Mission Im-pie-sible

mar52


That machine is AMAZING!

Ice Cream Man...  If you could invent a dipping chocolate that doesn't (didn't?) leak... you could then buy yourself that machine!

When we started we had the chocolate that leaked, it gets too hard and cracks. We found 7 flavours  that don't leak, they stay pliable and taste good. We stayed with 3, number one seller by far chocolate, butterscotch and peanut butter. 

Wish those down here would find them.  I don't think they care.  They dip and within seconds you can see ice cream trying to escape all over the surface.

It took me a few years to find them and guess what, they come from your side of the boarder.

ann peeples


Awesome! I, however, like the bacon added to a pie....

Ann - I think I would try it on a pie--but maybe something other than a cream pie. A lot of people seem to think it's great with chocolate. I've not tried that, either. Hey--maybe pumpkin!  I'd give that a whirl.  Or sweet potato!

I'll stick with my Cheese and apple pie. Bacon was invented to go with eggs, not Pie or Ice Cream. OK it's good with some other foods but not for desert.

There is nothing like a slice of Sharp Cheddar with
Apple Pie.
 
mike

mhill95


There is nothing like a slice of Sharp Cheddar with
Apple Pie.

mike

 
I agree, but MsOC thinks I'm nuts

This trip report has it all;  pies, cute puppies, pies, frozen custard, pies, baked goods and pies!  The Ted Drewes photo is perfect!  Not only are you holding the concrete upside down with the sign in the background, but the arrow looks like it is pointing right to your cup.  Well done!  Thanks so much for this terrific thread!

mhill - I love that combination!  It was a total surprise to me, too.  I tried a cheddar crust with apple filling, though, and it didn't work for me.
 
Thank you, BB.  I had a whole new post ready yesterday about the pie judging, and it disappeared off my computer screen.  AAAAAA!!  I'll write it again this weekend.
 

ChrisOC

mhill95


There is nothing like a slice of Sharp Cheddar with
Apple Pie.

mike

I agree, but MsOC thinks I'm nuts

That's the way my Dad always ate his apple pie!

My Dad & Grandfather both. That's how I picked up
the habit. We even serve Cheddar when my wife make
apple dumplings.

mike

Hey Cliff
 
I think you and I should be judges!!!!

I just looked through the PDF closer one of the actual volunteer jobs
is "Pie Security".  I don't know about 2013, but I am think about 2014, and no NOT pie security.

LOL Cajun
 
It would be great if some of Roadfood pie aficionados got there next year!

It's pie judging day!  Judges are assigned to categories (such as cream, nut, citrus, etc.) based upon preferences they had provided on their applications.  Each category must have at least four judges at the table.  Although I was initially assigned to judge cream pies, the sweet potato table needed more people (plus I love sweet potato pie!), so I moved over there.  This turned out to be a good call also because there were 22 cream pies to judge!
 
Here's what a typical judging table looks like. 

 
Here are a few examples of the sweet potato pies.

 
This is a slice of the above pie.  Sorry for the blur--we sometimes have to grab our pictures quickly so we don't slow down the process.

 
This pie had maple in it.  Mmmmmmm

 
And a meringue pie:

One entry (sorry--no pic) used chai spices in it, which I liked, but my table had mixed feelings about it.  

I was invited to judge Best of Show in the afternoon (yay!!) in which we judged the best pies from all 17 categories.  Here are a few examples of those pies.
 
Look at these plump, luscious berries:

 
This raisin pie with a cream cheese layer on top was my favorite pie of all.  (Unfortunately, I was sitting where I couldn't get a photo of the pies' interiors.)

 
This was the Best of Show winner.  It had raspberries, cream cheese and macadamia nuts.  We all loved it.

 
Bakers receive points for creativity, so some make pies with unusual combinations (such as this lime and raspberry pie below) in order to stand out in a crowded competition.  Still, a classic pie done beautifully can win, too.

 
After a full day of pie tasting, all I wanted was a steak!!  Several of us went over to the town of Celebration, FL, where the Great American Pie Festival was also running.  After checking it out, we went to a restaurant and scarfed down some beef.
 
Next, I'll head to Mexico Beach, Florida, then on the road west via I-10.  Back soon!

(crying)  Mexico Beach, FL (sniff sniff sniff)
 
You gotta love a town whose official town motto is...
"A drinking town with a fishing problem"
 
Where the band at the local bar has been playing together so long they changed the name of the band to "The Samo Band" cause "the same ol band" was playing each weekend.

LOL Cajun!  I see you wrote that great Killer Seafood review! 

Ahhhh yes, this is wall art in Sharon's Cafe, a breakfast and lunch place in Mexico Beach, FL.    Nice to start out the morning with a giggle!
 
