So, as we mentioned yesterday, it's 3.14 - Pi Day! For all of you who graduated and promptly forgot any math not directly related to balancing a checkbook (well, maybe some of that too), here's a brief summary of the number pi - 3.14159. Actually, that number keeps going and going and going - it never ends. Why? It represents the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter.
What does this have to do with cooking? Nothing, really, except for a happy homophone connection. Also, we suspect that a better grasp of pi would somehow make us better pie bakers and especially pie cutters. Not a supported suspicion, but one we harbor all the same. The important thing is - pie! It's an excuse to eat some. Read on for some of our favorite pie tips, tricks, and tools...

Recipes
As we were looking for past pie recipes, we realized that we have many more tarts than pies in the recipe archives. Why? Probably because we got a new tart pan this year and have been playing. They're closely enough related, don't you think? Here's links to a few:
• Ginger Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
• Abby's Blueberry Pie
• Book Journal: Drunken Grape Tart
• Peach and Thyme Polenta Tart
• Tart Lemon Tart
Tips
• Good Question: Chocolate Pie for Pie Day?
• Questions for Allie: Why Is My Pie Dough Shrinking?
Products
• Hot or Not - Pie Crust Bag
• Best Products: Hess Pie Plates
• Solid Brass Pie Crimper
Do you have a favorite pie tip, trick, or piece of good advice? Have you figured out how to cut a pie into eight equal slices? Do you have a favorite pan, or a favorite recipe?
actually, Pi is used to convert recipes from one size pan to another:
"The formula for round pans is pi time the radius squared. Pi is 3.141, the radius is half the width of the pan, so you multiply the radius times itself, then times 3.141 and that will tell you what the area of your pan is."
http://www.karenskitchen.com/a/ref_convert.htm
view winniegirl's profile
oh my gosh, that was too much math for me at this point on a Friday. Very cool though, winniegirl - good to know...
view faith's profile
I'm making Quiche for dinner, and my boyfriend is bring home a slice of pie for each of us. I'm excited.
view Christal's profile
My favorite Boston-area pie shop, Petsi's Pies, is having a promotion today where you get 10% off a pie for every 10 digits of pi you can recite! I love that. I'm more of a DIY gal, so I'm making a pumpkin-maple pie using Dorie Greenspan's Good-For-Almost-Everything pie crust recipe.
view SisterRae's profile
I'm making turkey pot pie for dinner tonight. And I'd love to make an apple pie for dessert, but the hubster has asked for a simple custard pie instead. If anybody has a good recipe to pass along I'd appreciate it!
view Nougat's profile
I made mini key lime pies because I am a nerd who celebrates Pi Day :)
view raspberry eggplant's profile
My favorite pie recipe book is Sweety Pies by Patty Pinner. She has recipes for pies I've never heard of. For fruit pies, I sub potato starch for flour. Usually, when making crust I use heavy cream rather than ice water. Any leftover crust I have, I dust w/cinnamon sugar, roll up, and bake.
view twosavoie's profile
The most useful pie tips I've ever gotten (other than those from my mom) came from Jamie Oliver. These might seem no-brainers to most of you, but they were new to me, so I figure I'll mention them here.
First, roll the dough between two sheets of waxed paper, which is AWESOME for cleanup and for transferring the dough to the pie plate.
Second, rather than trim off the excess dough, fold it up and kind of randomly squish it to make a thick edge of crust. It looks a mess before it goes in the oven, but it comes out looking lovely and rustic, and it keeps the edge from overcooking and getting brittle.
Third, bake the pie at the bottom of the oven, so that the bottom of the pie crust cooks quickly and avoids becoming soggy from the filling.
view TammyE's profile
I live right down the street from Petsi's and had no idea they were having that promotion! We had a PI day celebration at work with lots of pies (of the homemade and Petsi's varieties) and math/pi-related activities. We were joking that we should celebrate mole day with lots of things in mole sauce.
view vera in dc's profile