Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Conversation Bites Chess-Thumping Pie Fight
Posted by Nicki Wood on Tue, Jun 16, 2009 at 11:07 AM
Say you're cooking Chinese food and you sprinkle some sesame seeds on the chow fun. Seems normal, but if you mentioned it to a Chinese person, they'd say that chow fun is Hainanese (or something), and that sesame seeds are only included in food in some remote city near the Gobi (or something), so it's inauthentic.
From the outside, it seems normal, from the inside, it's unimaginable. That's how Arnold's Chess Pie with Meringue astounds me every time. What nutbucket thought of putting a meringue on top of the sweetest pie in the country? It's the only food I can think of where the meringue actually cuts the sweetness of the dessert rather than augment it.
On the other hand is chess pie from Elliston Place Soda Shop, Green Hills. Plenty competent, nice crisp top, buttery filling, only $10 for a whole pie.
They're different. They both have sugar. I like them. I just can't decide, so you make the call.
Comments (4)
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Set the Way-Back Machine for 1974, and I'd say the bakery at Harvey's.
So I'm obviously a traditionalist. I vote EPSS.
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Arnold’s peach pie trumps any other pie from a great height...the chess is still pretty good though...
Chess pie with meringue? Hmmm.
(Obviously, I've never tried it)
Your description brings to mind my grandmother's caramel pie, which was also topped with meringue. It was another case of the meringue cutting the sweetness of the pie filling...and I loved it! It was my favorite thing about Thanksgiving as a kid.
