Short Stuff: Pies | STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW

[music]. Hey, and welcome to the short stuff. This delicious short stuff. I'm Josh. [music] There's Chuck. Jerry's not here. Dave's not here. But a bunch of pie talk. is here. So, strap in everybody. Actually, I should say unbuckle. everybody. >> That's right. Unbuckle that the that top. button or that belt loop because uh this. made me want to eat pie. I love pie. I. think we talked a little bit about pie. in our cake episode. >> Sure. >> About the merits of pie. And of course, there's also the great uh legendary, I.

dare say Paula Tommpkins bit on Cake. Versus Pi. >> Oh, I'm not sure about that one. >> Yeah, it's from way back in the day. Uh. it's a good bit. But pie has been around. for way before Paul Tommpkins, thousands. of years. Uh but it's only in the last. like couple few hundred years that it's. like what we kind of know as pie. Mhm. >> Um, but they had it 8,000 years ago in. Egypt if you count kind of a a messy. semieet, you know, rustic smorges board.

of of grains. >> Sure. Called galletes, right? >> Yeah. >> And you said 8,000 years ago. That's not. that long after we started domesticating. crops, which means that pies were one of. the first things we started making when. we created agriculture. >> Yeah. And of course, they used honey as. the sweetener back then, and they'd bake. it over some hot coals. >> Yeah. Uh, and then the Greeks ganked. that, didn't they? >> They did. About 5,000 years later, they. loved taking stuff from the Egyptians. and they carried on with gallettes. Um,

they did something that I think is a a. historic crime. They replaced um sweet. stuff like honey with meats. I like a. good meat pie, but I feel like we had. not gotten into sweet pies enough to be. from that yet. Yeah. >> One of the other thing the Greeks did. though was um they created pastry dough. like we would we would think of pastry. dough today essentially. >> Yeah. It's a big leap forward there. dough-wise. Uh the Romans of course come. along next and uh they didn't add a.

whole lot to the technique or tradition. Uh what they did was they brought it to. Europe and that's where it really. flourished was when it was in the hands. of the Europeans. >> Yeah. Not just Europe, but like if you. look back at dishes from around the. world, you're like, "Oh, that's pie. That's pie. That's pie." Um, there's. something called sambusa in Ethiopia, which is a ham pie. There's obviously. empadas from Spain and then Latin. America. >> Spanicopa in Greece. >> I've not heard of the zeboin,

but I would love to try it. It's a. savory sweet pie from Germany. >> Shriber. >> Yes. >> Yeah. And then there's Tortiier from. Quebec, which also sounds pretty great. That's a savory meat pie. Like I say, I. like meat pies. Got no problem with meat. pies. Yeah, I think that we just I need. we need both, I guess. >> Yeah, agreed. Um I mean, when I hear the. word pie, I immediately think of like a. sweet dessert pie, >> but I love a a Jamaican hand pie. >> or a I say empanada. I guess it is.

impata, isn't it? >> Yeah. Empata. I couldn't find the end. with the till day on the insert thing on. Word. So, I got you. >> Um, and one other thing, Chuck, do you. remember when we were in the UK on tour. and I got hooked on um pork pies? >> Oh, yeah. Yeah. >> Oh my god, those are so good. >> And I got pork pie hats. >> Yeah, I know you did. It was great. I. tried to eat that one [laughter]. >> right off my head. Uh, the English, speaking of the English, that's where. things really got interesting because. they were like, "Man, throw some fish in.

that thing. throw any kind of meat in. you want. Uh we'll spell it pie and. we'll also bake those bones in there as. little handles. >> Not just the bones, the legs of like a a. game bird, like a feeasant would be. sticking out and hanging over the side. of the pie. >> Yeah. Just grab it by Grab it by the. leg. >> Yeah. Grab that feeasant like a rabbit. >> I guess that's no different than just. eating a chicken leg. Uh. >> it's a little different. I'm talking. about like the feet here is what I. understand.

