Apple Pie (per Sister Pie vis WSJ)

[highchef]

This weekend edition (Nov. 17-18, 2018) of the Wall St. Journal has a wonderful article by Lisa Ludwinski of Sister Pie in Detroit. I love how it's written with so much respect for her teammates and obvious love for both her coworkers and customers. I am going to try the cranberry for Thanksgiving, but want to use up some apples I have too and am intrigued with her version- aged gouda grated and added to crust and sage rubbed into the sugar in the filling. Unfortunately, while there is a recipe for the cranberry pie, there is not one for the apple beyond the above mentioned tweaks. Sage is not listed as having an affinity for apples in 'The Flavor Bible' but apple is listed (not boldface) under sage. Cheese and sage share an affinity (although aged gouda isn't one listed...) so I am trying to figure out what other flavors might be added. I'm not seeing the traditional cinnamon here. I'm thinking honey and lemon (or orange?), but feel like it needs a spice- dried ginger? I'm doing the crust today which I think is brilliant even if I leave the sage off the sugar, but am curious as to how to make that filling so that it compliments the sage. Any ideas?

[Darienne]

We don't get the WSJ and I am not knowledgeable about sage.  Ed doesn't like it.  Period.

 

What I can say is that I find it strange that someone, as experienced as Mark Bittman, doesn't mention cheddar cheese in his recipe for apple pie.   I could be wrong...often am...but it seems to me that Americans usually eat apple pie with ice cream or whipped topping.  I would think that most Canadians eat apple pie with a good strong cheddar cheese.  

 

Not meaning to start an argument...

[rotuts]

I grew up in California.  Apple pie always had vanilla ice cream with it , if you were lucky

 

then moved to New England from college on , mostly.

 

Id never heard of having cheddar cheese w apple pie

 

its very common in New England.

 

Ill always hope for some vanilla ice cream though.

 

the WSJ article is a good one if you can find it somewhere.

Edited November 17, 2018 by rotuts (log)

[highchef]

I was born and raised in the south, but my parents are from Boston. Cheddar cheese was a must for them. I love it with ice cream too, but have moved more toward cheddar as I get older for less calories. Maybe that's why this recipe struck a chord with me- I think mom and dad would have loved it. I just don't know what to do about the sage.

Agree the WSJ article is a good one. The recipes seem concise and well written (down to psi almost!) and I am anxious to try the cranberry. I'll make both crusts and we'll have the cranberry for Thursday and some variant of apple- will definitely do the cheese crust but maybe leave out the sage unless I get inspired.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and thanks for replying. 

 

Edited November 17, 2018 by highchef
gouda vs cheddar (log)

[chromedome]

1 hour ago, Darienne said:

I could be wrong...often am...but it seems to me that Americans usually eat apple pie with ice cream or whipped topping.  I would think that most Canadians eat apple pie with a good strong cheddar cheese.  

 

Not meaning to start an argument...

 

I believed that to be an American idiosyncrasy, and strongly regional at that, until it came up last year here on the site. IIRC it seemed localized to parts of PEI and Ontario.

[rotuts]

Im guessing it has to do with where cheddar is made.

[Darienne]

24 minutes ago, chromedome said:

 

I believed that to be an American idiosyncrasy, and strongly regional at that, until it came up last year here on the site. IIRC it seemed localized to parts of PEI and Ontario.

I shall enquire with some western Canadian friends.  Interesting.  Also son in NS...but you are saying that you don't eat cheddar with apple pie in NB?

[chromedome]

I grew up in Nova Scotia, and subsequently lived in Newfoundland, Saskatchewan, BC, Alberta and New Brunswick.

 

The first I'd heard of eating cheese with apple pie came about 10 years ago, when my California-bred wife brought it up (and was astonished to learn that this was news to me). This is not to say that people in those places don't combine them, but it had at least never come to my attention in any of those places (privately, or in restaurants).

[blue_dolphin]

2 hours ago, highchef said:

Unfortunately, while there is a recipe for the cranberry pie, there is not one for the apple beyond the above mentioned tweaks.

 

@highchef, the online version of that WSJ article has the recipe for the apple pie: Pies that Bind (not sure if there's a paywall)

[Darienne]

11 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

@highchef, the online version of that WSJ article has the recipe for the apple pie: Pies that Bind (not sure if there's a paywall)

Yup, there is.

[highchef]

blue_dolphin, I can't get through the paywall- drives me nuts that I pay so much for that paper and can't access it via computer without paying more! I just googled apple pie-gouda-sage and got an article about her new (sept.) cookbook, and the recipe is there!!! Surprise! she does use cinnamon! Would never have thought. Here's the link-

https://www.freep.com/story/life/food/recipes/2018/09/30/sister-pie-detroit-lisa-ludwinski-cookbook-recipes/1383199002/

Thank you for looking that up, I appreciate it. 

[BeeZee]

Minnesota and likely Wisconsin. When my husband worked for Land O Lakes many years ago he was horrified when served pie with cheese the first time. All opportunities to support the dairy farmers were promoted. I like cheese with a fresh apple, so the idea of cheese worked into the crust does sound tasty.

[Smithy]

5 minutes ago, BeeZee said:

Minnesota and likely Wisconsin. When my husband worked for Land O Lakes many years ago he was horrified when served pie with cheese the first time. All opportunities to support the dairy farmers were promoted. I like cheese with a fresh apple, so the idea of cheese worked into the crust does sound tasty.

 

I grew up in California and never heard of cheddar with apple pie until I moved to Minnesota. Still haven't cottoned to it, even though I like fresh apples and cheddar together.

