Summary
Summary
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Look no further than The Book on Pie for the only book on pie you'll ever want or need.
Erin Jeanne McDowell, New York Times contributing baker extraordinaire and top food stylist, wrote the book on pie, a comprehensive handbook that distills all you'll ever need to know for making perfect pies. The Book on Pie starts with the basics, including ways to mix pie dough for extra flaky crusts, storage and freezing, recipe size conversions, and expert tips for decorating and styling, before diving into the recipes for all the different kinds of pies: fruit, custard, cream, chiffon, cold set, savory, and mini. Find everything from classics like Apple Pie and Pumpkin Pie, to more inspired recipes like Birthday-Cake Pie and Caramel Pork Pie with Chile and Scallions.
Erin also suggests recommended pie doughs and toppings with each recipe for infinitely customizable pies: Mix and match Pumpkin Spice Pie Dough and Dark Chocolate Drippy Glaze with the Pumpkin Pie, or sub in the Chive Compound-Butter Crust for the Croque Madame Pielets . . . the possibilities are endless. With helpful tips, photographic guides, and inspirations--pie-deas--it's almost like having Erin in the kitchen baking pies with you.
Author Notes
ERIN JEANNE MCDOWELL is an author, recipe developer, and award-winning food stylist with specialized focus in baking. She's a regular contributor to New York Times Cooking , Food52 (where she also serves as Baking Consultant at Large) , and PureWow . She hosts weekly baking classes on Food Network Kitchen and the series "Bake It Up a Notch" for Food52 . She and her work have been featured in The Washington Post, Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, The New Yorker, and Food and Wine Magazine. She lives and works in North Bergen, New Jersey.
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
McDowell, baking columnist for Food52, hits the mark in this expert guide to pie making, both sweet and savory. Beginning with a chapter on doughs and crusts, MacDowell lays a foundation with recipes for pie doughs including whole-wheat, gluten-free, and cornmeal, as well as hot-water, puff pastry, and a variety of press-in cookie crusts. Pie recipes are divided into chapters by type, including fruit, custard, and "Cream, Chiffon & Cold Set Pies." The savory section includes an avocado galette, croque monsieur pielets, a "Forager's Mushroom Pie," and a red onion tarte tatin. Must-bake highlights include a stunning blood orange brûlée pie and a free-form domed white chocolate-peppermint pie generously topped with fluffy meringue, and a shrimp boil pie, consisting of potatoes, shrimp, sausage, and corn atop puff pastry. The author's informative yet laid-back spirit permeates the work, and her love of teaching pie baking comes through the pages. "Whys of Pies" sidebars--along with enticing photos by Mark Weinberg--share helpful information on topics including making substitutions for vegan and dairy-free pies, saving ripe seasonal fruit for later use, and successfully creating a deep-dish pie. This is a top-notch go-to for all things pie. (Nov.)
Booklist Review
When fall's bounty of fruit appears, cooks' thoughts turn irresistibly to pie. McDowell's (The Fearless Baker, 2017) own thoughts run deep, even deep dish, as she shares her wealth of knowledge on baking just about every sort of pie imaginable. For most home bakers, pie crust is a real challenge. McDowell has precise, illustrated instructions to help, with advice for making crust gluten-free or from unusual flours, like spelt and pumpernickel. Ambitious bakers may follow McDowell's dozens of woven and latticed top crust instructions. Of course, a pie's filling is its raison d'être. Here McDowell shines, offering every sort of apple variation as well as berry fillings and other fruits. Also included are ever-popular citrus pies, including lemon meringue and key lime, and cream pies--coconut, chocolate, peanut butter. Savory pies, a British tradition, can serve as main dishes, in one case topped not with crust, but with a lattice of bacon. As if these recipes weren't enough inducement to get into the kitchen, Mark Weinberg's unfussy color photographs set a standard for perfection for bakers everywhere.
Library Journal Review
Food writer and stylist McDowell (The Fearless Baker) presents a thorough and beautiful guide to all aspects of pie. The recipes (which include vegan and gluten-free options) cover the classics such as apple and rhubarb, as well as new ideas, such as cardamom crème brûlée and nectarine semifreddo. Each recipe also offers variations and suggestions for crusts and topping options. But it's the education about and understanding of pie that make this book stand out. McDowell explains doughs, fillings, and toppings, how variations in ingredients can change balance, and how to correct troublesome pies. Charts outline how to scale up crusts and fillings for different pan and batch sizes, alongside advice on equipment and ingredients, and tips on improvising. The gorgeous photos illustrate levels of blind baking, lattice patterns, and various crimping options. VERDICT McDowell writes with a welcoming voice; newbies will be heartened and old hands will be impressed. Get out the rolling pin, this book has a pie for everyone.--Devon Thomas, Chelsea, MI