Sometimes Comfort Feels Like Pie
“Pie feels like comfort, like coming home for Thanksgiving or really being loved by someone.”
#amyshereforthis
On March 14, 2020, I made a pie. As the news cycle overwhelmed, buzz about this mysterious COVID-19 virus circled through every conversation, and things started to shut down, I baked a lemon meringue pie. I love lemon meringue pie. And it was Pi Day, after all.
As the year progressed, I found myself looking to pie in other overwhelming situations. Quarantined? Bake a pie. Exhausted from being in your house for weeks on end? Order a pizza. Confused about whether or not your family should go on that out of state camping trip? Grab your rolling pin, sister (or brother. Pie doesn’t prescribe to gender stereotypes). You’ve got a pie to make.
You may or may not know this, but I am actually a baker. Several times a month I can be found in my kitchen working on cake orders. Cakes have become a bit of a side-job for me, but pies are something I only ever bake for fun, for myself and my family or friends. Pie feels like comfort, like coming home for Thanksgiving or like really being loved by someone.
In the last twelve months when my little family unit was confined to our home and the four of us so often, we found comfort in being together. Pizza night seemed to be one tradition unmarred by the pandemic, with pizza delivery remaining unchanged. It’s nice to have something you can count on, you know? It’s nice to have comfort in the midst of uncertainty.
“Pizza night seemed to be one tradition unmarred by the pandemic, with pizza delivery remaining unchanged.”
#amyshereforthis
One warm summer night, three dear friends and I sat around two pizza boxes on a picnic blanket in the park to celebrate some good news. The normalcy of it felt like respite. And also the pizza was good, which is always a plus.
And so, in the spirit of Pi Day and nearly one year of collectively enduring the pandemic, I have some pie recommendations for you, St. Louis!
Let’s start with pizza.
In our house, we’re big fans of Pie Guy, Melo’s, and Pizza Head. We adore Blackthorn Pub pizza, but let’s be honest, it feels like a different thing. A different, very cheesy thing. If you want something that feels a little fancier, Katie’s Pizza & Pasta and O+O Pizza are both wonderful. And obviously I can’t write a post about Pi Day without including Pi Pizza.
My husband has been working to perfect his sourdough pizza crust for homemade pizza nights with the kids and it is a journey that I am gladly riding along. For years we made thin crust pizza from scratch, but now he’s settled on a thicker, more focaccia-like crust. Pair that with the sauce he’s been making with some sort of fancy tomatoes and a Pixar movie and you’ll see that pizza night has become very exciting around here.
I think I’ve officially decided pizza is my favorite food.
Now, onto dessert: pie!
It’s nice to have comfort in the midst of uncertainty.
#amyshereforthis
I’m going to be honest, I think it is really hard to find good pie in St. Louis. Maybe every city is like this? Pie Oh My in Maplewood is delightful. Whisk has pie sometimes and almost always has pop tarts, which are essentially hand pies. Pint Size has delicious mini pies and you can usually find a slice or two at Russell’s on Macklind.
As far as making pie, key lime and coconut cream are family favorites around here. For my husband’s birthday this year, I really went for it and did a two-layer key lime and coconut cream pie. Highly recommend. I recently borrowed The Book on Pie by Erin McDowell from the library and it is incredibly informative and full of delicious, creative pies. We’ve made both savory and sweet recipes (the aforementioned key lime/coconut cream) from it and loved both! You just can’t go wrong with pie.
So what about you? What has brought you comfort in the midst of this topsy-turvy year? If--like me--it was pie, I’m here for your recommendation of favorite places for pizza and pie or preferred recipes.
Happy Pi(e) Day-ing!