Offerings here are simple, and we got a pecan waffle:

 
and a sausage omelet with grits:

 
Mexico Beach, FL is about 20+/- miles west of Apalachicola, where the "pan" meets the "handle" (or vice versa).  It's pretty small, with a wonderful, sugar-sand beach, and a handful of restaurants and bars.  One of its claims to fame, besides the hilarious slogan noted by CajunKing (see the post above this one), is that you can celebrate New Years in two time zones. 
 
One of the primary restaurants in town is Killer Seafood.  You'll find a great description and photos here: !!!
http://roadfood.com/Resta...77-5247/killer-seafood
Since it was dark inside and I don't take flash pictures in restaurants, the only photo I have is of their hush puppies, which were hot and tasty:

 
I have not tried anything with their famous seafood simmering sauce, which they bottle and sell, but their fried seafood plates are great.
 
From here I headed west on I-10 and stopped briefly in New Orleans:

 
Then drove to Baton Rouge, stopping at Parrain's Seafood Restaurant.  I ordered their soup of the day--delicious Creole Shrimp and Eggplant Soup:

 
which came with a HUGE fresh bread stick:

 
Catfish fingers which were hot and crispy and fabulous (way better than the photograph shows):

 
And for dessert, root beer cake:

Not sure why, but I didn't love this flavor in a cake.
 
Because I was on a schedule to get home and trying to visit several friends en route, I didn't spend time in several cities I would otherwise have loved to linger in.  New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Houston are examples.  And even though I spent time in San Antonio (that will be in my next post), we did not go to any regional restaurants.  Hopefully I'll get back there another time!
 

JEALOUS!
 
You're doing just fine!

I have to agree about the bacon on pie-would be good on apple or some such-not a cream pie. I just got excited. I grew up with cheddar on apple pie-Mom always used a bit of bacon grease in her crust-heck Mom used bacon grease in everything!

Thank you for explaining how judging works! It's very interesting!

What was the filling consistency like for the raisin pie with cream cheese?

CC - there was a raisin layer, which was similar in texture to mincemeat (not thick and gluey), and there was a cream cheese layer on top of that.  Here's a link to the recipe so you can see how she made it.  From there you can also link to all of the winners.
http://www.piecouncil.org/2011entry?entry=97
 
Ann - you are lucky to have had all that tasty, bacon-y stuff growing up!  Do you do any of that yourself?  My mom used bacon grease to fry eggs in and sometimes added bacon to green beans, but that was about it--truly surprising, seeing as she grew up on a farm in Tennessee and they raised their own pigs.

Thanks for the link L2B!

I'm gonna make the raisin pie!

I can fry a pie thanks to the help of my RF friend...The Fried Pie Lady of Flippin Arkansas.

I notice most of the winners are usually from certain States.

love2bake-yes, i keep bacon grease and use a bit of it in just about everything I cook-great for fried potatoes, pork chops, frying eggs, as you said, hamburgers, whatever calls for a bit of oil. I do add a tad when cooking certain vegetables and bacon grease in homemade biscuits is the best. My husband makes the best homemade rolls, and adds some to his recipe!

CCinNJ


Thanks for the link L2B!

I'm gonna make the raisin pie!

I can fry a pie thanks to the help of my RF friend...The Fried Pie Lady of Flippin Arkansas.

I notice most of the winners are usually from certain States.

I hope you love the pie as much as I did!  I'd never even tried a raisin pie until I came to this event, and now I find myself craving them.
 
The people who enter from other states are a marvel to me, because they either need to (1) transport their pies from home, or (2) rent a condo nearby that has a kitchen in it and bake them there, or (3) sign up for one of the on-site baking stations, where they can make them the day before.  Even when you have a great recipe and know what you're doing, potential for problems exists in all of these scenarios!

ann peeples


love2bake-yes, i keep bacon grease and use a bit of it in just about everything I cook-great for fried potatoes, pork chops, frying eggs, as you said, hamburgers, whatever calls for a bit of oil. I do add a tad when cooking certain vegetables and bacon grease in homemade biscuits is the best. My husband makes the best homemade rolls, and adds some to his recipe!

Oooh--I've never tried that in biscuits, but I'm going to try it now!  I have put some in my cornbread, which is also nice.

love2bake,
 
I almost never eat sweets.  Sour cream raisin pie is a notable exception.

He even refused a cannoli...and I didn't know what to say in response.

Poverty Pete - you're probably lucky you don't have a sweet tooth!  I've tried only two sour cream raisin pies (including one I made) and didn't care for either of them, but I'm not giving up on them, either.  There will be a photo of a crazy one on the 2012 trip (this is the 2011).
 
CC - That's hard to imagine, indeed!  But I'm a little envious of someone who can do that.

I thought it was just a test to see what I would say. But..no.

I remember when they ran the special on Food Network years ago...they showed the non-local contestants making pie... in condos!