Good Food Pie Contest

I have 2 words for you: Free Pie! That’s right, anyone who goes to the The Good Food Pie Contest gets to try samples of the competing pies.

Wait, I started at the end. Let me back up. The Good Food Pie Contest is an annual community event that brings together professional bakers, food bloggers, and home bakers to compete in five different categories; cream (chiffon or mousse), fruit, nut, savory, and new this year, the Time Burton inspired pie.

This year’s contest will be at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. Each pie will be cut and served for the panel of celebrity judges who include Pulitzer Prize winning food writer Jonathon Gold, Food Network personality Aida Mollenkamp, and Chef Jet Lee.

Once they try the pies then it’s your turn. There are more than 200 pies competing this year and you can attempt to try them all.

Last year, I entered 2 pies that were both gluten-free. The first was a mixed berry and cherry pie on an almond crust, pictured on the right. The second was a tres leches pie with a flour-less cookie crust. Neither pie won a ribbon unfortunately (but a celebrity chef said she liked my cookie crust).

So this year, I decided to enter just one pie and it’s a combination of the best parts of both of last year’s pies. A tres leches pie on an almond crust with a layer of dulce de leche and a layer of vanilla cream filling. There will be some kind of whipped cream, but I haven’t figured that out yet.

Even if you aren’t entering a pie this year, it sounds like it will be a fun family event. At 12:30 p.m. families can do a pie-inspired art project as part of LACMA’s family Sundays. And follow that up by watching an apron fashion show from 2 to 2:30. At 2, the judges will start judging the pies for the public and at 3 p.m. the pies will be served.

The pie contest is free, but entry to LACMA’s galleries are not. But if you wear an apron you get free general admission (which doesn’t include the Time Burton exhibit).

If you don’t get enough pie at the contest, check out the Good Food Pie-a-Day blog.

KCRW Good Food Pie Contest

I’m so excited about this weekend. I entered 2 gluten-free pies in the KCRW Good Food Pie Contest, a Tres Leches Pie and a Mixed Berry and Cherry Pie with Almond Streusel Topping.

Between me and you and the 790 people who follow me on Twitter, I’m having a lot of trouble with my Tres Leches Pie. I had the idea for the pie one night after feasting on an amazing budino and came up with a recipe. I made it before I went on vacation and it was way too rich. Also the crust wasn’t right. I made the pie again this week and changed the ingredients. I fixed the crust problem, but even though the pie filling tasted incredible, it wouldn’t set. I don’t think the judges are going to want a Tres Leches smoothie so I have some work to do!!!

I hope you can make it to the contest. It’s free. That’s right, free pie!! Here are the details.

KCRW’S GOOD FOOD PIE CONTEST IS
BIGGER THAN EVER – over 200 PIES REGISTERED!

GET A TASTE ON SUN., SEPTEMBER 5

*FREE EVENT, FREE PIE* AT TASTE OF BEVERLY HILLS
*No Taste of Beverly Hills pass required!*
8 CELEB CHEFS to JUDGE, AWARD RIBBONS & PRIZES
Plus: APRON FASHION SHOW !

Summer’s nearly over and with it goes the GOOD FOOD PIE-A-DAY BLOG and PIE CAST (weekly podcast). Now it’s time for the GOOD FOOD PIECONTEST!

Public radio station 89.9 FM/KCRW-Santa Monica’s SECOND ANNUAL GOOD FOOD PIE CONTEST takes place on SUNDAY, SEP. 5 from 4 to 6 pm in the event area behind the Beverly Hilton Hotel as part of the TASTE OF BEVERLY HILLS FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL.

Good Food host Evan Kleiman emcees the event and a panel of 8 local chef celebrities will judge the more than 200 registered pies in five categories (as well as Best in Show) including: fruit pies; nut pies; savory pies; “interpretive” pies (defies categorization); and cream/custard/chiffon/mousse pies.Plus—a new category has been added: BEST CRUST!

A special feature of the Pie Contest this year: an Apron Fashion Show, with new and vintage aprons on display, courtesy of Urban Craft Center of Santa Monica, with music by KCRW DJ Chris Douridas.

The Pie-a-Day blog also boasted its own special feature this year: PIECASTS, podcasts expressly about pie with such renowned foodies and pie-fans asAnthony Bourdain and Rick Bayless, who tell crusty, well-filled tales about their passion for pies.

The Pie-a-Day blog started last year, as Good Food host Evan Kleiman challenged herself to bake a pie a day all summer and to blog about it. It became so popular that the pie-baking and blogging continued to November, culminating in the first Good Food Pie Contest held at Westfield Topanga Plaza. More than 400 people showed up, and 9 judges determined 4 winners plus Best in Show from the 125 entries. Everyone went home with crumbs or cream on their lips, as not a tiny sliver of pie remained on the tables.

This year, Evan created a pie community around the Pie-a-Day blog, featuring pictures, stories and recipes from leading chefs, bloggers and cookbook authors, as well as baking a few pies herself. As of today (8/31), 57 pies have been featured on the blog. There are Gluten Free Pies, Vegan Pies, a Kosher Pie, fruits of the summer pies, ethnic variations on pies and so much more.

This year’s Pie Contest judges include:

Jonathan Gold (Pulitzer Prize-winning food writer for the LA Weekly) Roxanna Jullapat (Pastry Chef, Ammo Cafe)
Zoe Nathan (Chef/Owner of Huckleberry Cafe)
Akasha Richmond (Chef/Owner Akasha)
Karen Hatfield (Pastry Chef, Hatfield’s)
Eric Greenspan (Chef/Owner The Foundry on Melrose)
Christine Moore (Little Flower Candy Company)
Sang Yoon (Father’s Office)