Judging Pie

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited once again to be a judge at KCRW’s Pie Contest. I always accept the invitation with mixed feelings of excitement and panic. Panic because even though I’ve always taken pride in been able to digest rocks, I still shiver at the thought of tasting blindly massive quantities of pie made by complete strangers in their home kitchens. I did have some leverage this year though: this is my third year as a judge and I knew exactly what I was up against.

In recent years, I’ve made a conscious effort to eat healthily and exercise regularly. But even if you follow a well balanced diet, when it comes to pie judging intense preparation is the name of the game. Starting the Monday prior, I set out to follow 2 rules: eat 3 meals a day free of sugar or refined flour, and exercise at least 30 minutes every day of that week. I used a phone app to keep me on track.

Here’s my exercise and food log:

MONDAY

Work out: 3-mile run in the a.m. and afternoon hike up Beaudry Loop Trail

Breakfast: Coffee with soy milk, 2 scrambled eggs with mushrooms and onions, 1 banana and 2 teaspoons of chia seeds in my Emergen-C

Lunch: Chopped chicken salad and 1 cup of blueberries

Dinner: Bun-less cheeseburger with avocado and 1 gin tonic

TUESDAY

Work out: 60 minutes classical pilates at Elevation Fitness

Breakfast: Coffee with soy milk, 2 scrambled eggs with onions and tomatoes, 1 Banana and 2 teaspoons of chia seeds in my Emergen-C

Lunch: Turkey wrapped in romaine with avocado and alfalfa sprouts and ¼ cup trail mix

Dinner: Hummus and raw veggies for dipping and 2 glasses of white wine

WEDNESDAY

Work out: 3-mile brisk walk

Breakfast: Coffee with soy milk, 5 fresh figs, 2 tablespoons raw walnuts and 2 teaspoons of chia seeds in my Emergen-C

Lunch: Bibb lettuce salad with grilled chicken breast and 2 ounces of feta

Dinner: Fried brown rice with veggies with a small salad, 1 tablespoon raw almonds and 1 glass white wine

THURSDAY

Work out: 3-mile run in the a.m. and 90 minutes hatha yoga

Breakfast: Coffee with soy milk, 2 scrambled eggs with tomatoes and cottage cheese and 2 teaspoons chia seeds in my Emergen-C.

Lunch: ½ cup granola with berries and soy milk and ¼ of an avocado

Dinner: Italian chopped salad with salame, gorgonzola, chick peas and pine nuts and 2 beers on the lighter side

FRIDAY

Work out: 3-mile brisk walk

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with mushrooms and onions, 1 banana and 2 teaspoons of chia seeds in my Emergen-C

Lunch: Kale salad with grilled chicken breast and 1 pear

Dinner: 4 ounces pork tenderloin, ½ cup lentils and grilled radicchio

SATURDAY – The Big Day

Work out: 2-mile run

Breakfast: Coffee with soy milk and 2 teaspoons of chia seeds in my Emergen-C

Lunch: Multiple bites of assorted pies

Dinner: staff meal at Cooks County (salad and pasta)

Would I do it again?

Heck yes! I normally don’t eat so many eggs and by the end of the week I was craving a piece of toast more than anything in the world but I would definitely do it again. I’m glad I was proactive though and I can say that all those salads, 3-mile runs, pilates and yoga paid off. I was able to have a bite out of every pie worth tasting and then went back to the restaurant and worked through service. I did get a tummy ache around 11 p.m. that night but let’s face it: you can’t put your digestive track thru that much pie and expect no consequences.

One last thing about pie…

It was encouraging to see that most of the entries at this year’s competition were pretty good, actually remarkably better than last year’s. And I found myself liking a good percentage of the pies in my category. But there seem to be two common pitfalls among pie bakers: under baked crust and oddball flavor combinations. Luckily both are very easy to troubleshoot. Here’s one unsolicited word of advice for future contestants: exercise restraint when picking your ingredients and bake those suckers until they’re done.

Michelle Mournian, who entered two pies and won in four categories (best savory, best fruit, best crust and best in show), definitely understood that a good pie begins and ends with a good crust, and her fillings were tasty and done with care. Michelle, if you’re ever looking for a job, do not hesitate to call us. Hope to see you all next year!

Peace, Love and Pie,

Roxana Jullapat
Baker/Owner

To read more KCRW's 4th Annual Pie Contest, visit the Good Food Blog at www.kcrw.com/etc/4th-annual-good-food-pie-contest