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The Hoosier Mama Book of Pie: Deluxe Recipes
Making a delicious pie has never been easier with this extensive cookbook from the popular Chicago bakery. When Paula Haney first opened the Hoosier Mama Pie Company on March 14, 2009 (Pi day, appropriately enough), she worried whether her new business could survive by specializing in just one thing. But with a line around the block, Paula realized she had a more immediate had she made enough pie? The shop closed early that day, but it has been churning out plenty of the Chicago’s most delectable pies ever since. Specializing in hand-made, artisanal pies that only use locally sourced and in-season ingredients, Hoosier Mama Pie Company has become a local favorite and a national destination gaining praise from Bon Appetit, the Food Network, and Food & Wine as one of the top pie shops in the country. Now, The Hoosier Mama Book of Pie delivers all the sumptuous secrets of buttery crusts, fruity fillings, creams and custards, chess pies, over-the-top pies, and even the stout and hearty savory pie. The practically oriented, easy-going, and accessible style of this book will help bakers both new and old make the perfect pie for every occasion. On top of all of this, The Hoosier Mama Book of Pie also includes tips on technique, fascinating historical anecdotes, and an emphasis on special seasonal recipes, as well as quiches, hand pies, and scones. This beautifully photographed and designed book has the classic retro feel of the mid-20th century golden age of pie, and all the warmth and personality of the Hoosier Mama Pie Co.’s cozy Chicago storefront. The focus on using local produce and employing the farm-to-table philosophy gives the book a contemporary twist, helping home bakers make the freshest, most delicious pies imaginable. Now readers can take a little piece of the Hoosier Mama Pie Company anywhere they go.Praise for the Hoosier Mama Book of Pie “Paula Haney . . . just put out a massive cookbook with her recipes . . . and it’s something very special. The almost-400-page tome details Hoosier Mama’s opening and development, as well as Haney’s recipes for everything from crust to biscuits to custard fillings. The photos make everything look delicious and, to the above-average baker, everything seems relatively easy to execute.” —Marah Eakin, The AV Club “Everything you could possibly want to know about proper pie making is covered . . . No facet of the process is too humble for discussion; the merits of salt in the crust is given as much thought as the best way to combine butter and flour. If you’ve ever wanted to learn the right way to crimp a pie, or how to make lattice work actually work, this is the book for you.” —Serious Eats, naming Hoosier Mama a top dessert cookbook of 2013
673 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
116 people are currently reading
212 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
December 7, 2014
The pies are good but the recipes are full of editing mistakes. Some recipes are missing oven temperatures, there are ingredients on the ingredient list that aren't used in the recipes, and some of the oven temperatures and cooking times cannot possibly be correct. Instructions for many of the recipes are divided into different parts of the book so that you have to flip back and forth. Ingredient lists are not tailored to a home cook.
However, the pies are delicious and in addition to standard fruit, cream and icebox pies, this book contains a good selection of seasonal pies. The recipes are accessible to an experienced home cook.
However, the pies are delicious and in addition to standard fruit, cream and icebox pies, this book contains a good selection of seasonal pies. The recipes are accessible to an experienced home cook.
October 9, 2014
First time I've read a cookbook cover to cover. Made me miss living in Chicagoland and Hoosier Mama! I love pie, especially cherry, but had no desire to make one myself. Until now. I made my first pie this past weekend and was quite impressed. Although I made a couple of mistakes, the results were beyond my expectations. My goal is to make enough pies this winter to be ready to make a kick-ass cherry pie this summer.
March 29, 2022
This book is fun! I live in Indiana so when I saw it was from a company in Chicago I decided I had to try it, especially since temperature/elevation (which play a major role in baking) would be pretty close to my temps/elevation. I also enjoyed their story on how they came to be with photos.
Now, I have not tried the crust yet because we were invited to a last minute cookout at the new neighbors. I was on a bit of time crunch and since I have not made a pie ever, and I've heard all the stories (well a lot of them) on how picky/temperamental pie crust can be. I was chicken and decided to go with store bought - the boxed ones you buy in the fridge section and roll out. I decided if the filling was good then it was worth me taking the time to make the crust next time.
