Page 9 - Pie It Forward: Pies, Tarts, Tortes, Galettes, and Other Pastries Reinvented

PIE: Older than most sparkly vampires—

thousands of years old. On your next visit to

Egypt, you may spot my image etched onto the

walls of pyramids.

As a matter of fact, Pharaoh Ramses II,

recognized as supreme leader AND a pie fan, was

so besotted with the crusty stuff that his tomb

bears images of galettes. The Greeks and Romans

used pastry to encase savory fillings, making them

more portable and giving sailors some culinary

variety on long sea journeys. The first hit

cookbook, written by Apicius, has any number of

recipes devoted to pastry cases filled with a

wondrous assortment of goodies, from honey-

soaked almonds to minced meats. The most

popular pie of the day (that day being around the

start of the fifth century) had the unfortunate

moniker of Placenta. Thankfully, it wasn’t an