one of 3hree

When I make a pie I think of my grandmother. I think of the many summers I went blueberry picking with her in the woods, filling my tummy and an ice cream pail with wild blueberries, and always (always) being worried about black bears. She and my grandfather, had a massive garden in their backyard complete with raspberry bushes that ran along one edge of the plot. When I think about it now, my sisters and I probably picked it clean and left little to no berries for a pie. There was however a huge rhubarb plant that provided ample stalks with which to make strawberry/rhubarb pie. In the fall there would be apple and pumpkin pie brought to the house - my youngest sister did not like pumpkin (talk about favorites!)

When I make a pie I also think of how my mother was so lucky that she didn't have to bake a pie herself since her mother, my Nanny, would always provide one for our Sunday family suppers. I am not so lucky since my home is over 4,000 km away from her and my grandmother. So I have had to learn to make my own pies...with a little help from Schmecks Appeal.

Consisting of 92 pages, with recipes such as Satan's Choice, Barbie's Peach Pie, Whisky Pumpkin Pie and Grandmother's Lemon Apple Pie, one gets a story and sometimes a little advice. Something you would expect if you were in the kitchen with your mother or grandmother. This little book, Pies and Tarts with Schmecks Appeal, was purchased right before leaving Ontario for British Columbia in 1990. It has since survived 4 moves, a flood while in storage (The Joy of Cooking was not so lucky) and some messy situations in the kitchen. This is the book I sought when I needed to make my first lemon meringue pie - from scratch. Nowadays I cheat (shhh) and use Sheriff's Lemon Pie Filling, but I always make a Schmecks meringue.