On page 92 - I picked the Classic Apple pie - they are definitely correct in the choice of apples (Granny Smith) - the flavor was fantastic! The Chinese 5 spice powder smelled so good and the kitchen smelled like fall. I followed the directions as well as the pictures - it took some time - 25 minutes to macerate; 25 minutes to drain the apples; boil the juice and then sit till room temp; put the juice in fridge for 20 minutes; bake for 45 min to 1 hour and then sit at room temp for a while. But it was fun! I really enjoyed this.
Now, where I messed up - I didn't notice the pie wash part (remember, first time creating a pie) so I did not have heavy cream to mix with the milk. I did a quick google search and saw the egg yolk wash so I did that - I didn't like the splotchy look of that when it was done - so definitely try the milk/cream one next time - they like to use that mixture for an all over even tan - I did follow their instructions on covering the sides once they were brown about 20 minutes in to the baking process.
The pie was delicious! Now, I want to definitely make some of the others. A big plus is when the neighborhood teens asked me to make one just for them. That's a compliment!
I did not buy this book on Amazon - I bought it at a local holiday book sale.
I'm giving a 4 star for now due to the spice being a bit much for me on this pie - the spice intensified over night becoming even stronger. In the future, I won't use as much of the Chinese five-spice powder as recipes call for because it can easily become overwhelming for me. This only called for 1 tsp - glad I did not go a bit over that like I normally do when in a hurry. Next time I'll only do a 1/2 tspn.
As far as the Chinese five spice powder - Approach with caution.
I definitely am keeping this book and adding notes to the sides for myself.
When I make the pie crust - I'll come back and edit my review. I'm hoping it will maintain it's 4- 5 star status with me.
I love to create in the kitchen - very happy with this purchase. This is an attractive book and I like the look of it on my cast iron book stand in the kitchen.
Now, I have not tried the crust yet because we were invited to a last minute cookout at the new neighbors. I was on a bit of time crunch and since I have not made a pie ever, and I've heard all the stories (well a lot of them) on how picky/temperamental pie crust can be. I was chicken and decided to go with store bought - the boxed ones you buy in the fridge section and roll out. I decided if the filling was good then it was worth me taking the time to make the crust next time.
On page 92 - I picked the Classic Apple pie - they are definitely correct in the choice of apples (Granny Smith) - the flavor was fantastic! The Chinese 5 spice powder smelled so good and the kitchen smelled like fall. I followed the directions as well as the pictures - it took some time - 25 minutes to macerate; 25 minutes to drain the apples; boil the juice and then sit till room temp; put the juice in fridge for 20 minutes; bake for 45 min to 1 hour and then sit at room temp for a while. But it was fun! I really enjoyed this.
Now, where I messed up - I didn't notice the pie wash part (remember, first time creating a pie) so I did not have heavy cream to mix with the milk. I did a quick google search and saw the egg yolk wash so I did that - I didn't like the splotchy look of that when it was done - so definitely try the milk/cream one next time - they like to use that mixture for an all over even tan - I did follow their instructions on covering the sides once they were brown about 20 minutes in to the baking process.
The pie was delicious! Now, I want to definitely make some of the others. A big plus is when the neighborhood teens asked me to make one just for them. That's a compliment!
I did not buy this book on Amazon - I bought it at a local holiday book sale.
I'm giving a 4 star for now due to the spice being a bit much for me on this pie - the spice intensified over night becoming even stronger. In the future, I won't use as much of the Chinese five-spice powder as recipes call for because it can easily become overwhelming for me. This only called for 1 tsp - glad I did not go a bit over that like I normally do when in a hurry. Next time I'll only do a 1/2 tspn.
As far as the Chinese five spice powder - Approach with caution.
I definitely am keeping this book and adding notes to the sides for myself.
When I make the pie crust - I'll come back and edit my review. I'm hoping it will maintain it's 4- 5 star status with me.
I love to create in the kitchen - very happy with this purchase. This is an attractive book and I like the look of it on my cast iron book stand in the kitchen.