[blue_dolphin]

Growing up, every time Mom (daughter of Irish immigrants, raised in NY) made apple pie, my dad (son of Irish immigrants, raised in western MA) would say, "Apple pie without the cheese is like a kiss without the squeeze!"  My mother always rolled her eyes and we never had the cheese - ice cream perhaps, if all the stars were aligned. 

[rotuts]

yep.  in NE Iver heard that expression a lot.

 

my first Thankgiving in NE  while in college , the apple pie came w cheddar

 

I was very surprised.

 

did i get a series of looks.

 

for life long NE'd era

 

California , back then , if not now , 

 

was considered a land of the great unwashed.

 

but my family came from NE.

 

and we never shoveled show

 

i didn't mention that then , as i was hoping for a second slice of that pie

 

sans cheese

 

but they did pull out some vanilla ice cream !

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I looked at the Sister Pie article yesterday at work.  At home I can't get past the paywall since I expect access is tied to IP address.  When next I'm working I'll try to remember to read the article again.

 

[Tri2Cook]

4 hours ago, highchef said:

sage rubbed into the sugar in the filling

I have a recipe I use that has cheese in the crust (cheddar), the filling is a mixture of apples and cooked pork sausage sweetened with a reduction of apple cider and brown sugar. It includes thyme, rosemary and allspice in the recipe but I always replace the rosemary with sage. Not because I don't like rosemary, I just think sage works better in the recipe. Maybe because I use my homemade breakfast sausage which is forward with sage and heat. Regardless, it seems to work well with the apples in my opinion.

[ElsieD]

I love aged cheddar cheese with my apple pie.  I wouldn't thank you for giving me ice cream.   I too looked at the recipe and the idea of sage seems strange to me, especially 2 tablespoons worth.  I'll be curious to read the result.

[highchef]

Well, I have all I need to give it a shot. Will share results after I poll my tasters (but you know polls...) BUT I do not think I'll mention the sage. There's only one who would be able to identify it anyway. 2 tablespoons can be a lot of sage, and I still can't see it with cinnamon, but I've tried much stranger combinations that turned me into a believer. Life is short so I'll give it a go. I do like the cheese crust idea, may have to double that one.

[gfweb]

6 hours ago, highchef said:

This weekend edition (Nov. 17-18, 2018) of the Wall St. Journal has a wonderful article by Lisa Ludwinski of Sister Pie in Detroit. I love how it's written with so much respect for her teammates and obvious love for both her coworkers and customers. I am going to try the cranberry for Thanksgiving, but want to use up some apples I have too and am intrigued with her version- aged gouda grated and added to crust and sage rubbed into the sugar in the filling. Unfortunately, while there is a recipe for the cranberry pie, there is not one for the apple beyond the above mentioned tweaks. Sage is not listed as having an affinity for apples in 'The Flavor Bible' but apple is listed (not boldface) under sage. Cheese and sage share an affinity (although aged gouda isn't one listed...) so I am trying to figure out what other flavors might be added. I'm not seeing the traditional cinnamon here. I'm thinking honey and lemon (or orange?), but feel like it needs a spice- dried ginger? I'm doing the crust today which I think is brilliant even if I leave the sage off the sugar, but am curious as to how to make that filling so that it compliments the sage. Any ideas?

 

I have often added a dab of dijon mustard to an apple based sauce for pork loin. It doesn't taste mustardy...just a deeper flavor.

[highchef]

4 hours ago, gfweb said:

 

I have often added a dab of dijon mustard to an apple based sauce for pork loin. It doesn't taste mustardy...just a deeper flavor.

I can see the mustard and pork. IDK, this mix of sage and cinnamon might bring  the same result. I hope so.

 

[pastrygirl]

8 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

Growing up, every time Mom (daughter of Irish immigrants, raised in NY) made apple pie, my dad (son of Irish immigrants, raised in western MA) would say, "Apple pie without the cheese is like a kiss without the squeeze!"  My mother always rolled her eyes and we never had the cheese - ice cream perhaps, if all the stars were aligned. 

 

I grew up hearing that expression too, but I don't think we ever actually had our apple pie with cheese, either.  Dad grew up in Leominster, MA, must be a MA dad thing!

[Kerry Beal]

43 minutes ago, pastrygirl said:

 

I grew up hearing that expression too, but I don't think we ever actually had our apple pie with cheese, either.  Dad grew up in Leominster, MA, must be a MA dad thing!

That's what my dad said too!

[Darienne]

OK.  I stand duly corrected.  I posted the apple pie/ice cream/cheddar cheese question on my Facebook page and was surprised to find out that most folks...and this includes friends in far flung countries...eat apple pie with ice cream and many have not even heard of eating it with Cheddar cheese. 

 

And @highchef I apologize for inadvertently hijacking your post. 

[Jaymes]

Well, I'll just go ahead & throw in my opinion and our family's preferred method (actually, it seemed more like a strict rule to me when I was growing up): 

Cold apple pie got a wedge of good Cheddar

Hot apple pie got cream of some sort

 

I was far too small ever to glean how, why, when, where this started. My father joined the Army Air Corps in 1942 to go fight the Nazis in his B-17, and then come home. But instead, he stayed in, a career Air Force officer for nearly 30 years. He, and we, traveled the world, picking up bits and pieces of far flung ideas and customs. So, somewhere along the way, he was served hot apple pies and cobblers and tarts and crumbles and Brown Bettys and strudels with cream/ice cream. And somewhere was served the same apple pastries, but cold with Cheddar cheese. 

 

He just couldn't give up either. 

 

 

Edited November 18, 2018 by Jaymes (log)