Page 19 - Pie Squared

lost in a sea of crust.
Many of these pies sport a top crust which makes for a much

sturdier slice, particularly if you’re serving on paper plates. Lattice or
cutout lids are icing on the pie, especially when the filling is extra
juicy, as with cherries and blackberries. Turn to lattice or cutouts
when a peek into the pie is part of the fun, as in the Just-Like-

Artichoke-Dip Slab Pie (here). I’ve shown you some of my favorite
lattices and coverings in the pages of this book, and how to do them
here. Go ahead. Get fancy.
Slab pies are easier to portion, unlike extracting equal pieces

from a round pie where the filling tumbles out and the top crust goes
askew. And guests who want “just a sliver” create a whole other
situation. Not so with a slab pie where pieces are square or
rectangular and easily slivered or slabbed, portioning to meet the

appetite. When your partner, roommate, kids, or neighbors show up
at the table with a friend, I’ve given you a template for How to Slice a
Slab Pie (here) to see just how easily these pies accommodate a
crowd.

Change up your pie game with slab pies. Soggy Bottoms begone.
Runny fillings won’t do. Tough, pale crusts are history. I’ve honed a
few techniques along the way and they appear as tips throughout the
book: tricks that make slab pies roll off your pin, bake up deliciously,

and lift right out of the pan.
You might wonder what a cookbook author does when baking so
many pies. So did I. Coinciding with my deep dive into slab pie, we
moved to a condominium in a building with more than forty other

units. In the first weeks, I was turning out three or four pies a day
and soon began to send all-building emails with subject lines like
Coconut Cream Pie on the way to the mailroom. Bring a plate. If you
are planning a move, consider slab pie. It’s the ultimate in

icebreakers; slab pies are community builders.
Make a pie, make a friend.