>> Oh, okay. like the whole leg down to the. toenails is what they left on. >> Toenails? >> Uhhuh. >> You ever seen a chicken toenail? >> I haven't looked that closely. I've just. always assumed they were there. >> Uh they also um called them coffins. Two. Fs and a Y. Again, they love those Y's. instead of eyes. >> And of course that means box. >> Yeah. Because that's what they were. making. There was like a sturdy walls, a. sturdy bottom, a crust over the top. And. these were actually what the Greeks were. basically making pies for too. The point.

of the pie was to seal in the juices of. like the savory mixture of meats and. stuff, right? Yeah. It was a way to bake. a bunch of stuff together and then serve. it as one thing onto a table. Um that. was the point of pies. They didn't care. about pastries in medieval England. like. the actual crust was considered inedible. by the rich, but the lower classes would. eat the pie crust when they had to. Um, so they also made pies without tops. whatsoever. Those are tarts. That's what.

they still call them today. Those, I. think, were more pastry edible forward. >> Yeah, I think you're right. Um, if. you're talking about recipes, uh, they. started appearing in Europe in cookbooks. like way back in the 1300s. Uh, I think. there was a German cookbook you dug up. from 1553. Um, >> I didn't actually look in the cookbook. itself. I just saw a reference to it. >> Oh, sure. Yeah. >> Sorry. >> That's okay. Uh, but they were like, "Hey, you know what you do? You put a. little hole in the middle of that pie. and the lid and you blow in it and puff. that thing up and then seal it." And.

that thing [clears throat] is looks. great on a table. >> Yeah. But you will notice from that. recipe that means there's nothing. inside. They were just baking the pie. An empty pie essentially is what they. were making. And you would say, well, that's madness. What's the point of. that? There's actually a trend in. England, I think from the 15th to maybe. the 18th centuries where um you would. present like at a royal dinner or. something like that, an enormous pie um.

that was filled with live things. So, you would bake the pie pastry and then. put the live things in it before you. served it. And so that's where you know. that rhyme, sing a song of six pence. where they talk about four and 20. blackbirds baked into a pie. Isn't that. a pretty dish to serve before the king. or whatever? >> Yeah, >> that's what they're talking about is. this trend in in Europe in in royal. courts of Europe where you would serve. like a pie to the king and they cut it. open and all these beautiful birds would. fly out or a string ensemble would stand.

up and start playing. >> Yeah. Like if you think you got to have. a big pie to put a couple of dozen. blackbirds in there. You weren't kidding. about the string ensemble. Like they. would have a pie big enough. What? What. I don't understand is how are they are. they not killing these people and birds? >> No. Take the pie pastry first and then. put the people in before they served it. >> That's why you. >> How does that work? >> That's you would you would take the pie, put it together, put the top on, put a. hole in it, blow in it, close it up. >> Yeah. But how did the people get in.

there? Oh, I I'm I'm sure there was like. a little door cut into the side or. something like that, but they were not. anywhere near the pie while it was in. the oven. >> Oh, the pie hatch. I wasn't thinking. >> Pie hatch. The pie hole. [laughter]. >> Yeah, the pie hole. >> Remember that show? What was it called? Better. No. Pushing up the That guy, the. main protagonist had a pie shop called. The Pie Hole. Oh, that I've told you. about it before. It's such a charming. show, Chuck. You got to see it. >> All right. Yeah, you got a long list for. me, though.

that one. Move that one toward the top. It's just a very sweet, neat, cute. little show. >> All right. Well, speaking of cute, uh. we'll take a break and we'll come back. and we'll talk about a few specific. all-time great pies right after this. [music]. the [music]. know. [music].

[music]. All right, we're back. We're going to. mention uh one, two, three, four, five. all-time great pies. It is for us in. real time. It's uh the week before. Thanksgiving. Couple of weeks before. Thanksgiving. >> Hubba. Hubba. >> So, we got to talk about pumpkin pie uh. which was brought to the new world by. the colonist on the Mayflower.

Uh but it's interesting because when. they got here, Native Americans were. like, "Hey, look at these things we got. They're called pumpkins." And one day. they will invent spices to put with. these that taste nothing like pumpkins, but you will totally associate that with. pumpkin, >> right? And so like the first pumpkin. pies were actually not pies at all. Um. they were they used the pumpkin. themselves as basically the pie crust, put in honey and spices and stuff like. that and baked it over hot coals.