December 7, 2025
Our theme for Thanksgiving this year (other than Indian take-out, because that’s a given) was Pies, and thanks to every other patron of my local public library also taking a particular late-November interest in pie cookbooks, this one was the only one that had made it out of my holds queue and into my house by Thanksgiving week.
So this is the book that three novice pie bakers paged through to determine our Thanksgiving pies!
I settled on Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Ganache. The kid picked Cranberry Chess Pie. My partner decided on Raspberry Pie, but then the kid was all, “...nobody’s going to make pumpkin?” so for love of his daughter, he condemned himself to also making a second pie, the Pumpkin.
We’re all notably basic cooks. As far as I know, the kid has never once so much as turned on the stove in her college apartment’s kitchen. I cook pretty often, but something usually goes wrong, and that something is me. For instance, I have attempted potato soup twice within the past year, both times using well-regarded recipes, and ruined it both times, even though I have the suspicion that potato soup is the easiest and most basic of soups. My partner at least will follow a recipe, but generally as ham-handedly as it’s possible for one to follow a recipe and still have it regarded as following the recipe. It’s like his reading comprehension tanks as soon as he starts reading recipe instructions. Which I feel like is a really fair thing to do, because for some reason recipe instructions are often so inscrutable!
I’m happy to report, however, that by Thanksgiving Day, the three of us had created four perfectly passable, perfectly delicious pies!
I did not believe that the graham cracker crust I made was going to hold together, and I still don’t understand how graham crackers plus sugar plus butter equal a functioning crust, but it did, indeed, hold together quite nicely. I don’t know if the peanut butter filling was my favorite--I somehow wanted it to be more peanut butter tasting, I guess?--but the chocolate ganache was AWESOME on it, and it made a ton. I heavily drizzled it on the peanut butter pie, and then dipped homemade rum balls in the rest, and now I’m going to have to do that the next time I make rum balls, too, because that was freaking delicious.
The all-butter pie crusts came out awesome, too, as did everyone else’s pies. We feasted so hard on them Thanksgiving morning that I spent the rest of the morning with a sugar headache, and to be honest, as soon as that felt better I went back for more pie.
So this is the book that three novice pie bakers paged through to determine our Thanksgiving pies!
I settled on Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Ganache. The kid picked Cranberry Chess Pie. My partner decided on Raspberry Pie, but then the kid was all, “...nobody’s going to make pumpkin?” so for love of his daughter, he condemned himself to also making a second pie, the Pumpkin.
We’re all notably basic cooks. As far as I know, the kid has never once so much as turned on the stove in her college apartment’s kitchen. I cook pretty often, but something usually goes wrong, and that something is me. For instance, I have attempted potato soup twice within the past year, both times using well-regarded recipes, and ruined it both times, even though I have the suspicion that potato soup is the easiest and most basic of soups. My partner at least will follow a recipe, but generally as ham-handedly as it’s possible for one to follow a recipe and still have it regarded as following the recipe. It’s like his reading comprehension tanks as soon as he starts reading recipe instructions. Which I feel like is a really fair thing to do, because for some reason recipe instructions are often so inscrutable!
I’m happy to report, however, that by Thanksgiving Day, the three of us had created four perfectly passable, perfectly delicious pies!
I did not believe that the graham cracker crust I made was going to hold together, and I still don’t understand how graham crackers plus sugar plus butter equal a functioning crust, but it did, indeed, hold together quite nicely. I don’t know if the peanut butter filling was my favorite--I somehow wanted it to be more peanut butter tasting, I guess?--but the chocolate ganache was AWESOME on it, and it made a ton. I heavily drizzled it on the peanut butter pie, and then dipped homemade rum balls in the rest, and now I’m going to have to do that the next time I make rum balls, too, because that was freaking delicious.
The all-butter pie crusts came out awesome, too, as did everyone else’s pies. We feasted so hard on them Thanksgiving morning that I spent the rest of the morning with a sugar headache, and to be honest, as soon as that felt better I went back for more pie.
