Pie Shell

It was near the end of the fresh strawberry season in Maryland when Bill Machuley of Baltimore requested a Haussner's strawberry pie recipe. Responses were overwhelming.Local berries have bitten the dust but not to worry. This strawberry treat is worth trying now and any season. Fresh berries from afar are available at your grocers. And, plan another pie when the local strawberries surface again next summer.Chef Syglowski of the Baltimore International Culinary College tested the responses and chose two which he notes "both have nice flavor but some changes are called for."

Janet Powell from Oak Ridge, Tenn., was looking for the recipe for a cheese pie that both of her grandmothers made. She said that it was a dessert pie made with cottage cheese. Vivian Glover from Joppatowne sent in a cheese pie recipe that her best friend's mother used to make back in the 1940s that was always a favorite of hers. Glover said she still bakes it when she needs some comfort food. I received several different versions of this pie. Some of the recipes were slightly more elaborate then this one, with additions like cinnamon or nutmeg, raisins or nuts.

Jacqueline Maurer from Pittsburgh was looking for a recipe for graham cracker pie. She said her mother used to make this for her family when she was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s but that she no longer has the recipe. Dolores Cavanaugh from Knoxville, Tenn., sent in her mother's recipe for the pie. She said her mother made this pie often in the 1930s and 1940s, "when times were harder and the ingredients were on hand. " She said she could hardly wait until the pie came out of the oven and was cool enough to cut and eat. It's no wonder these women have such fond memories of this pie. Everyone in my house, including my husband, who usually could not care less about dessert, absolutely loved it. It looked, smelled and tasted heavenly.

As I write this, Thanksgiving is only hours away, and I still have no idea what I am serving. There will be a turkey, of course. And potatoes and vegetables and stuffing and gravy. But exactly what form these basic elements will take is still under discussion with my daughter, who believes she was cruelly separated at birth from Ina Garten. I call it "Thanksgiving in the time of the Food Network: All bets are off. " These cooking shows — which are to college students what soap operas were to us when we were in school — have produced a generation of confident young cooks who don't think you have to have years of practice under your belt before you prepare your first truffle.

Pumpkin may have been the Pilgrims' pride, but in many homes today, it just isn't Thanksgiving without pecan pie.The basic recipe -- eggs, corn syrup, sugar, vanilla and lots of pecans -- is ripe for experiment.Chocolate and bourbon come to mind as successful additions. Simply sprinkle in a few chocolate chunks along with the pecans; or, soak the nuts in bourbon for a day or so before making the pie.Golden ambrosia pecan pie combines elements of a Southern staple, ambrosia salad, with pecan pie.Classic pecan pie3 eggs3 heaping tablespoons sugar1 tablespoon flour1 cup white corn syrup1 cup pecans1 teaspoon vanillaunbaked pastry for a 9-inch pieHeat oven to 350 degrees.

Francis Bacon from St. Augustine, Fla., was looking for the recipe for the fresh strawberry pie that is served at a restaurant chain in her area called the Eat & Park. She said she has tried several recipes but has not been able to duplicate theirs. Diana Bauer , also coincidentally from St. Augustine, Fla., sent in a recipe for a fresh strawberry pie which she says is from Shoney's, another restaurant chain in that area. She says that she has made it for years and that it always gets rave reviews.

Diane Tolley of Bend, Ore., requested a recipe for a Johnny's Brown Bag Pie. She wrote: "I recently visited a small town in Illinois called Long Grove. While there, I went into a place called the Apple Haus. Their claim to fame is `Home of the Uncle Johnny's Brown Bag Pie.' I would like to make a pie in a brown paper bag. They told me they have to specially treat the bag but did not say how. Thank you for your help." Mrs. Eisal Brantley of Sebastopol, Calif., responded with this recipe: Johnny's Brown Bag Pie Serves 8 to 10 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell 3 or 4 large baking apples (about 2 1/2 pounds)

What's fall without pecan pie? Fresh and abundant at this season, the native American pecan nut has long been associated with cool weather and end-of-year holiday treats. For those of you who didn't get enough of Aunt Jen's pecan pie at Thanksgiving and can't wait for Uncle Harry's Christmas version, try baking one for yourself.Basic pecan pies are a cinch to prepare. The ingredients need only be stirred together by hand and poured into a pastry shell. The usual baking temperature is 350 degrees but pecan pie is so adaptable that it can be baked at higher or lower temperatures with similar results, a convenience when the pie is baked along with other foods in the same oven.

Gertrude McSpiritt from East Windsor, N.J., was looking for a simple quiche recipe that would be suitable to teach her 10-year-old grandchild. She is 86 years old and still loves to cook but she "can't cope with a long recipe." Terrill Ross from Salem, Ore., sent in a recipe for Goodnight Quiche that "is very easy and very good." Because the recipe calls for a frozen pie shell, it takes no time to make and is virtually fail-safe. It has only a few basic ingredients and the only extra step is browning the ground beef.

