Mark Bittman Disses Pie

Megan Gordon
Megan Gordon
Megan is a freelance writer, recipe developer and cookbook writer. Her first book, Whole-Grain Mornings, (Ten Speed Press) is available in bookstores nationwide.
updated Jun 5, 2019
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I just had the pleasure of judging a pie contest at our local farmers market. People came from all over, entering apple and pear pies, cream pies, chocolate pies and pecan pies. There was a generous cash prize, and many of the contestants left talking about what they’d bake for the next round. As far as I can tell, pie is alive and well. Bittman would quibble.

Mark Bittman doesn’t have a problem with pie so much as he has a problem with the crust. He is a self-proclaimed filling man. In a recent piece for The New York Times Bittman states that the crust “adds little to a fruit dessert apart from heft and calories.”

The gist of his argument is that if you’re using fantastic ripe fruit that you’re excited about, crust and streusel topping just get in the way. Why not put the fruit front and center? To do this, Bittman offers a few recipe ideas that are, essentially, just ways to make the filing itself into a dessert on its own. We want to know what you think: genius or just plain glop?

Related: Recipe: Ginger Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

(Images: Megan Gordon)