February 6, 2019
Maybe Paula Haney makes a good pie but she wrote a terrible cookbook, what I don't like, the constant back and forth, crust dust and pie wash in almost every recipe, for the wording in the recipe and page referral you could have just listed the ingredients, it is only 2 in each? I have made enough pies to know the fruit pies are never going to thicken with the amounts she lists, nothing worse than a watery pie. (I use cook and instant Clearjel, it is what the professionals use, perfect results and no aftertaste), wonder if she uses it? Pictures of pie what few are in the book, are not very appetizing, if you made the pie, put the picture in, with a piece cut, we are a visual world. A lot of mistakes, who proofread this anyway. Was thinking about making the quiche but she advises you have to make two, it is the only way she could cut the recipe down, 9 large eggs, what is so hard, large eggs don't weigh the same, (just weighed 12, all different weights) so you have to weigh or measure what is so difficult, give the measurement for those who don't have a scale, I don't want 2 quiches, especially if it isn't good. Want a good pie book, Rose Levy Beranbaum, The Pie and Pastry Bible. Eat pie at Hoosier a Mama but be cautious if you use the cookbook.
December 24, 2019
Pros: the cream cheese hand pies are AMAZING
Cons: I think these are truly her recipes and they feel much too fiddle for a home chef (tons of ingredients, lots of sugar, etc).
I have no doubt that these things make the pies better but as a lazy home cook I’m more into the ‘good enough’ approach to pie. That is probably my issue. The more fastidious cook would definitely appreciate this. I will agree with the other reviews that the layout could be more intuitive for cooking. So much flipping back and forth and recipe times would be most welcome.
Cons: I think these are truly her recipes and they feel much too fiddle for a home chef (tons of ingredients, lots of sugar, etc).
I have no doubt that these things make the pies better but as a lazy home cook I’m more into the ‘good enough’ approach to pie. That is probably my issue. The more fastidious cook would definitely appreciate this. I will agree with the other reviews that the layout could be more intuitive for cooking. So much flipping back and forth and recipe times would be most welcome.
July 6, 2021
Lots of intersting pies. Obviously she's a trained pastry chef but lots of these recipes are a bit more time consuming and complicsted that most home cooks want to tackle. Very few color photos, which is a "no go" for me buying a cookbook. I have had the S'mores Pie from this book and it's amazing.
January 29, 2022
AMAZING!!
LOVED the secret tips. Always wondered why my lemon merang pie weeped. Looking fwd to trying butter crust. Mine were lard based. Very well written and easy to understand.
Karin
LOVED the secret tips. Always wondered why my lemon merang pie weeped. Looking fwd to trying butter crust. Mine were lard based. Very well written and easy to understand.
Karin
July 9, 2023
Just read this cover to cover at work <3 as Hoosier Mama’s #1 fan this was such a fascinating and fun glimpse into their kitchen!! Since the recipes are straight from the restaurant a number of them feel too involved for me as a home baker, but I still learned a lot :)
August 27, 2024
Pies!
This is an informative cookbook that gives you explanation s of how to make delicious and exceptional tasting pies. I may even purchase the book to make it easier to bake a variety of these recipes.
This is an informative cookbook that gives you explanation s of how to make delicious and exceptional tasting pies. I may even purchase the book to make it easier to bake a variety of these recipes.
August 21, 2018
Game. Changer.
September 4, 2019
PIE! I like pie!
September 15, 2019
I prefer my cookbooks with color photographs
November 21, 2019
If you want a truly excellent book of pie recipes, this is the one you need. The pie crust recipe alone makes the book worth buying, the pie fillings are tons of icing heaped on top!
December 30, 2019
The pie crusts in this book are magic.
January 22, 2020
Best pie book ever, hands down!
April 19, 2020
Highly recommend the chicken pot pie and shepherd's pie
May 6, 2020
The absolute best book for making homemade dough and pies.
November 22, 2020
So far I have tried the Apple Pie and the Chicken pie. Both amazing.....BUTTT....recipes are super long. Definitely dedicate some time for anything in this book, but it will be worth it.
June 27, 2021
A pie Mecca for home cooks!
This book is chick fill of excellent recipes with practical advice and baking tips for the average home cook who loves pies of all kinds!!
This book is chick fill of excellent recipes with practical advice and baking tips for the average home cook who loves pies of all kinds!!