Cathy Donoughe of Hannastown, Pa., was anxious to know if anyone had a recipe for Sugar Pie, which her aunt made when she was a child. "Do you think someone might be able to help me find the recipe?" she wrote. Her response came from Stefanie A. Cockream of Fort Bragg, N.C.Rebecca McCarney of White Oak, Pa., was looking for a cheese filling "which may be used in pastries." Her answer came from Frank C. Alfonso of Baltimore.SUGAR PIE , Makes 1 (9-inch) pie1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar1/4 cup flour2 cups cream1 teaspoon vanilla extractpinch nutmeg1 stick ( 1/2 cup)

Brenda Walker of Knoxville, Tenn., was looking for a recipe for pumpkin pie with orange zest as one of the ingredients. She lost the original recipe from many years ago and has had no luck duplicating it. Gladys Wilt of Lothian sent in a recipe from the Libby's Home-Baked Goodness cookbook for a Sour-Cream-Orange-Pumpkin Pie. While this is probably not the exact recipe that Walker was searching for, it does have orange zest and is definitely worth her...

Quinlan Cummings of Greenville, N.C., was looking for a recipe for a Lemon Chess Pie. Ruth Ann Barker of Fayetteville, N.C., sent in a recipe for the pie from the Farm Journal Complete Pie Cookbook published in 1965. She says this is a recipe she has enjoyed over the years. The recipe notes say that the filling can be baked in a traditional unbaked pie shell or that a graham-cracker or vanilla-wafer crumb crust can be substituted. I tested it in the traditional pastry crust. The finished pie was a beautiful lemon-yellow color inside and nut brown on top; it had a fine balance of tart and sweet.

Leslie Jarzombek and her mother from Santa Rosa, Calif., were looking for a recipe for a sour-cream-raisin pie like the one they had at a small restaurant in southwest Idaho. The sour-cream part was rich and creamy with dark raisins throughout the filling. They thought that the pie was not baked. Ann Alien of Columbus, Miss., sent in a recipe for a no-bake raisin-sour cream pie. In Alien's recipe the filling is prepared in a double boiler and poured into a prebaked pie shell, then chilled and topped with sour cream, graham-cracker crumbs and lemon rind.

Gwendolyn Blackwell of Baltimore had been unable to find the recipe for the strawberry pie that was served at the locally renowned, but now closed, Haussner's restaurant in Baltimore. Fortunately, Shelley Donald of Reistertown had a recipe that was labeled as the restaurant's pie in her collection. As a timesaving measure, I decided to test this recipe using a store-bought frozen pie shell. While it may not have been quite as tasty as a crust made from scratch, it made this pie a snap to assemble on a summer afternoon.

Gertrude McSpiritt from East Windsor, N.J., was looking for a simple quiche recipe that would be suitable to teach her 10-year-old grandchild. She is 86 years old and still loves to cook but she "can't cope with a long recipe." Terrill Ross from Salem, Ore., sent in a recipe for Goodnight Quiche that "is very easy and very good." Because the recipe calls for a frozen pie shell, it takes no time to make and is virtually fail-safe. It has only a few basic ingredients and the only extra step is browning the ground beef.

Betty Sheppard of Baltimore wrote to request a raisin pie recipe. "I had a recipe but when my husband passed away and I had to move, I lost it. Could someone help me?" Garilee Cave of Morro Bay, Calif., responded. "This is the best raisin pie recipe I have ever tasted. Since I don't care for cooked raisins, that is really saying something! My mother-in-law, Opal White, taught me how to make it 43 years ago. I sure hope you enjoy it as much as we have over the years." Recipe requests Andrea Eakin of Delmont, Pa., is hoping someone will have a recipe for pepper rolls.

Leslie Jarzombek and her mother from Santa Rosa, Calif., were looking for a recipe for a sour-cream-raisin pie like the one they had at a small restaurant in southwest Idaho. The sour-cream part was rich and creamy with dark raisins throughout the filling. They thought that the pie was not baked. Ann Alien of Columbus, Miss., sent in a recipe for a no-bake raisin-sour cream pie. In Alien's recipe the filling is prepared in a double boiler and poured into a prebaked pie shell, then chilled and topped with sour cream, graham-cracker crumbs and lemon rind.

Anna Mary Upholster of Latrobe, Pa., requested a recipe for oatmeal pie. She wrote that none of her cookbooks has such a recipe. Tester Laura Reiley chose the recipe sent in by Mary Ann Peeples of Stedman, N.C. Peeples wrote that she found the recipe in a newspaper, the Kansas City Star. "It is easy to make and resembles a pecan pie." Pearl F. Lewison of Beresford, S.D., requested a prune pie recipe. Her answer came from Carol Reeves of Westport, Ore. Oatmeal Pie Serves 8-12 3 eggs, well-beaten 2/3 cup granulated sugar 1 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons butter, softened 2/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut 2/3 cup quick-cooking oats 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 9-inch unbaked pie shell Combine all filling ingredients and pour mixture into the prepared pie shell.