When they go low, we go pie.
[Edit 9/30/2021: In honor of national Truth and Reconciliation Day, I’ve decided to donate ALL proceeds from this class to the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance. Scroll down to learn more about their work!]
When I fell in love with cooking as a kid, apple pie was the first dish I tried to perfect. My first (10? 20?) attempts were horrible. I tried every dough-making trick (lard, shortening, vodka, incantations). I once spent ages elaborately decorating a crust with delicate leaves and pastry rosettes — only to realize upon first bite that I had added a cup of salt instead of sugar to the filling.
Pie is TRIP. But after a lifetime of trial and error, I’ve discovered a lot of helpful tricks that I’m excited to share with you! Especially as we approach the 400th anniversary of the meal known as the “first Thanksgiving”…
When They Go Low, We Go Pie
Introducing When They Go Low, We Go Pie: an online pie-making class taught by an award-winning baker—me! As we approach peak pie season, join me for a masterclass on the perfect apple pie. Sunday, October 10th, 10am-12:30pm PST, tickets and details here!
You’ll learn how to
make the best pie crust every time (and why so many crusts are bad)
prevent soupy filling and “soggy bottoms,” as Julia Child calls them
create a variety of crust designs, from lattice to embellished
make great pie in almost any kitchen, without special tools
win at Thanksgiving/make timely and excellent pie puns
How does an online cooking class work, you ask? I’ll supply you with a detailed list of ingredients ahead of time. You’ll get a birds-eye view as I demonstrate each technique, and answer all your pie-minded questions. Where possible, I’ll suggest local and Indigenous-owned producers for ingredients, such as Ramona Farms, who make a great s-moik pilkan chu’i, or stone-milled Sonora whole wheat flour.
During the holidays, pie is often the piè-ce de résistance (see what I did there?) and I hope this year you get to celebrate safely with family. In keeping with tradition here at Cooking in Captivity, I’m taking this opportunity to highlight and support an organization that is doing inspiring work, so I’ll be donating half ALL of the proceeds from this class to the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance.
Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance (NAFSA)
Native Americans suffer from some of the highest rates of food insecurity, poverty, and diet-related health issues in the US. Even before the pandemic, despite federal food-assistance programs like SNAP, 1 in 4 Indigenous people lacked access to healthy food, which is why supporting Native American food sovereignty is important. Food sovereignty is “the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems.”
The difference between food security and food sovereignty is that while food security tackles the issue of access and hunger through the current dominant food system, food sovereignty builds sustainable alternatives, supporting policies that revitalize Indigenous food systems so that Native American communities have a greater ability to hunt, fish, grow, gather, and preserve their own food.
NAFSA is at the forefront of this movement, supporting Indigenous farmers, wild-crafters, fishers, hunters, ranchers, and communities in the fight to restore Indigenous food systems. NAFSA’s biggest initiatives are the Indigenous Seedkeepers Network, the Food and Culinary Mentorship Program. Each of these initiatives focuses on reclaiming Indigenous seeds and foods.
As we celebrate decorative gourd season, Native American Heritage Month (November), and the 400th anniversary of the “first Thanksgiving,” I wanted to make sure we center this effort for Native American communities, without whom there would be no such holiday. Please join me to support NAFSA in their remarkable work!
By the way, on the subject of Thanksgiving, read this Time article to learn about how the tribe that fed the pilgrims—the Wampanoag people—were denied reservation status in 2020 because the U.S. Department of the Interior ruled that the tribe didn’t meet the definition of Indian. The tribe. That fed. The Pilgrims. Didn’t meet the definition of Indian.
To borrow a phrase from my favorite FLOTUS, when they go low, we go pie. Let’s use this moment to support Indigenous communities.