December 28, 2023
Amazing pie encyclopedia.
It has all the tricks and the secrets to help you make great pies. The detailing is excellent and saves you from making lot of mistakes.
It has all the tricks and the secrets to help you make great pies. The detailing is excellent and saves you from making lot of mistakes.
October 4, 2016
There's just something homey about a fresh-baked, homemade pie. It fills the air with delicious aromas and just cries out "Home!". Well, for all you pie-lovers out there, this is the pièce de résistance of pie cookbooks. Oh. My. Word. You have to taste to believe!
As anyone who has read my blog for very long knows, I'm not a huge sugar person (though I do love a good dessert now and then), so I didn't run to the sweet pies for my first foray into this book. I chose an old classic, Shepherd's Pie. Best shepherd's pie I have ever put in my mouth! The filling is utterly delectable, but the Garlic Mashed Potatoes used on top are just to die for and were the perfect finishing touch. My family raved over it--and not all of them are big lamb fans! Definitely our go to recipe for Shepherd's Pie now!
I then moved on to the sweet pies. A sweet older man in our church shares the bounty from his garden with the church members often, and a few weeks ago brought probably 20-30 home grown pumpkins to give away. I somehow ended up with four of them! Let me tell you a little secret. I don't really LIKE pumpkin very much!! However, I know my husband does as do a couple of my girls. I figured I'd cook them up and freeze them and have pumpkin for the next year....or two, or three. i thought it would be a nice gesture to make a pumpkin pie for our weekly Sunday potluck lunch at church so he could see that someone was actually using them. I figured I'd better make two so we could taste one the night before and make sure it was okay before we took it to share with others.
Now, I've made pie crust before, but it's been awhile. Life is busy, and I usually end up cutting corners and using pre-made. I was initially shocked by the number of steps to the pie, and as I was running out of time, I didn't really get to freeze the crust first. I think that's why my flutes kind of melted away somewhat. It had been a crazy day where everything seemed to take much longer than it should, so here I was on Saturday night at nearly 8:00pm finally taking the first pie out of the oven! (I have a small oven, so could only bake one at a time.) I used the propped bowl method and low and behold--no cracks!! It smelled good. It looked good. But, wait! I don't LIKE pumpkin pie! ...or so I thought! Heavens to Betsy! That pie is AMAZING!! Yes, I am a convert, and I now love pumpkin pie--if it's made from this recipe!
Hang, on! There's much more to this book that just these. You HAVE to try the Vinegar Chess Pie!! I know, I know. It sounds horrible. Trust me here! I actually grew up on this pie. Other than the pie crust recipe, it's pretty much exactly what I've been eating for...well, we won't say how many years! I've never fed it to a person yet that wasn't an instant convert!
There's so many more pies to make! I can't wait to try the Chicken Pot Pie with Thyme Crust, and there's a multitude of sweet pies awaiting me. I'm trying to be sweet to my husband who is watching what he eats and losing weight, so I can only make one once in awhile, so this book will be cooked from for a long time!
Thanksgiving is coming, and Christmas will be here before you know it! Give everyone the gift of amazing pies at your holiday dinners this year! Yes, the crust can be a little time consuming, but it can be frozen ahead of time which will make baking day shorter! Give this book a try. You won't be disappointed!
I received a copy of this book from Agate Publishing for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
As anyone who has read my blog for very long knows, I'm not a huge sugar person (though I do love a good dessert now and then), so I didn't run to the sweet pies for my first foray into this book. I chose an old classic, Shepherd's Pie. Best shepherd's pie I have ever put in my mouth! The filling is utterly delectable, but the Garlic Mashed Potatoes used on top are just to die for and were the perfect finishing touch. My family raved over it--and not all of them are big lamb fans! Definitely our go to recipe for Shepherd's Pie now!
I then moved on to the sweet pies. A sweet older man in our church shares the bounty from his garden with the church members often, and a few weeks ago brought probably 20-30 home grown pumpkins to give away. I somehow ended up with four of them! Let me tell you a little secret. I don't really LIKE pumpkin very much!! However, I know my husband does as do a couple of my girls. I figured I'd cook them up and freeze them and have pumpkin for the next year....or two, or three. i thought it would be a nice gesture to make a pumpkin pie for our weekly Sunday potluck lunch at church so he could see that someone was actually using them. I figured I'd better make two so we could taste one the night before and make sure it was okay before we took it to share with others.
