It’s not too late to celebrate National Pie Day

Today is National Pie Day and although the day is touted as a ‘national’ event in the US, people from around the world have joined in the celebration of all things pie. Apparently, there are two National Pie Days – December 1 and January 23 – plus the unofficial day of March 14 (pi). I’m someone who believes that pie > cake because I love the wide variety that pie offers: fillings can be savory or sweet, creamy or chunky, filled with custard or fruit or vegetables or meat. No matter your dietary preferences or restrictions, everyone can enjoy a slice of pie. Pie is versatile in other ways too: it works from breakfast to dinner and beyond and can easily be made into a portable food (hello, hand pies).

Last year was a great year for pie books with these notable cookbooks released in 2024 (among many others):

• Meat Pies: An Emerging American Craft by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn
• River Cottage Great Pies: Pasties, Puds and More by Gelf Alderson
• Tarts Anon: Sweet and Savoury Tart Brilliance by Gareth Whitton and Catherine Way
• 50 Pies, 50 States: An Immigrant’s Love Letter to the United States of America Through Pie by Stacey Mei Yan Fong
• Who Made all the Pies?: The Ultimate Collection of Pastry Treats for Every Kiwi Household by Wendy Morgan
• Pie School – Lessons in Fruit, Flour, and Butter Revised by Kate Lebo
• Pie Is Messy: The Pie Hole Cookbook by Rebecca Grasley

Let’s not forget about other recent favorites and classic pie books that have stood the test of time: The Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum; Sister Pie by Lisa Ludwinski; The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book by Emily Elsen and Melissa Elsen; Art of the Pie by Kate McDermott; Pastry: Savory & Sweet by the late Michel Roux; Pie Squared by Cathy Barrow; Paul Hollywood’s Pies and Puds; and The Hairy Bikers’ Perfect Pies by Si King and Dave Myers. We had Quiche Lorraine for lunch in honor of the day. How did you celebrate the occasion?