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Distributed for Reaktion Books

Pie

A Global History

Distributed for Reaktion Books

Pie

A Global History

Apple pie. Pumpkin pie. Shepherd’s pie. Chicken potpie. Sweet or savory, pies are beloved; everyone has a favorite. Yet despite its widespread appeal there has never been a book devoted to this humble dish—until now.

            Janet Clarkson in Pie illustrates how what was once a purely pragmatic dish of thick layers of dough has grown into an esteemed creation of culinary art. There is as much debate about how to perfect the ideal, flaky pastry crust as there is about the very definition of a pie: Must it have a top and bottom crust? Is a pasty a pie? In flavorful detail, Clarkson celebrates the pie in all its variations. She touches pon the pie’s commercial applications, nutritional value, and cultural significance; and she examines its international variations, from Britain’s pork pie and Australia and New Zealand’s endless varieties of meat pie to the Russian kurnik and good old-fashioned American apple pie.

            This delectable salute to the many pies enjoyed the world over will satisfy the appetites of all readers hungry for culinary history and curious about the many varieties of this delightful food, and it just might inspire them to don aprons and head for the stove.

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128 pages | 40 color plates, 20 halftones | 4 3/4 x 7 3/4 | © 2009

Edible

Food and Gastronomy


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Table of Contents

Prologue: Preliminary Observations on Pie
1. A Brief History of Pie
2. The Universal Appeal of Pie
3. Pies by Design
4. Filling Stuff
5. Special Occasion Pies
6. Around the World with Pie
7. Imaginary Pies
Epilogue: The Future of Pie
 
Recipes
Select Bibliography
Websites and Associations

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