Now, I've made pie crust before, but it's been awhile. Life is busy, and I usually end up cutting corners and using pre-made. I was initially shocked by the number of steps to the pie, and as I was running out of time, I didn't really get to freeze the crust first. I think that's why my flutes kind of melted away somewhat. It had been a crazy day where everything seemed to take much longer than it should, so here I was on Saturday night at nearly 8:00pm finally taking the first pie out of the oven! (I have a small oven, so could only bake one at a time.) I used the propped bowl method and low and behold--no cracks!! It smelled good. It looked good. But, wait! I don't LIKE pumpkin pie! ...or so I thought! Heavens to Betsy! That pie is AMAZING!! Yes, I am a convert, and I now love pumpkin pie--if it's made from this recipe!
Hang, on! There's much more to this book that just these. You HAVE to try the Vinegar Chess Pie!! I know, I know. It sounds horrible. Trust me here! I actually grew up on this pie. Other than the pie crust recipe, it's pretty much exactly what I've been eating for...well, we won't say how many years! I've never fed it to a person yet that wasn't an instant convert!
There's so many more pies to make! I can't wait to try the Chicken Pot Pie with Thyme Crust, and there's a multitude of sweet pies awaiting me. I'm trying to be sweet to my husband who is watching what he eats and losing weight, so I can only make one once in awhile, so this book will be cooked from for a long time!
Thanksgiving is coming, and Christmas will be here before you know it! Give everyone the gift of amazing pies at your holiday dinners this year! Yes, the crust can be a little time consuming, but it can be frozen ahead of time which will make baking day shorter! Give this book a try. You won't be disappointed!
I received a copy of this book from Agate Publishing for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 18, 2016
I had been interested in this book from the time I heard of this pie shop (about 3 years ago). It didn't work out at the time for me to sample pies from this shop. When I discovered there was a copy that I could request through my local library, I was ecstatic. For those hunting for a mix of sweet and savory: they've got it. For those looking for an all butter pie crust..they've got it. For those hunting for pictures illustrating steps of pie dough making and when to know you've messed it up...they've got it. If you want alternate crust recipes for variation ....they've got those too! If you are the sort of person who hates when a book specifies weird ingredients but doesn't say where you can get them or how you can make them...do not fear...they covered THAT too.
The only thing I can't do is tell you how awesome their pies taste. I really want to try: the Cherry-Berry Pie, Coconut Cream and Coconut Custard Pies, Oatmeal Pie, Chicken Tomatillo Pie, Pork Apple and Sage Pie, and the Curried Winter Vegetable Pie....I suspect if I make just one pie from this list in the next few weeks and am happy that I am likely to buy the book. I have a tendency to get excited about a cookbook and not cook from it as much as I'd like SOOOO I'm trying to make myself actually cook something from it before I purchase. Did I mention this book also has sections on quiche and hand pies? I'm very excited!
The book is filled with helpful tidbits about cooking not just pie but also basic cooking components that can be used for other recipes as well as how to use leftover ingredients from particular pies.
I will update this review after baking from the book. (8/17/16)
The only thing I can't do is tell you how awesome their pies taste. I really want to try: the Cherry-Berry Pie, Coconut Cream and Coconut Custard Pies, Oatmeal Pie, Chicken Tomatillo Pie, Pork Apple and Sage Pie, and the Curried Winter Vegetable Pie....I suspect if I make just one pie from this list in the next few weeks and am happy that I am likely to buy the book. I have a tendency to get excited about a cookbook and not cook from it as much as I'd like SOOOO I'm trying to make myself actually cook something from it before I purchase. Did I mention this book also has sections on quiche and hand pies? I'm very excited!
The book is filled with helpful tidbits about cooking not just pie but also basic cooking components that can be used for other recipes as well as how to use leftover ingredients from particular pies.
