Good Food Pie Contest: Photo Gallery

By Elina Shatkin Mon., Sep. 19 2011 at 7:07 AM

Pies from the Good Food Pie Contest.

220 pies were submitted in yesterday's Good Food Pie Contest, and how many of them did event host and fairy godmother Evan Kleiman sample? Not a single one. The pie perfectionist explained that just that week she had baked what might be her best apple pie ever -- and had spent the rest of the week eating it. All pie'd out and a pie festival to host.

That doesn't mean the judges, including our own Jonathan Gold, didn't do their duty. They sampled pie after pie after pie, some innovative, some classic and some stomach-churning. In the end, it was a traditional pie, the most traditional pie, that won the day.

Best In Show went to Stephanie Shaikin, who bakes under the name Crust by Stephanie Jayne, for her Classic Apple Pie. When asked what set her pie apart, she offered this advice to all pie-oneers: "I use shortening and butter in my crust. I LOVE crust. That's the most important thing to me."

[Photo gallery and full list of winners after the jump.]

BEST IN SHOW
Stephanie Shaiken - Classic Apple Pie

FRUIT
1. Stephanie Shaiken - Classic Apple Pie
2. Sam Robinson - Peach Blueberry Crumble
3. Jessica Kubel - Apple Cranberry

NUT
1. Stuart Faber - Pecan Pie
2. Kristin Anderson - unknown
3. Claudia Guevara - Pecan Pie

CREAM
1. Sandra Nuzzolilo - Banana Cream Pie
2. Morgan Simons - Banana Nutella Cream Pie
3. Linnea Weaver - Cream Cheese Pie

SAVORY
1. Terry Sweeney - Persian Tart
2. Jennifer Wang - unknown
3. Marla Cusack - Zucchini Pecorino Pie

TIM BURTON-INSPIRED
1. Emily Baker - "James and the Giant Peach" Pie
2. Bobbie Chi - Blueberry Pie
3. Gretchen Getz - Chocolate Chess Pie

[@elinashatkin / eshatkin@laweekly.com]

Tags:

Apple Pie, Elina Shatkin, Evan Kleiman, Good Food, KCRW, Photo Gallery, Pie, Pie Contest, Stephanie Shaikin

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Jeanne Fratello

Just saw my pie up there in the slideshow. It was quite the heady experience for a novice Tim Burton pie-maker. Here's my first-time contestant's perspective: http://bit.ly/o3fcKM

Mom

One more person trying to get back to the topic, please!

What was in "Persian" savory tart? Was it, by any chance, Swiss chard, raisins and pine nuts?

Sorely Frickey

"The problem is that pseudonyms are used to write posts that people would be embarrassed to own up to having written, were their real names substituted."

Dave, I've been very active on the Internet since the Usenet news groups started in the early Eighties. Here are a few of the problems with using real names: (1) Most importantly, people in prominent positions can't take the chance of being seen to speak for their employer or other organization on a wide variety of topics, and disclaimers often don't work. (2) I do use my name on a few sites -- wsj dot com, for example -- and have learned that even the least-technical stalkers can find an email address easily. (3) I'm not embarrassed by more than a small number of posts over the last 30 years -- certainly not the humorous one that started this conversation -- and staying anonymous allows for rapid-fire, freewheeling conversations that wouldn't otherwise be possible. I don't have time to write and rewrite comments the way I'd have to if I knew my porfresshnul clolegues mite see them. (4) It's interesting to use particular personae to enhance communication, assuming you can discipline yourself to consistently maintain the personalities you've built. I did that on chowhound dot com for many years, until some genius over there decided that "Chowhounds" weren't grown-up enough to have that kind of freedom.

I've often (anonymously) praised your work on the OC Weekly and regret not reading that publication much anymore, but the temptation to waste time laying into Gustavo was just too great. I don't like the guy for all kinds of reasons, which (under various handles) I've documented point-by-point over the last few years. But I'm an optimist and hope one day to see a better person running their restaurant section -- you or Professor Salt, for example. At that point, I'll once again become a loyal reader ... and commenter (oh boy! Das Ubergeek is thinking ;-).

Double knot

My friend and I had a great time. We were surprised to see how many young people showed up to this event. L.A is not a pie town. I know I'm in the food industry and I'm old. Next year my old friend are going to beat ya'all yups !

Elise Thompson

Umm, so yeah...pie. The James and the Giant Peach was adorable. When it came sampling time, some had sat out in the sun for so long I was glad I didn't have to eat them. There was a lemon pie by the woman who made jar-pies that was fantastic!

Sorely Frickey

If I were CEO of Va Vroom Media, I wouldn't permit my best talent -- I'm talkin' about Mr. Jonathan Gold here -- to participate in these kinds of events. Who knows what some -ist might have slipped into an otherwise delicious filling, crust, or meringue? Get that guy down in Orange County to do it.

Dave Lieberman

So let me get this straight—you're advocating for the poisoning of Gustavo Arellano? I assume that's who you meant by "that guy down in Orange County," though in this case the "guy from Orange County" who tasted the pies was me. There were also several chefs (pastry and otherwise), several very good food writers, and the dining editor of the Los Angeles Times; should they be poisoned, too?

It shouldn't do so, but it still amazes me what people will say when their real names aren't attached to their screeds.

Sorely Frickey

"It shouldn't do so, but it still amazes me what people will say when their real names aren't attached to their screeds."

You talking about your Ubergeek posts? What amazes me is how some people have absolutely no sense of humor -- or, as you would say, humour.

Dave Lieberman

I don't think I've said anything as "Das Ubergeek" that I wouldn't stand behind using my real name, and besides, the connection between the two is out there for the world to see if they care. (Google it and see.)

The problem is not that posts are hidden behind pseudonyms. The problem is that pseudonyms are used to write posts that people would be embarrassed to own up to having written, were their real names substituted.