled rivulets of blood--a tell-tale sign (it really did not look much like the appealing pie in the Kroger-generated picture above).

Pea gives it a health thumbs-down for high-fructose corn syrup and bleached flour, but this is dessert after all. However, what in Heaven's name is methylparaben or propylene glycol doing in pie? Lowering your sperm count, that's what.

Piebeauty felt that the pie had reverse-aging effects. But we'll wait a day before ruling on that.