Southern Pies: A Gracious Plenty of Pie Recipes, From Lemon Chess to Chocolate Pecan

Nancie McDermott
Chronicle Books (2010)
ISBN 9780811869928
Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (10/10)

 

Pies galore!  From heirlooms to custard pies, from chess pies to chocolate pies, and then there are the seasonal pies - what more would one want? 

For the purpose of this review we are asked to make three of the recipes.  I’ve always wanted to make a “Vinegar Pie” so this was my chance.  I’ve never eaten it, but living in the south heard how wonderful it is.  I have to agree.  This specific recipe created a light custard-like filling with a tinge of acidity.  We thoroughly enjoyed it.

The second recipe I tried was “Sliced Sweet Potato Pie.”  The reason I tried this one is because of the lovely pie displayed in the photograph.  And, I must say, my final creation looked much like the one presented.  The potatoes were precooked, yet didn’t fall apart when baked in the pie. The sweet spicy smell filled the whole home, perfect for the fall.  I’m going to make this pie for Thanksgiving.

The third recipe I made was “Amazing Coconut Pie.”  Years ago I made something similar called “Impossible Pie” whereby the ingredients create its own crust.  The custard was soft and the crust was crisp on the bottom but tender.  For me, it was a little too sweet. The next time I make this recipe I will be sure to used unsweetened coconut.

There are so many other recipes I’m going to try.  I enjoyed going through “The Pathway to the Pleasures of Making Southern Pies,” learning about some of the tools and remembering some of them that my grandmother had but I don’t use.

I commend Nancie McDermott on creating this wonderful book.  The recipes I tried were well worth it and I know that when I make others the results will be of high quality. Simple and easy, the recipes in “Southern Pies” call for ingredients found in most pantries and if not, certainly at your local grocery store.

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