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A pie a week


  • Pies are listed in the order I've made them, beginning in March 2006. Click on a name to view the recipe and a photo.

    These recipes come from family members, friends, cookbooks and the Internet. If you would like to know the source for a specific recipe, let me know.


  • Unless otherwise specified, the recipe for pie crust is as follows:

    Makes two 9-inch crusts (use half the ingredients for a single crust)

    2 cups flour
    1 teaspoon salt
    2/3 cup cold or frozen butter
    dash of vinegar
    ice-cold water, enough so dough is flaky but not dry or gooey

    To prebake the crust, bake at 350º for about 10 to 12 minutes. Placing aluminum foil on top of the crust, with some dry beans or rice, helps prevent bubbling.

    (Or watch the video.)

  • CHOCOLATE PECAN
    One of the easiest and tastiest pies I've had. Just don't add extra chocolate chips—it's too overpowering.
  • LEMON
    My Grandma's recipe. It's one of my all-time favorites, possibly because of the memories.
  • CHERRY
    Great recipe, but I used the wrong cherries. Make sure you use tart pie cherries.
  • SHENANDOAH APPLE
    Apples and cheese...mmm.
  • EGGLESS LIME CREAM
    An interesting combination of textures. Tasty and light, but not my particular favorite.
  • BLACKBERRY/STRAWBERRY
    Delicious, mostly because of the fresh berries I used. I've now made this pie twice, adding blueberries the second time. Yum!
  • SOUR CREAM RAISIN
    Another of my Grandma's recipes. It sounds a little odd, but it's really good: creamy and not too sweet.
  • LEMON CREAM CHEESE
    Easy and really good. It would be hard to mess this one up. Easy crust too.
  • APPLE
    A classic choice and a very basic recipe (basic does not mean boring...it's got good flavor and looks pretty too).
  • DARK CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CREAM
    Part recipe, part improv. Fairly easy and quite good; not too sweet.
  • PEACH
    I used mostly fresh peaches, with maybe a cup of my mom's canned peaches to fill the pie pan. Quite tasty with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream...or just plain.
  • COCONUT CREAM
    I must have done something wrong, because it turned out not quite sweet enough and rather too thick. The toasted coconut was good, though.
  • BANANA CREAM
    I sort of cheated by using storebought vanilla pudding. I did make the crust myself.
  • RHUBARB CUSTARD
    A family favorite. It didn't thicken enough, but otherwise it turned out great: tart and sweet at once.
  • CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER
    Wow, talk about rich. Not too sweet, but very rich. For a chocolate peanut butter lover like me, it's quite delectable.
  • NEW YORK CHEESECAKE
    A very satisfying and rich cheesecake, without being too sweet. The walnuts in the crumb crust add a nice flavor and crunch.
  • SQUASH
    I prefer squash, sweet potato or yam to the traditional pumpkin filling. It has the same look but better texture and flavor.
  • PEAR CUSTARD
    I'd never had pears in pie before, but this was quite tasty. The custard filling is just sweet enough and the pears didn't fall apart.
  • PEAR CRANBERRY
    A great combination of tart and sweet, with great texture. I used firm, ripe pears that softened perfectly while baking.
  • HONEY CHOCOLATE
    Cheesecakey, moussey, rich, but not too sweet. Sour cream + chocolate + honey = mmmm.
  • KEY LIME
    This was good. Really good. Rich and tart and sweet, and very creamy.
  • CHOCOLATE BANANA CREAM
    I saw a recipe for chocolate banana cream and couldn't get my mind off it. I didn't have the whipping cream the recipe called for, so I modified my favorite lemon pie filling to do the trick.
  • BLUEBERRY CREAM
    A grad school friend shared this recipe with me. I made it in mid-March and ate a couple of pieces on Pie Day (3.14). Yum! Will definitely make this again.

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2011.11.12

Books: The browsing experience

I've always been a big reader. But now, being a librarian, I'm surrounded with books in a different way. And with all the online tools for learning about books and seeing what everyone else is reading, I rarely browse the shelves. I can read a review in Library Journal, add a book to my to-read list in Goodreads, place a hold in the library catalog, and pick up the book when it comes in.

I like the convenience, and the ease with which I can find a book that appeals to my tastes, but I find myself missing the browsing experience. In fact, one of the things I learned in grad school was that shelving classification systems allow the user to experience serendipitous browsing. They may think they want a certain book, but when they see it on the shelf, they also see the related books nearby, one of which may be the perfect book for them at that moment.

It's just not the same for me. Now that I'm the one purchasing all the fiction — which, don't get me wrong, is one of the best parts of my job — I know too much about all the books, and I don't have the chance to be surprised.

I haven't had a serendipitous book experience in a while. And I think I miss it.

01:49 PM in Just Me |

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