>> Then they ate that. >> Um but the thing is you still think of. like, okay, well eventually like they it. got figured out in the United States or. the English colonies, right? >> No, that's not the case. Pumpkin pie. actually got exported with the pumpkins. in a couple of decades over to France. The first recipe that even mentions a. pumpkin pie called the pump pie was. published in a French cookbook by a. French chef in 1651. And it wouldn't be uh another few.

decades, actually another century or so. before it showed up in a recipe in an. American cookbook. >> That's right. In 1796, it was in the the. very first American cookbook, in fact, from Amelia Simmons called American. Cookery by an American Orphan. >> Mhm. >> And Yeah, that pumpkin pie was in there. The kind of like the one we know it. It. was kind of a pumpkin pudding. >> But that's not super unlike uh pumpkin. pie. >> No, because you baked it in a pie shell. So, if you ask me, >> that's pumpkin pie.

>> Agreed. >> So, pumpkin pie seems pretty American. That's why the French thing was so. puzzling. But apple pie, 100% American. Like, don't even come at me with. anything else. Take it, Chuck. >> Well, buddy, apples don't come from. America. They're native to Asia. So, they were brought over to the new world. by the colonists. And I think we all. know that the the perfect apple pie is. that Dutch apple pie. And they're the. ones they were the OGs. A couple of. years, couple sorry, a couple hundred. years prior to those apples coming over.

from Asia, the Dutch had sort of. mastered that apple pie. Man, I always. assumed it was the 1970s when the Dutch. finally made Dutch apple pie. >> No. No. >> Okay. All right. So, the Dutch had. figured out apple pie centuries before. it came to America. So, how does the. apple pie get associated with America? There's a saying over here, everybody, if you're not familiar, as American as. apple pie. Apparently, that was first. used um in print in 1928 to describe. First Lady Lou Hoover, Herbert Hoover's.

well wife, >> gal. They said that she's as American as. apple pie. Okay, that's one one way it. got associated with it. Another one is. that apple pie is as American as moms. and baseball. Where did that come from, Chuck? Where did that come from? >> Apparently World War II, there was a. catchphrase uh for the GIS there when. they're like, "Why why you going off to. pop this fight this war?" And they would. say, "Well, sir, for mom and apple pie, of course.". >> They say, "Get out there, boy.". >> That's right. and for us.

>> And if you think that helmet's gonna. protect you, you got another thing. coming. >> Jeez. >> What else? >> That was kind of dark. [laughter]. >> It got dark going from apple pie to. that. But yeah, sure. >> Uh we could talk cherry pie uh briefly. Cherry pie is not my favorite pie, but. um I'll opt for pumpkin or apple or. certainly key lime, which we'll get to. before cherry pie, but I'll eat a piece. of cherry pie with some ice cream if you. got it for me. >> Yeah, as long as it's not sour. Like a. good cherry pie in the vein of a good. apple pie I think is excellent stuff.

>> Yeah. And House of Pies in Los Felis in. Los Angeles, the neighborhood where I. lived had all kinds of great pies, but. like I want like a a warm cherry pie. I. don't want like the cold one that where. that jelly has sort of uh you know, I. don't like it cold. >> No, that's what I'm saying. If you if. you make it and serve it like you would. a good piece of apple pie, it's good. I'm with you 100%. >> Okay. But that one apparently the first. cherry pie uh was either created for. Queen Elizabeth the 1 in the 16th. century or by her.

>> Yeah, it's one of the oldest pies that. is still around today apparently. >> Yeah. What's next? >> Boston cream pie is worth a mention. You. might be like, "That's not even a pie. That's basically a layer cake." You're. right. But we wanted to explain where. that came from. >> I don't think I've ever had Boston cream. pie. >> I hadn't either. I was like, "Okay, we. got to do Boston cream pie." And then I. was like, "Oh, this is a little more. interesting than I thought." Because it. turns out Boston cream pie is a cake. It's not a pie in any sense whatsoever.

