Hey everybody!
Remember yesterday, when I was all “I don’t like competing, wah wah”? Well, I did my part. I made this pie! We decided to call it “Baker Street Plum,” because of the children’s series “Basil of Baker Street, about a mouse who lives in Sherlock Holmes’ basement and solves mouse crimes!
Mmmm, Plum with basil and honey. I like it.
You’ll notice that it looks like most of my pies, which is to say, rustic. This is generally intentional! Pie is a home food, and one that anyone can make. It doesn’t need to look fancy to be good.
That being said, I may have spent a little time in the bathroom at the venue having a panic attack after seeing some other entries.
There were some really pretty pies there! I did feel rather inadequate, like I had brought the wrong pie.
(at this point, I may be obsessing about the pies again. forgive me.)
Anyway… There were 12 pies entered (and 12 cakes!). Once the judges had a chance to assess each one, it became a pie social (also, cake social, but whatever). Competitors were encouraged to maintain control of serving their own pie, but most people seemed to cut a few slices and then wander. Luckily for me, Mr. Pie did the wandering-and-getting-more-pie part, and so I was dishing up my pie when a volunteer came to get a second slice so the judges could retaste my pie! And yes, that is a good sign.
That right there, folks, is your third place pie! Interestingly, coming in 3rd of 12 against lots of really pretty pies felt a lot more like a triumph than that time I came in 1st of 3.
Last year’s winner Kate Lebo was there. She came in second, with a Whiskey Apple pie. She also entirely convinced me not to run away, AND had this wisdom: “I never trust a too-pretty pie crust. I’m afraid they’ll be tough.” So, yeah, Kate Lebo: definitely a fan of her. (also, fan of Mr. Pie for starting a conversation with her while I was busy freaking out in the bathroom.)
I didn’t get a picture of the winning pie alone, though it was the one right next to mine. It was apple pear. It was still warm. I think that might be some kind of cheating. Regardless, she had the flakiest crust I tasted there. Congratulations to her as well!
Many thanks to Jenise Silva at Seattlest for organizing this fun event! And in case you’re wondering, yes, Pie did emerge triumphant over cake again this year!
