The Savory Life of Pie

Grandma opened the stove and I was just tall enough to peek inside to witness the happy marriage of ground beef, tomato sauce, French style green beans, and a few store-bought spices all gyrating in the comfort of a neatly tucked golden brown crust. Before baking she would perforate the top of the crust in 4 or 5 places with a fork to release the simmering juices. They slowly bubbled out to serve at the pleasure of their subtle and mysterious friend…lard. Lard was embedded in the crust of almost every pie my Grandmother made, and Hamburger Pie was the first complete recipe I ever made. It still holds today as one of the only complete recipes that is constructed with simple, inexpensive ingredients, yet delivers a life changing food experience!

About the same time as I was learning the art of incorporating lard properly into a pie crust, my Father decided to open a restaurant in a small town in Central Illinois. This was the natural stage for a new Midwestern culinary star; Hamburger Pie! Grandma became my Father’s Head Pie Maker. In addition to Hamburger Pie, she often crossed over to Peach, Cherry, Lemon Cream, and my favorite, Boysenberry. The pies became a main attraction and we sold them by the slice and whole pies as well. My Grandmother ended up working full time to keep the pies flowing, but always had time to show me a new technique or a “trick” on how to craft the perfect pie. Little did I know that these tips would pay off later in life.

Dad realized after a few years of running a restaurant and raising his young family that it was never ending work and little family time, so he closed it up. Grandma and I went back to our culinary pursuits, but in a new town with new neighbors and many people who had yet to indulge in Hamburger Pie. So, we made some for our new church family. Then we made some for our new neighbors. We gave the pies away freely with the hope that we would quickly be accepted into our new community. It worked. Hamburger Pie opened the doors to meaningful jobs, lifelong friendships, thoughtful conversations, and helped us settled into our new town.

Grandma and I made Hamburger Pie together many times. It was a serious undertaking for me, and I paid attention to every detail of what she did and what she said. My Grandmother and I shared a love of creating food that brought happiness and joy to people’s lives. That love has served me well in my career pursuits, my romantic interests, and in maintaining the memory of one of the great women in my life. After her passing many of my family tried to make Hamburger Pie that would resemble that of my Grandmother’s; but repeatedly produced disappointing results. My Hamburger Pie still stands as the one that takes people back and re-connects them to moments when a simple recipe and a skilled cook brought them unlimited happiness and joy.