Saturday, September 13, 2014

If you can't make it good, make it pretty

The 35th annual pie festival in Pie Town, New Mexico, is today.
What better way to enjoy the festival experience than to bake a pie and enter it into the contest.
And what better way to bake a pie than with friends in the kitchen.

Chef Paul collaborated with Danni on a pie and showed us the fine art of pie crust making.


This is Danni working on the festive embellishments for the top of their pie...



...while Chef Paul taught me how to flip stuff in a skillet. It's all in the wrist.



While my bottom crust was chilling, I got to work on the festive embellishments for the top of my pie. 
Carson's theory of pie baking: if you can't make it good, make it pretty.


I used to braid my mare's tail a lot and luckily my hands remembered what to do.


I'd never tried this before, so it was a bit stressful...


...and having the paparazzi in the kitchen added to the pressure.


My sous chef wasn't of much help.



In the end, I think we baked a couple of winners. We'll report back with the results sometime tomorrow.


30 comments:

  1. oh my goodness, those pies look delicious,,,cannot wait for the recipe :)

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  2. Wow, what a production you have there. Those pies look scrumptious. And I love your backsplash.

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  3. Those pies are a work of art. Of course you'll win. Waiting for the recipes. Looks like a lotta fun. Have a great day at the fair. Win big! Take pics and we'll see you tomorrow. BA SP

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  4. Forget your judgment of the results. Just send me the pies.

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  5. I can't wait to hear. Good luck! And i hope everyone gets plenty of pie!

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  6. Yumm...your sous chef had the right idea, that's what I'd be doing. Dang, those are some good-looking pies!

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  7. Gosh...They LOOK amazing. Can't believe they wouldn't taste the same. Did the Jose Cuervo make it in? @:)

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  8. Beautiful pies. I'd like a slice of each, please.

    Laurie

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  9. Yum, so much yum in one place.
    LaurieB from Ga.

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  10. Years back when my husband took our children on a southwestern family vacation we went to Pie Town and had to leave without eating pie because we had two road-weary kids whose behavior nosedived in the restaurant. Ever since then we all talk about going back to Pie Town to remedy that, and it's been on my mind lately as I write the newest borderland book. Two main characters went to Pie Town and had pie. I think I'm going to change the kinds to Dutch caramel apple

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  11. Whoops! And orange chocolate pecan!

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  12. Pretty pies. And a baking party makes them full of love and fun too.

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  13. Your braided crust is an inspiration! Great for types like me, who can't crimp one for any amount of trying. A Pie Festival, perfect way to spend a day!

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  14. Danni looks like most sous chefs that I've ever worked with. LOL

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  15. Michelle from Vancouver9/13/14, 8:34 AM

    Those pies look amazing! We'll need the recipes for sure.

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  16. OMG. Just ship the pecan one to me ASAP.

    No? Well, then in lieu of the actual pie, can you at least direct us to the recipe you used? Good luck!

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  17. Lana in Phoenix9/13/14, 11:07 AM

    Those pies are beautiful! You all are nice, tidy bakers like me...........not! Love your kitchen.

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  18. Awesome-looking pies aside, is there any way to purchase the 7MSN ballcaps, please?

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  19. Good luck to all of you. Even if you don't win, I know you had fun (btw, I would have added a shot of Jose Cuervo to that Orange Chocolate Pecan Pie).

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  20. They look incredible - but one should never judge a book by its cover, so perhaps you better send me one of each so I can see if they taste as good as they look.

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  21. Hmm lost the post, so I will try again...
    I can almost smell the pies...I hope you win with
    both pies and have the pictures accompany them
    to the contest...LOL
    Love from NC

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  22. I would like a sample of both, thank you!

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  23. They are Gorgeous! Ann from Maine

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  24. You have a little bit of a Marilyn Monroe face going on there in the "flipping stuff in a skillet" picture.
    .....if I overlook the Holstein standing on top of your head.....

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  25. There is no finer day than one that dawns with pie for breakfast! You are among the luckiest, you have TWO KINDS!!! Marvels to behold...

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  26. Orange Chocolate Pecan???? Be still my heart.

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  27. I usually do not do a lot of blog reading on weekends. So glad I stopped in to see my favorite dessert in the world! I can eat pie every day. Your pies look amazing. The braiding is beautiful.

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  28. June beat me to it --- with the cow 'hat' on your head ;)

    The pies look WONDERFUL!
    Hope there will be recipes coming up .... you could stretch them to a week of posts?!.?

    M in NC

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  29. An American in Tokyo9/15/14, 7:10 PM

    Oh my! Where are the recipes for these wonderful pies?!
    I hope they both did well in the pie contest!!

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