Photo by Stephanie Staton The homemade apple pie is a hallmark of American baking. Learn to bake one with Hobby Farms Kitchen. |
The image of a homemade pie being shared with a friend, soldier or loved one is an integral chapter in the American story. Offered as a way to express gratitude for a soldier’s service or given to a friend simply as a way of saying thanks, a fresh-baked pie presented as a gift carries with it a reassuring sense of courtesy and sincerity.
To help America recall the simple pleasure of giving the gift of pie, the American Pie Council and its associate members are highlighting National Pie Day on Jan. 23, 2010. You can download pie coupons and pie recipes from APC’s commercial members on its website, and take a homemade or bakery-fresh pie to someone you love or respect.
The editors of Hobby Farm Home magazine have also caught the spirit of pie. Learn to bake an old-fashioned apple pie with the first edition of Hobby Farms Kitchen and add their recipe to your cookbook.
“There’s something touching about giving someone a gift as special as a pie,” says Linda Hoskins, APC executive director. “When you picture troops receiving pies as they rolled through a train depot in the Midwest or recall a time when neighbors shared pies to reflect a treasured friendship or recognize the strength of a close-knit community, it all brings to mind a comforting sense of nostalgia and kindness.”
The pie council decided those connections needed to be rekindled.
“Besides, if you were getting a gift, would you rather receive an ordinary tie or an extraordinary pie?” Hoskins adds.
The act of sharing pie, America’s quintessential dessert, is an extraordinary heritage. In many homes, family pie recipes go back for decades. Often, special pie utensils were passed down over generations. What takes place in the kitchen also brings families together. Children, parents, husbands and wives can experience the pleasure of working together and creating a special treat.
“Whether you’re the one who gives or receives a pie, it’s an experience that’ll put a smile on your face,” Hoskins says.
The APC aims to maintain America’s pie heritage and pass on the tradition of pie-making. For more information about the organization and membership opportunities, visit the pie council’s website.