The reason it's called Boston cream pie. is because it's based on another recipe. called Washington Pie. >> And Washington pie was the same thing. It was a Boston cream pie cake baked in. a pie crust. So a cake and a pie crust. And then eventually the Boston cream pie. came along. They did away with the. crust, but they kept the name pie, which. is why Boston cream pie is called pie. even though it's a cake. >> That's right. And uh notably, it was. invented for the opening, the grand. opening of the Parker House Hotel in. 1856,

>> which is got to be where Parker House. rolls come from, right? >> I don't know. I've never heard of them. before, but let's say Yeah. >> You've never heard of Parker House. Rolls? >> I've heard of Cider House Rules, but. [laughter]. Parker House rolls are one of the best. things in the world. You know them if. you've seen them. >> Okay. >> Uh and like a lot of it's become trendy. in recent years at like a a nice. restaurant will serve you Parker House. rolls in like a little four baked in a.

fourack for the table. >> It sounds like Kings Hawaiian kind of. >> Well, they kind of are. They kind of. look like that. Kings Hawaiian, I think, is a the Hawaiian sweet version of a. Parker House roll. They're just. >> I probably had those then. Yeah. >> Yeah. Big, beautiful, flaky, like. buttery with a little sea salt on top. Man, it's the best thing ever. >> Very nice. >> Yeah. >> Uh, I've actually stayed in the Parker. House. It's now Omni Hotel. >> And they didn't throw a roll at your. face when you walked in. >> Not that I saw. No. >> Actually, one of the the only times I.

was ever worried about getting Legion's. disease was when I stayed [laughter]. there. >> Uh, and then let's move on to key lime. pie because this is the pride of. Florida. If you've never had a slice of. key lime pie, you're you're you're. cheating yourself essentially. Just get. your hands on one. >> It's It's one of my It's top two pies. for me. >> Agreed. >> Along with a crumbly apple, probably. >> I like that, too. The Dutch apple. crumble style, that one. >> Yeah, pecan pie. Yeah, those are my top. three. Pecan pie, Dutch apple, and uh.

and key lime. >> Okay. So key lime, one of the great. things about it is I mean I don't want. to say like if you walk into a 7-Eleven. and buy a slice of key lime pie there, it's going to be as good as one that you. get in the Florida Keys. >> Mhm. >> But it's they're so similar to one. another and there's a specific way to. make it that it's not that far off. You're still kind of treating yourself. So go out and get some key lime pie. You. don't have to be a purist. But if you. are a purist and you want to know where. it comes from, supposedly the local lore. is that a woman only known as Aunt.

Sally, >> okay, >> made them in the late 19th century down. in Key West, uh, at the Curry House, which was the the estate of Florida's. first millionaire, William Curry. So, you know, he was important and a really. good guy. But she came up with this as a. a recipe that she adapted from local Key. West fishermen that they had come up. with it themselves. >> Yeah. Uh that's one story. Another is. that uh they came uh later than that. Um. and I think they were supposedly adapted.

from uh a recipe from New York for magic. lemon cream pies uh that the Bordon. Condensed Milk Company put out in the. 1930s. But some people say no, it was. actually the opposite. Uh they got that. magic lemon cream pie from the key lime. pie. >> and kind of stole it. Even though uh. hats off to your board and condensed. milk, that stuff is the best. >> Yeah. Again, I want to shout out the ube. condensed milk. It's not bored and I. don't remember who makes it, but oh my. god, it's seriously, you'll never taste.

anything that has a better taste than. that. >> I'm going to move on to that for my uh. my family, my grandmother made, she. called it lemon ice box pie. >> Oh, yeah. Those are great. >> Yeah, it's sort of the same thing as a. uh key lime pie, but just with with. lemon uh in that it doesn't have uh. meringue. Like why would you want to. ruin a lemon pie by putting meringue on. it? >> I don't know. I I can go either way with. that. >> Yeah, not my. >> I'd rather replace it with ready whip. though. >> Oh well, now you're talking.

>> Okay. Um everybody, I think it's pretty. obvious that we are going to immediately. go start eating pie after recording. this. We hope you go enjoy [music] some. pie, too. And uh short stuff is out. >> Stuff You Should Know is a production of. iHeart Radio. For more podcasts from. iHeart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio. app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you. listen to your favorite [music] shows.