Evan Kleiman's Pie-a-Day Contest: The End of Pies In Sight

For some months now, Evan Kleiman has been baking pies--and baking pies and baking pies--as part of her Pie-A-Day project for KCRW. Now that it's November, Kleiman is nearing the end of her pastry marathon. As the culminating event, KCRW will host a Good Food Pie Contest on Saturday, November 14th, from 2 - 4 p.m. at the Westfield Topanga Shopping Center Canyon Atrium. You have until November 8th to register for the event. (Chose your category, describe your pie.) How many pies are we talking about? More than 100, and counting.

"I wish I had bet Good Food producer Harriet Ells about the number of entries. She was convinced we were only going to get 30 or so," said Kleiman this afternoon. "I knew it would be big. So far we have over 100 entries. I've slacked off making daily pies but I make them at least once a week. I love pie. In fact, I just made the best apple pie of my life--and that's after making hundreds of them."

KCRW

Bryan's blueberry and peach pandowdy

"It shows that food is a craft and you just get better at it the more you do it," continued Kleiman. "You also get better at figuring out what your own mouth likes and how to make it happy. I'm convinced that is what pie tinkering is all about."

There will be pies served and prizes awarded at the pie judging. Who gets to judge this sort of thing? Kleiman says that so far they've enlisted Mark Peel (Campanile, The Point), Stefan Richter (Stefan's at L.A. Farm), Eric Greenspan (The Foundry on Melrose), Elizabeth Belkind (Cake Monkey), and L.A. Times Food Editor Russ Parsons. Other judges are still being named. Because with that many pies, you need a lot of judges. All of whom may need to remind Kleiman (who signed her latest email to us "Crazed Pie Woman") that she can then officially stop baking pies. At least until Thanksgiving.