Once a year, roughly around March 14 (Pi Day!), my framily celebrates with Pienanza! Pienanza! is a holiday made up by my friend Rhea. It’s a potluck party but guests only bring pie. Any pie will do, and the band of okay for how you define pie is quite broad. This year we had pizza, empanadas, quiche, and Boston Cream Pie along with seafood pot pie, mushroom pie, cherry, blueberry, apple, buttermilk, lemon meringue, and Mexican hot chocolate pie. Rhea’s original Pienanza! (aka Pienanza! Classic) takes place around Thanksgiving. Since I am invited to the first and host the second, I actually get to celebrate Pienanza! twice a year, because I am a greedy greedy GENIUS.
My husband and I usually make a seafood pie, and it’s pretty easy so long as you’re willing to buy excellent seafood. This year it was gulf shrimp, grilled wild caught Alaskan sockeye salmon, and lump crabmeat. He sautées some onion and briefly cooks the shrimp then cuts it bite sized. The shrimp, onion, crab, grilled salmon, and some frozen peas and grilled corn kernels went into a partially baked pie shell (I like this Savory Pie Crust recipe these days), and is mixed with Progresso clam chowder. (He says next time he’ll make the clam chowder). Top with pie crust and bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.
The very best part though, even better then the plethora of pies, was gathering my people close and telling them I love them, one of my favorite ways, by making good food and creating a space to share it.
*Making Pies - Patty Griffin
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