I will update this review after baking from the book. (8/17/16)
February 4, 2016
Disclaimer: I have not yet made anything from this cookbook. I will update the review accordingly when I have.
I received this book as a gift this Christmas, and I love it. It's a great guide for sweet and savory pies alike, as well as a great resource for various fillings and accompaniments (candied pecans, anyone?) that could be used for a variety of dishes. In fact, as I was reading, I was discussing with the giver of the book how to best utilize the different aspects of this book, and we've settled on a pie party. It should be a lot of fun!
On a personal note, I am a fan of anything that includes Chicago and Chicago - land resources and treats. I like where I grew up, okay?
My one warning would be this: this is not a cookbook for people who would not consider themselves lovers of the art and science and of cooking as well as the end product. It's fairly technical, and many of the recipes have steps that require hours to days of preparation.
Rating: I docked a star due to a lack of pictures. In a modern cookbook, I expect there to be visuals. There were some, and the pictures that were present were beautiful, but I felt it was lacking. The descriptions were decadent and thorough, but in many cases, that wasn't quite enough. In sections where paragraphs are dedicated to the assumption that people might not be familiar with the food, including visual aids would have been a wise decision.
I received this book as a gift this Christmas, and I love it. It's a great guide for sweet and savory pies alike, as well as a great resource for various fillings and accompaniments (candied pecans, anyone?) that could be used for a variety of dishes. In fact, as I was reading, I was discussing with the giver of the book how to best utilize the different aspects of this book, and we've settled on a pie party. It should be a lot of fun!
On a personal note, I am a fan of anything that includes Chicago and Chicago - land resources and treats. I like where I grew up, okay?
My one warning would be this: this is not a cookbook for people who would not consider themselves lovers of the art and science and of cooking as well as the end product. It's fairly technical, and many of the recipes have steps that require hours to days of preparation.
Rating: I docked a star due to a lack of pictures. In a modern cookbook, I expect there to be visuals. There were some, and the pictures that were present were beautiful, but I felt it was lacking. The descriptions were decadent and thorough, but in many cases, that wasn't quite enough. In sections where paragraphs are dedicated to the assumption that people might not be familiar with the food, including visual aids would have been a wise decision.
February 10, 2014
i give it top marks for yummy pies i wish that there were more pictures some of the recipes seemed to be really in depth with more skills than i have this book is more for people who really know what they are doing not for the lazy cook like me. but everything sounds so delicious i would more surely go to this bakery
December 21, 2014
Read this for book group, I found the directions very precise (finicky) but the pies turned out nicely. I made a bunch of the chess pies, including the bourbon chess pie for Thanksgiving (the consistency reminded me of tapioca pudding a bit). The ratatouille hand pies were amazing but a lot of time prepping the ingredients.
May 21, 2015
What an absolute treasure !!!!!
The language is simple, the recipes are beautifully explained and described and the finished products are gobbled up as quick as humanly possible.
Kudos they did a very good job with this book and I want to personally say thank you for their sharing of these recipes.
The language is simple, the recipes are beautifully explained and described and the finished products are gobbled up as quick as humanly possible.
Kudos they did a very good job with this book and I want to personally say thank you for their sharing of these recipes.
June 26, 2015
There are two problems with this cookbook. First the recipes aren't listed in the contents, you have to find them in the index. The second and worse one is that she uses grams and rather than cups. I know using weight over cups is more accurate but I know I'm not set in my kitchen to use it, neither are most home cooks.
January 16, 2016
Tried sweet cream pie, butter milk pie, and FINALLY was able to master the all-butter pie crust recipe with this book. Going to try the Sausage, apple, sage savory pie next.
I need, I want this book.
Note: I finally did get this cookbook and it is the best pie book I've ever had. I use it all the time.
I need, I want this book.
Note: I finally did get this cookbook and it is the best pie book I've ever had. I use it all the time.
June 4, 2016
Best book of pie recipes, tips and techniques I've ever gotten my flour covered hands on! My pie making has improved tremendously because I've spent so much time drooling over the pictures and recipes and then trying them out on my very willing family. I love the pie lore as well. The chicken pot pie is a must.
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