National Pie Day got its start in Boulder in the 1980s, when pie aficionado Charlie Papazian declared his birthday, Jan. 23, National Pie Day. Fellow pie devotee John Lehndorff (then Boulder Daily Camera food editor, now a Rocky Mountain News columnist) got involved and formed an actual association meant to honor and uplift the pie arts.
Papazian went on to form the Association of Brewers in Boulder but still drives a car with “PIE” plates. Lehndorff had a falling-out with the corporate interests within the pie council (he calls it “pie-gate”) over the results of a competition.
We tracked Papazian down in Bali, Indonesia, “where there are indeed pies if you look for them,” he said via e-mail. “Much more homemade than you’ll find at any restaurant in America. . . . My tastes have drifted to the natural real fruit pies with nothing but perhaps 1/4 cup of sugar or honey or other real sweetener, and perhaps some spices, lemon juice and a bit of flour as thickener . . . don’t overdue the sugar — let the fruit speak — not the sugar.”
Today, the American Pie Council is promoting the 25th anniversary of National Pie Day with this suggestion: Perform “random acts of pieness.” The council wants us to “pay it forward” by sharing pie with friends, family and even strangers. Some suggestions:
Take pie to a neighbor or to work.
Buy two pies at the grocery store — one to enjoy, one to share.
If you’re a pie baker, teach someone how to make a good crust.
Have a pie party — make, bake and eat a pie with pals.
Kristen Browning-Blas
