So the recipe said I was supposed to bake it for 20 minutes covered in foil, then remove the foil and continue baking for another 25 minutes. That first 20 minutes was like torture, because no matter how many times I pressed the “oven light” button and peeked in, I couldn’t see how it was going. It was tense like election day, minus the significance to anyone in the world except me.
Finally the oven beeped, and I pulled it out. Naturally, when I removed the foil, I also removed no less than three small patches of crust, as well as a big chunk of the edge of the crust. [sigh.] Dejected, I threw the pie back in the oven. The only tension for the remaining 25 minutes came from me deciding which excuse I was going to use for why I didn’t have a pie. My kid accidentally pulled it off the counter while it was cooling? My dog ate it? We had a surprise visit from out of town friends, so we ended up needing to eat the pie in order to have something to offer our guests? So many choices… but I was interrupted by the oven beeping once again.
(The color quality isn’t great because it is a picture from my cell phone, as it wasn’t even worth me getting out the good camera.)
I went and got ready for bed while it cooled. I figured that I’d at least have to try it before throwing it out. When it was mostly cooled, I cut out a piece. And then I used a spoon to get all the pie filling that didn’t stay properly in the piece I cut. Then I took a bite. A bite of awesomeness. It tasted wonderful, probably in no small part because it was sweet enough for me to get blacklisted by the American Diabetes Association. And I didn’t even know they blacklisted people. I wrapped up the rest of my pie and went to bed with the fear of being outright embarrassed lifted from my shoulders.
When I got to work, I quickly went to task on scoping out the competing pies. And in no time, my insecurities came back. Because as good as I thought mine tasted, it looked a mess. All the other pies looked good. With regard to looks, if their pies were Halle Berry, my pie was Chuck Berry. The rules of the contest said that each of the 5 contestants had to bring two judges. And as much as I tried, I could not find two blind judges who really liked sweets before lunch hour. So I picked one of my coworkers and one of my student employees.
What followed was something that was like half fantasy, half nightmare. There was a table, and the table had FIFTY small slices of pie, each on a numbered plate. It was a scene that would bring a tear to any pie-lover’s eye. But then came the nightmare part - I couldn’t eat any of it. All of the slices were for the judges. And so I nervously sat, watching others indulge in the kind of gluttony that I had always hoped to be a part of. Each judge had a score sheet, and they were jotting down their observations after each bite. This went on for almost a half hour. Finally, all the scores were in. And though I want to draw this out longer, I won’t:
I WON!!
In spite of the comments about how my pie looked “kind of destroyed,” the taste won over 5 of the 10 judges, which was enough to eek out a victory by one vote over one of the Halle Berry pies. At the end, I did get a chance to take a few bites of some of the other pies, and I came to the realization that though I won, I didn’t really win. The judges did.
November 17th, 2008
Hey! I’m actually FIRST!
November 17th, 2008
I was just about to read Part I when this magically appeared…I’ll be back!
November 17th, 2008
OMAR! That is just so exciting! Congratulations!
A beautiful pie is a joy to behold. But taste is ALWAYS more important, in my opinion!
November 17th, 2008
It’s just like with people…it’s what is INSIDE that counts…
Congratulations!
November 17th, 2008
I love heffalump’s comment. Yay for you! And yay for delicious pie!
November 18th, 2008
Congratulations!
Next year you have to sign on as a judge so you get to taste every one of those pies!
November 18th, 2008
This post made me laugh out loud about 5 times.
But not the part about you winning. I took that part very seriously. Congratulations, that’s pretty awesome.
I can’t watch Iron Chef anymore because all I want to do is be a judge on the show. And it just makes me malcontent and dream of obesity. I would be way nicer than old grouchy man who talks with food in his mouth.
Oh yeah, back to your pie….do you deliver?
November 18th, 2008
Congratulations, Omar.
I really need to re-think my men-don’t-belong-in-my-kitchen rule. I wonder if my husband bakes. Nah, probably not. Do you want to come and bake for me?
November 18th, 2008
See Omar? It really is about inner beauty.
November 18th, 2008
You’ll get there on the crust. If you have already mastered the taste, then you’ve already won the battle. My tip is to err on the side of thickness when rolling out the dough, up to 1/4″. And make more than your recipe calls for - I usually multiply my recipe by 1.5, so i know I have more than enough to fit the pie. The excess freezes and thaws easily, and then you have homemade crust available to make little ramekin mini-pies when you get a craving, or the mood strikes.
The water tip from Jonathan last time is a good one. Do that, and then brush the top with an egg wash and sprinkle granulated sugar on top of that while it’s still wet right before putting it in the oven, and it will be preeeety when it’s done.
Really, though, the taste is what matters. If you have that, you’re golden.
November 18th, 2008
I KNEW you would win! I kneeeew it! Hooray!
November 18th, 2008
This is like a modern day Ugly Duckling story … that tastes better.
You should go on tour as a motivational speaker tying all analogies back to pies.
November 18th, 2008
YAY!!!!!!
The timeless story of truimph in the face of adversity, just like in the movies! =)
Do I still get the award winning recipe? I promise I won’t sell it or use it for profit.
November 18th, 2008
Awesome! You are the pie master.
November 18th, 2008
I was one of the judges he won over — it was a gooooood pie.
November 18th, 2008
i think all the love and concern for making a good pie is probably what put it over the top.
CONGRATULATIONS! dude, you said it: when we are your out-of-town friends visiting, i’m SO expecting a slice of your delicious pie!
November 19th, 2008
woo-hoo congratulations, omar! yum. i love apple pie. i really love apple pie for breakfast, though. hm. maybe i should try making a pie again.
November 19th, 2008
I can only imagine how exciting it would be to be chosen as a judge, then show up and have to eat terrible tasting pie after terrible tasting pie… with the exception of your pie that is. Which is why you won. Congratulations!
November 20th, 2008
I bow to your greatness oh Pie King!! Congrats!!
November 20th, 2008
Question: Did you wear an apron or purple spandex while baking it?
November 22nd, 2008
I only tried yours, but it was good. Excellent job.
But I’m still glad I bowed out of judging. Too much pressure, what with that Bobby Flay hovering around and all. It was much more fun to climb on the furniture to take pictures.